CARRYING THE YOKE OF CHRIST

20260716 CARRYING THE YOKE OF CHRIST

 

16 July 2026, Thursday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Isaiah 26:7-9,12,16-19

'Awake and exult, all you who lie in the dust'

The path of the upright man is straight,

you smooth the way of the upright.

Following the path of your judgements,

we hoped in you, O Lord,

your name, your memory are all my soul desires.

At night my soul longs for you

and my spirit in me seeks for you;

when your judgements appear on earth

the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.

O Lord, you are giving us peace,

since you treat us

as our deeds deserve.

Distressed, we search for you, O Lord;

the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.

As a woman with child near her time

writhes and cries out in her pangs,

so are we, O Lord, in your presence:

we have conceived, we writhe

as if we were giving birth;

we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth,

no more inhabitants of the world are born.

Your dead will come to life,

their corpses will rise;

awake, exult,

all you who lie in the dust,

for your dew is a radiant dew

and the land of ghosts will give birth.

How to listen

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 101(102):13-21

The Lord looked down from heaven to the earth.

You, O Lord, will endure for ever

  and your name from age to age.

You will arise and have mercy on Zion:

  for this is the time to have mercy,

for your servants love her very stones,

  are moved with pity even for her dust.

The Lord looked down from heaven to the earth.

The nations shall fear the name of the Lord

  and all the earth’s kings your glory,

when the Lord shall build up Zion again

  and appear in all his glory.

Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;

  he will not despise their prayers.

The Lord looked down from heaven to the earth.

Let this be written for ages to come

  that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;

for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.

  He looked down from heaven to the earth

that he might hear the groans of the prisoners

  and free those condemned to die.

The Lord looked down from heaven to the earth.

---

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 11:28-30

My yoke is easy and my burden light

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

 

CARRYING THE YOKE OF CHRIST

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; MT 11:28-30]

We all carry many burdens in life. Some come from our responsibilities and the anxiety of carrying them out, especially regarding the needs of our family and children. We constantly worry about their health, studies, careers, and relationships. Other burdens stem from our own sins and mistakes. We struggle to forgive our past, often allowing guilt and regret to haunt us. We fear that God will not forgive our sins, or we worry that one day our missteps will be exposed. On top of this, we face the onslaught of opponents and critics, whether at work or in our daily endeavours — people who oppose, slander, and misunderstand us. Indeed, quite often, we feel like giving up because the weight is so heavy. We may even wish for an early exit from this earth, yet we cannot let go because we fear for our loved ones. We love them too much to abandon them, even as we feel our crosses are too heavy to bear. In these moments, we often wish God would trade our cross for someone else’s, envying those who seem to have a better share of the world’s happiness and goods.

What needs to change, however, is not the cross we carry, but the way we carry it. This is what Jesus tells us when He says, “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Today, we are invited to look at our problems through a different lens. Ultimately, happiness has more to do with how we view life than the challenges themselves. The truth is that everyone faces struggles. We all have to deal with difficult people, family squabbles, failed relationships, and financial worries. The difference between those who manage to stay afloat with joy and those who sink into depression is simply a matter of perspective.

The critical question is whether we view our struggles from a narrow, human perspective or through the eyes of God. Unfortunately, many of us cannot see beyond our own pain and immediate needs. When we view challenges through the lens of self-centeredness, our automatic reaction is fear, anger, or defensiveness. But instead of simply reacting to our problems, we are called to be proactive and see the bigger picture. We must realise that our present sufferings are momentary compared to what is ahead of us, both in this life and the next. When we view our struggles in the context of a greater good — not just for ourselves, but for our loved ones and the world — the pain becomes worth carrying. It is only when we carry a burden reluctantly, purely for our own sake and without understanding, that it feels far heavier than it actually is.

For this reason, the Gospel invites us to look at life from the perspective of Christ. But what was His perspective? Jesus saw everything through the eyes of His Father. That was the foundation of His life and ministry. He possessed an intimate union of mind and will with the Father, declaring, “The Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30). The heart, mind, vision, and love of the Father were also those of Jesus. Out of this unity, Jesus suffered for the love of humanity, sharing the Father’s deep compassion and mercy for us all.

To see life as Jesus did, we must put on His yoke. This metaphor comes from the wooden yoke placed on oxen to help them plough a field. A proper yoke must be custom-fit to the animal’s neck; otherwise, it causes friction, pain, and exhaustion. When Jesus invites us to “shoulder my yoke and learn from me,” He is showing us that we find rest by adopting His gentle and humble heart.

So, how did Jesus carry His own crosses and burdens? He accepted them patiently, willingly, and positively. He embraced the cross as an essential part of His mission to reveal God’s mercy and reconcile humanity to Him. Above all, He trusted the Father’s will. He submitted Himself to the Father’s plan even when, as a human being, it was difficult to comprehend. On the cross, He cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46). No matter how incomprehensible or painful the situation, Jesus never doubted the Father’s love and wisdom. He trusted that His Father knew best, and so He chose His Father’s will at all times.

True happiness lies in accepting our lot in life and cooperating with God’s plan rather than fighting against it. When we stop resisting His will, we preserve our energy to face life’s challenges, surmount them, and grow. Too many of us spend our lives fighting against God’s reality, leaving us drained, bitter, and unprepared. Instead, we must make the best of whatever situation we find ourselves in. Every crisis is an opportunity; every obstacle is a stepping stone; every mountain is a peak to be scaled. This is why Jesus says His yoke is easy. The moment we align ourselves with God’s will, our stride becomes comfortable. Rather than wishing for what we lack, let us find peace in what we have and what the Lord wants to give us. We cannot have the crown without the thorns — they are part of the journey. The glory of the crown exists because of the thorns. The greater the challenge, the greater the triumph and spiritual growth.

Secondly, Jesus carried His cross out of love. When there is love, the burden is light. Just as Jesus did all things for the love of the Father and for us, we too find our crosses worthwhile when we carry them for the sake of others. Suffering endured in isolation or for purely selfish ambitions feels incredibly heavy. But when carried for the love of God and neighbour, we are given a supernatural grace to bear them.  So we need to ask, for whom and for what are we carrying the cross?  If it is only for our selfish desires and ambitions, the cross will be heavier, but when carried for love of others, it is much lighter because of the joy of knowing that we are bringing life and joy to others.

Thirdly, we are called to view our trials as redemptive suffering, mirroring Christ the Suffering Servant. This is how the Israelites eventually viewed their exile. They recognised that their hardships were consequences of their wanderings, meant not to destroy them, but to purify them and draw them back to God. When we view suffering positively as a tool for sanctification, we find the hope and energy needed to rebuild our lives. Despair and anger only drain our strength, preventing us from seeing how these trials purify us and help us grow in grace.

Fourthly, joy and peace ultimately have nothing to do with worldly success or accomplishments. True peace comes from a clear conscience — knowing we have done what is right, even if the world is against us. The world may reject us, but if we know God is pleased with us, we can rest and eventually die in peace. As the Psalmist writes, “The path of the righteous is level; you clear a straight path for the upright.”

Consequently, if we want to adopt the mind and heart of Christ, we must actively seek Him and learn from Him. Like the Psalmist, we must desire to come to the Lord to find instruction, wisdom, and direction: “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.”

When we put on the mind of Christ, the promise of new life and resurrection becomes a reality for us. As the prophet Isaiah assures us, “Your dead will live, their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is a radiant dew, and the earth will give birth to her dead.”

Our God is merciful and compassionate. We must never doubt His love. He will never abandon us if we come to Him, shoulder His yoke, and align our hearts with His will. In doing so, we will find deep peace even in our pain. When His will becomes our will, the yoke fits perfectly, and the burden is made light.

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

• Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
• Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
• It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

 

PRIDE IS THE CAUSE OF OUR DOWNFALL

20260715 PRIDE IS THE CAUSE OF OUR DOWNFALL

 

15 July 2026, Wednesday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16

Assyria's arrogance and coming ruin

The Lord of hosts says this:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger,

the club brandished by me in my fury!

I sent him against a godless nation;

I gave him commission against a people that provokes me,

to pillage and to plunder freely

and to stamp down like the mud in the streets.

But he did not intend this,

his heart did not plan it so.

No, in his heart was to destroy,

to go on cutting nations to pieces without limit.

For he has said:

‘By the strength of my own arm I have done this

and by my own intelligence, for understanding is mine;

I have pushed back the frontiers of peoples

and plundered their treasures.

I have brought their inhabitants down to the dust.

As if they were a bird’s nest, my hand has seized

the riches of the peoples.

As people pick up deserted eggs

I have picked up the whole earth,

with not a wing fluttering,

not a beak opening, not a chirp.’

Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it,

or the saw more strength than the man who handles it?

It would be like the cudgel controlling the man who raises it,

or the club moving what is not made of wood!

And so the Lord of Hosts is going to send

a wasting sickness on his stout warriors;

beneath his plenty, a burning will burn

like a consuming fire.

How to listen

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 93(94):5-10,14-15

The Lord will not abandon his people.

They crush your people, Lord,

  they afflict the ones you have chosen

They kill the widow and the stranger

  and murder the fatherless child.

The Lord will not abandon his people.

And they say: ‘The Lord does not see;

  the God of Jacob pays no heed.’

Mark this, most senseless of people;

  fools, when will you understand?

The Lord will not abandon his people.

Can he who made the ear, not hear?

  Can he who formed the eye, not see?

Will he who trains nations not punish?

  Will he who teaches men, not have knowledge?

The Lord will not abandon his people.

The Lord will not abandon his people

  nor forsake those who are his own;

for judgement shall again be just

  and all true hearts shall uphold it.

The Lord will not abandon his people.

---

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-27

You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

 

PRIDE IS THE CAUSE OF OUR DOWNFALL

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 10:5-7, 13-16; MT 11:25-27]

The axiom that pride goes before a man’s destruction is profoundly true. Pride manifests in many ways and stems from different sources. It can arise from our accomplishments, as it did with the King of Assyria, or it can come from knowledge, as seen in the Pharisees and the Scribes. Whether it takes the form of overconfidence and self-glorification, or the belief that we know everything or more than others, pride ultimately serves to destroy us. It blinds us to the truth about ourselves and who we are. When we think too highly of ourselves and even attempt to supplant the place of God, we have arrived at the height of arrogance. This is the essence of humanism: believing we do not need God because we think we can solve all problems by ourselves. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the New Age mentality similarly displays this pride by claiming that we are all gods.

Indeed, pride in himself, his might, and his achievements was the downfall of the King of Assyria. It is true that Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, conquered the kingdom of Israel and sent the people into exile. As a result, the new King of Assyria, Sennacherib, was emboldened to overthrow the rulers of Judah and capture the city. He believed that with his military might and power, he could bring Judah entirely under his control. With great arrogance and insolence, he boasted to all, “By the strength of my own arm I have done this and by my own intelligence, for understanding is mine; I have pushed back the frontiers of peoples and plundered their treasures. I have brought their inhabitants down to the dust. As if they were a bird’s nest, my hand has seized the riches of the peoples. As people pick up deserted eggs, I have picked up the whole earth, with not a wing fluttering, not a beak opening, not a chirp.” 

The truth is, he did not realise that all power lies in the hands of God. If God does not give us our talents and strength, we are capable of nothing. In fact, regardless of who we are — whether we are working for God or for ourselves — God remains in control of the world and its destiny. He will make use of us to achieve His purpose, whether we recognise it or not. As the Lord of hosts says, “Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger, the club brandished by me in my fury! I sent him against a godless nation; I gave him commission against a people that provokes me, to pillage and to plunder freely and to stamp down like the mud in the streets. But he did not plan it so. No, in his heart was to destroy, to go on cutting nations to pieces without limit.” This was the very same lesson that Jesus gave to Pilate during His trial. 

Without God’s permission, Assyria could not have conquered Samaria; it was merely a rod employed by God to bring Israel to repentance. Indeed, the Lord asked, “Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it or the saw more strength than the man who handles it? It would be like the cudgel controlling the man who raises it, or the club moving what is not made of wood!” The answer is obvious. Without the power of God as the efficient cause, the tool is powerless. We are simply instruments of His love. The psalmist warns us, “And they say: ‘The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.’ Mark this, most senseless of people; fools, when will you understand? Can he who made the ear, not hear? Can he who formed the eye, not see? Will he who trains nations not punish? Will he who teaches men, not have knowledge?”

This warning applies to many of us today as well. How many of us truly believe that our success is due to the grace of God? We might pay lip service to God, saying our success is due to His grace and mercy, but deep in our hearts, we believe we are the ones who deserve the credit. We think it is solely due to our hard work and ingenuity that we have become successful. If we were truly conscious that everything comes from His grace alone, we would be filled with gratitude. We would become humbler before Him for being so gracious to us.

A true sign that we believe our success is a result of His grace, rather than our own work, is found in our faith in Christ expressed through prayer. To pray is to acknowledge our finiteness. It means seeking His direction and wisdom in all things, desiring only to do His holy will. Only those who are humble can understand the ways of the Lord. As Jesus exclaimed, “I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do.” Without humility, we cannot learn anything from anyone — least of all from God. Only with humility can we have true faith and place our trust in Him. Humility allows us to surrender ourselves to the will of God in faith, even when we do not understand why certain things happen in our lives, especially when tragedies strike.

Jesus is our ultimate example of someone who knew His place. He was fully conscious that He was the Son, sent by the Father, and His entire life and ministry were rooted in the Father’s love. Hence, He could confidently claim, “Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus made it clear that He was doing the works of the Father, and that He does whatever the Father wills. He came solely to do the Father’s will. Because of His deeply personal relationship with His Father, and His knowledge of the Father’s heart, He could confidently commit Himself to the divine plan.

Consequently, we must come to Jesus, who alone can lead us to the Father and reveal His plan for us. Only in Christ can we appreciate the Father’s plan, especially in times of trial, crisis, tragedy, and misfortune. When we know that God is in control, we have no reason to panic. Whether in good health or sickness, in success or failure, in good times or bad, we can remain calm because we know that God will not abandon us, just as the psalmist testified: “They crush your people, Lord, they afflict the ones you have chosen. They kill the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless child,” yet still he declared, “The Lord will not abandon his people nor forsake those who are his own; for judgement shall again be just and all true hearts shall uphold it.”

The consequence of failing to realise the sovereignty of God — and that He is the source of life and all that we are — is to end in failure, disappointment, and disillusionment. A time will come when we find that despite all our careful planning, things do not work out. Our plans can be easily derailed by developments and situations completely beyond our control. For instance, during the march of King Sennacherib and his army, they were apparently struck down by an epidemic that caused many to fall sick and die. Historians have suggested that this may have been an outbreak of dengue fever. This aligns with what the prophet foretold: “And so the Lord of hosts is going to send a wasting sickness on his stout warriors; beneath his plenty, a burning will burn like a consuming fire.”

When we reach that stage without faith, we risk giving up on life and falling into depression because of our failures — especially when we have expended so much of our time and energy. We become bitter and angry with God when, in reality, we never truly believed in Him, His grace, or His power over us. Tragic indeed is the person who thinks too highly of himself and lacks the humility to rely on the Lord. He will ultimately end up in nihilism, as many atheists do when faced with suffering and disappointment. If we do not want to walk that slippery path, let us choose the path of humility before God instead. This is a sure path to life, especially for those in leadership: to walk humbly before God and His people.

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

• Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
• Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
• It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.