The Path to Happiness is Peace in Christ: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Emmanuel Sermons – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
Sermon and Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Am I Peaceful? The path to happiness is Peace in Christ! The Path to God’s Kingdom of Peace!
Point of Reflection: Am I at peace with myself, others and with God? How does my peace manifest itself? Am I a peaceful person? Do I bring peace to my family? To my friends? To my community members? Through baptism we become followers of this king of peace. Today’s liturgy assures us that by journeying with him we can reach peace, and become instruments of peace in this world.
First Reading: Zechariah 9:9–10
Psalm: Psalm 145:1–2, 8–11, 13–14
Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11–13
Gospel: Matthew 11:25–30
Sermon (Reflection): World peace is an ever-continuing human quest, which, sadly, has never been successful. The liturgy of the word for this Sunday gives instructions on how a Christian can find and experience God’s peace in the midst of a troubled world.
The first reading of today comes from the second part of the book of Zechariah. The prophet announces the restoration of Zion, thus, the term which refers to the Jerusalem Temple and the hill on which it was located. The vision of God’s triumphant procession through the lands of the surrounding pagan nations in Zechariah 9:1-8 concludes with God’s arrival at his “house” – the Jerusalem Temple. The presence of God in the Temple is followed by yet another triumphant entry – that of a human king. His entrance to the city is a solemn one, with inhabitants of Jerusalem invited to “rejoice greatly” and “shout aloud”. While rejoicing and shouting for joy were usually associated with celebration of God as the king (cf. Psalm 47), Zechariah encourages the same joyful celebration for a humble human ruler. As Christians, do we rejoice in the Lord? Which name are we rejoicing?
The prophet does not reveal this ruler’s name, but his Davidic origin as he arrives riding on “a colt, the foal of a donkey”. This detail connects the event to Jacob’s blessing of Judah in Gen 49:10-11, where the king from his tribe is portrayed in this manner. The donkey, unlike the horse, was an animal used for transport and never for war. Riding on a donkey symbolises arriving in peace and for peaceful purposes. As Christians, are we peaceful? Or we are the sources of divisions and hatred in our societies. Let us pray today for peace in the world, as St Elizabeth of Portugal said, “If you love peace, all will be well.”
Furthermore, this Davidic king “will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem”. By removal of the tools of war he will put an end to conflict and will rule in peace. These images certainly evoke the time of the greatest Israelite king, Solomon, David’s son, who ruled “from the River to the ends of the earth” enjoying peace on all sides (cf. 1 Kgs 5:1.4). The future messianic king in Zechariah’s vision will have no need for weapons, war horses or chariots. He will be the king of peace.
The second reading of today gives us a unique Christian existence which is sustained by the working of the Spirit of God in and among the faithful. Paul emphasises the vital role of the Spirit for Christian life, stating that “anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him”. There is no Christianity without the Spirit. The Spirit’s indwelling not only makes Christian life in the present world possible, but also guarantees life after death, since, according to Paul “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he […] will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you”. As Christians, where and to who are we dwelling our life? In spirit of God or in Satan?
Paul states that if the Spirit of God lives in us, we belong to Christ. This truth has profound implications for our identity and our way of life. We are no longer defined by our old selves, but by the indwelling presence of the Spirit.
What we need to know as Christians, is that, a person in whom the Spirit dwells is at peace with God. The Spirit’s guidance ensures obedience to God’s commands and harmony with the Creator. Living without the Spirit and “according to the flesh” isolates a person from God and leads to fear and eventual death.
In the Gospel passage of today Jesus thanks the Father for graciously revealing “these things” not to “the wise and the intelligent” but “to infants”. What are the “things” Jesus refers to? To answer, one has to go back to Matthew 11:5 where the works of the Messiah are described as “the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, the lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, and the poor having good news brought to them”. Through “these things” accomplished by Jesus, the new messianic age becomes visible “to infants” thus, the simple and ordinary community members.
Jesus makes the Kingdom of God a reality that the needy and neglected can experience first-hand. Through him, and only through him, God’s salvific presence and action in the world becomes perceptible. In other words, God reveals himself through Jesus humbly approaching those overlooked by others. Hence, all who “are weary and are carrying heavy burdens” can, thanks to Jesus, find rest and peace flowing from God’s reassuring presence. The only thing required is “taking Jesus’ yoke and learning from him”. These images refer to accepting Jesus’ teaching and his model for life. He assures his followers that living according to his teaching is not burdensome but “easy and light”, because it means following the master who is “gentle and humble in heart”. These are the same words which appear in Zechariah’s image of the Messianic King.
Jesus is the one who makes peace on the earth possible. Being the Son of God with perfect knowledge of, and complete union with, the Father, he assures those who choose to follow him that they will find lasting peace, because what he teaches comes directly from the one who sent him.
The meekness and gentleness of Jesus are the signs of Messianic peace. Zechariah envisioned this peace, describing a “humble king” entering the earthly Jerusalem.
We need Jesus’ yoke, in taking on Jesus’ yoke, we align ourselves with His purposes and commit to following His ways. We are called to embrace His teachings, His heart of compassion, and His example of humble service. As we learn from Him, we are transformed from within, and His love and grace overflow to those around us.
Jesus invites us to share in His yoke, indicating that we are not left to carry our burdens alone. In community with other believers, we can support and encourage one another, bearing each other’s burdens and sharing the journey together. Together, as the body of Christ, we can lighten the load and provide strength and comfort to one another.
Christian Act in Word of God “Am I peaceful?”
If today you are asked, what do you need as a person? Most of us we will say, I need money or a wife or a husband. Most of times as human beings we miss the need of the need, today what we need in our life and in the world is Peace not just money or power. If we have peace, there will be no robbery, no killing of each other, even no keys to lock our rooms or our houses or our offices, because we will all be peaceful and content.
The people of Israel at the time of Jesus greeted each other with the greeting of peace – “Shalom”. This ancient practice was established by God already at the time of Moses and Aaron who understood that peace is a blessing, that it comes from God, and that it is necessary for our wellbeing. But peace does not fall from the sky suddenly and without active human participation. It is necessary to recognise that peace requires the right conditions to develop and needs human cooperation to be maintained.
Listening to Jesus we find the answer to our quest for peace. He says: “Come to me”! By these words he indicates that those who come and “stay” with him, like the first disciples in the Gospel of John, are on the right path to his kingdom of peace.
But accepting this invitation means more than just staying with Jesus; it means living according to his teaching. Jesus invites us to live in his kingdom by following his footsteps. Such life is the way to the kingdom of peace.
Jesus fought with no weapons but he used kindness and forgiveness. His focus was on helping others to live better lives. Doing this he brought peace to many hearts, and showed that peace on earth is possible. As good Christians, let us bring peace to our families and to our societies which we live.
Action: I will be bring peace and Christ to my family, friends and to the World.
Prayer: Lord our God, make us instruments of Your peace by bringing Christ to our families, friends and the world. What the world needs now more than ever is peace. We pray for peace in our hearts, in our families, and in the societies we live. We ask this through Christ, Amen.
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