我要使你们安息
各位弟兄妹妹:
在今天的弥撒福音中,主耶稣说:“凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来，我要使你们安息。你们背起我的轭，跟我学吧!因为我是良善心谦的：这样你们必要找得你们灵魂的安息。”主耶稣的这段话既是对我们所有人的邀请，也是对所有到祂跟前去的人的许诺，同时祂还告诉了我们如何得到安息。
一、耶稣的邀请
在今天的福音中，主耶稣向谁发出了邀请呢？“凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来。”
那么主耶稣所说的“劳苦和重担”指的是什么呢？这“劳苦和重担”不只是指我们生活的重担、家庭的重担、工作的重担、学业的重担、疾病的重担等等。更是指罪恶的重担。
圣咏三十八篇第5节说：“我的罪过高出我的头顶，好似重担把我压得过分沉重。”意思是说：我的罪太多了，若把一个罪加在另一个罪的上面，我的罪会高过我的头顶。我的罪也太重了，如同重担叫我担当不起。
因此，“重担”就是“我的罪”！“我的罪”就是“重担”。
以前有一个传教士，在非洲传道。因为非洲人工便宜，他用了两个工人；一个大人替他烧饭，一个小孩替他作杂工。这个非洲的小孩很聪明，会射箭，每射必中。一日，他的主人买一只鸭子回来。他看见鸭子，就向着鸭子试射他的箭，看看射得中不中，哪知一射便中。活活的鸭子，死在他的手中，他非常恐慌，四顾无人，就急挖一个洞，把鸭子埋在其中。鸭子已经埋了，但死鸭常在他的心中，坐也看见死鸭，行也看见死鸭，睡卧或三餐，都看见死鸭。弟兄姐妹们，你心中有死鸭没有？
不久，那个烧饭的，对他说：“我现在要烧饭，你赶快去挑水。”小孩回答说：“你是烧饭的，你应当去挑水。”烧饭的说：“你敢顶嘴！你记不记得那只死鸭？”小孩觉得奇怪，死鸭他也知道，就乖乖地去挑水。
这样，那个小孩因为那只死鸭，在那烧饭的工人手下，受了许多苦，常常受欺负。一天，他鼓起勇气，对他自己说，我不能一直如此劳苦担重担，我要解决这个问题。于是他去见他的主人，问他说：“你记得有一天你买一只鸭子回来吗？”主人说：“我记得，但不知那鸭子到哪里去了！”那孩子就痛哭起来，对他主人说：“那鸭子是我弄死的，我现在悔改，想作个好孩子，请求主人宽免我的过错。”他的主人是个神父，看见孩子有悔改的心，就宽免他，对他说：“你安心回去吧！你的过犯已经宽免了。”
他刚从神父房间出来，烧饭的又叫他去挑水，他说：“挑水是你的工作”。烧饭的说：“你还敢顶嘴，你记不记得那只死鸭？”他说：“我是记得，但挑水我不挑。”“我去报告主人。”“请，尽管去报告！”烧饭的叫他去劈柴，也是这样。因为他的罪已经蒙赦免，他的重担已经脱落，他的心里没有害怕。
各位弟兄姐妹，我们也要到主耶稣面前，坦白地承认我们的罪。主耶稣也要赦免我们的罪，使我们从罪恶的重担下得到释放，获得心灵的安息。
二、耶稣的许诺
主耶稣不仅邀请所有劳苦和负重担的人到祂那里去，而且祂还许诺所有到祂那里去的人，使他们在劳苦中和负重担时得到安息。主耶稣给人的安息，既有肉体上的安息，也有精神上的安息，更有心灵上的安息。
1.肉体上的安息
人生最怕病来磨。主耶稣在世上传道时,行了很多神迹，医治了许多人的病。其目的，是要向人证明祂有赐人肉体安息的能力，使人信靠他。
如：治好了一位患12年血漏病的妇女(路8：43-48)；治好耶利哥的瞎子（谷10：46—52）；等等。
2.精神上的安息
有的人在精神上产生病变，成为自己甚至别人无法以理智控制的精神病患。主耶稣传道期间，以天主的能力，多次治好了附魔的人，使他们清醒成为正常人。
如：路8章26-36记载，耶稣来到革拉撒地方，有一个附魔的人，很久不穿衣服，住在坟墓中，被铁链和脚镣捆缚起来。耶稣把那人身上的魔鬼赶出去后，那个脱离魔鬼的人穿着衣服，神智清醒，坐在耶稣跟前。这显明主耶稣爱我们，救人脱离不幸的辖制。
3.心灵上的安息
人活着难免会因病痛(或自己或家人)、工作上的劳苦、环境的变化无常,造成很大的压力,使人心中充满愁烦、忧伤。而主耶稣却有能力，使我们不安的心灵得到安息。
玛9：18-25记载耶稣复活会堂长女儿的神迹。有一位会堂长前来跪拜耶稣说：“我的女儿刚才死了，可是请你来，把你的手放在她身上，她必会活。”耶稣起来跟他去了，他的门徒也跟了去。耶稣来到会堂长家里，看见吹笛的和乱哄哄的群众，就说：“你们走开吧!女孩子没有死，只是睡着了。”他们都讥笑他。把群众赶出去以后，耶稣就进去，拿起女孩子的手，小女孩就起来了。
三、如何得安息
我们每个人都希望能获得肉体、精神和心灵上的安息。我们怎能得到全人的安息呢？今天的弥撒读经告诉了我们：
1.来到主面前
在今天的弥撒福音中，主耶稣邀请人说：“凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来，我要使你们安息。”
今天弥撒的读经一，匝加利亚先知激励当时陷于哀伤、失望中的全犹太人要高兴欢乐，因为默西亚就要降临给他们带来和平，复兴他们的家园。先知所预言的默西亚就是主基督的预像，也就是说主基督就是和平，祂不仅宣讲和平，也给世人带来和平。
在今天弥撒的读经二罗马人书中，圣保禄宗徒要我们看轻世俗，紧随圣神。“如果你们随从肉性生活，必要死亡；然而，如果你们依赖圣神，去致死肉性的妄动，必能生活。”
2.与主共背轭
主耶稣说：“你们背起我的轭，跟我学吧！”
“轭”这个字在圣经中，象征顺服和承担责任。因此，耶稣说“你们背起我的轭”，就是跟随主耶稣一起顺服、服事天父的旨意，接受主给我们一切的托付、工作、事奉、甘心顺服，就能得享灵魂安息。
3.跟主学良善
主耶稣又说：“我是良善心谦的：这样你们必要找得你们灵魂的安息。”
圣方济各·沙雷氏生来就活泼好动，容易愤怒，然而他决意要师法耶稣，实现基督的遗训：“跟我学吧，因为我是良善心谦的”（玛11：29）。因此，他不断在提高警觉，抑压自己的心情冲动，结果他的仪态变得温文而雅，简直成了天主仁爱和平的活像。
4.跟主学谦卑
耶稣基督身为天主子，却降生成为人。这表明他是非常谦卑的。伟大的圣人奥斯丁说：“在信仰生活中，最重要的是谦卑，第二重要的是谦卑，第三重要的还是谦卑。”
结语：
“凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来，我要使你们安息。你们背起我的轭，跟我学吧!因为我是良善心谦的：这样你们必要找得你们灵魂的安息。”愿赐安息的主降福你们！阿们
You will find rest for your souls
What a beautiful gathering that we have here today to enjoy the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Although this is the second Sunday of the hot Summer months, the grace of God has touched many, drawing you all to unite and receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and to hear the Sacred Word of God that strengthens the hearts of the believers.
During today’s “Opening Prayer,” we heard that the Heavenly Father has raised a fallen world through the obedience of Jesus. During this same prayer, we asked God to free us from sin and to bring us a joy that will last forever. In other words, the Lord Jesus is our hope of finding rest for our souls.
During the First Reading from the Book of Zechariah, we heard the Old Testament prophecy that promised the coming of our King who would arrive in Jerusalem, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. In fulfillment of what had been spoken through the prophet Zechariah, this event took place when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion. [Mt. 21:5; Jn. 12:15] This event identified Jesus as the One who was to rule as the King of kings in the spiritual Jerusalem from above. [Gal. 4:25-6].
What is the spiritual Jerusalem? It is the city that we have all entered when we received the Sacrament of Baptism in the Holy Catholic Church. Through Baptism, we entered Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, where innumerable angels are in festal gathering and where the assembly of the firstborn are enrolled in Heaven. It is where God is the judge of all and to the spirits of the righteous are made perfect. [Heb. 12:22-3]
During today’s Gospel, when Jesus thanked the Father, the Lord of Heaven and earth, for revealing the hidden things to infants, He was referring to what I have just finished telling you. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. You will find rest for your souls.”
Many try to explain this passage with a worldly approach. The Words of the Bible cannot be explained by a worldly approach. They can only be explained when one embraces a spiritual mind because the Word of God is spiritual in nature. The rest that Jesus is speaking about is the inner spiritual joy and peace that one feels when he is in the presence of Jesus. It is a rest that can only be enjoyed when one becomes attached to Christ after having been “spiritualized.” It is a rest that can only be enjoyed when our spirits remain in the presence of Jesus during our enjoyment of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
During the Gospel reading today, we heard Jesus say that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When we live our Christian life as a new creation, enjoying the gifts that we have received during the Sacrament of Baptism, we think spiritually. When we think spiritually, we are no longer burdened by the worldly ways because we are walking our living faith and hope with a spiritual heart.
To explain this, while those of a worldly heart seek to accumulate their treasures, those of a spiritual heart give freely what they own. While the worldly minded hold grudges, those of a spiritual mind forgive. While those of the worldly way avoid Church attendance, the spiritual minded person cherishes the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Endless such comparison can be made as we are well aware.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in all our daily thoughts, words and actions, let us remember to value our ongoing presence before the indwelling Spirit of God. Through Jesus, let us strive to worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him. [Jn. 4:23] May we always remember to place God first in our lives. May we always remember to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. To succeed in this goal, we must seek to walk hand-in-hand with the indwelling Holy Spirit who is our Guide in all things. By doing these things, Jesus will find rest in our hearts and our souls will find the true and perfect rest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
