Readings: Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 144, Romans 8:9,11-13, Matthew 11:25-30

There are times when certain words of Jesus can almost sound like a joke. Especially if you are going through a rough patch—or a completely devastating one. In the middle of the storm, it’s so easy to lose our peace and feel like we’re totally finished. That is why Jesus constantly reminds us that, in the end, everything is going to be okay. We so easily forget that the Lord is with us through thick and thin. The truth is, we just don’t think about Him very much—until the storm hits.

In many ways, we all tend to act like we know better than everyone else. We love to defend our convictions and opinions, sometimes pretty aggressively. We fight until we get our way. Sometimes we even become close-minded, if not downright hostile. Because of this, we need to stop every now and then and ask ourselves: What kind of spirit is driving us? Is it the Spirit of Jesus, or something else?

This question is especially important when circumstances stress us out or when we feel completely anxious inside. The Apostle Paul in today’s second reading talks about a whole dark world of selfish desires and cravings that can take over our lives and lead us to death. But he also tells us that when the Spirit of God—the Spirit of Jesus—takes hold of us and moves us, then everything within us and around us comes back to life.

So, what is the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Jesus, really like? We remember it every Palm Sunday as we watch Him enter Jerusalem on a little donkey. The prophet Zechariah predicted this in today’s first reading. He announced the arrival of a victorious Messiah King but noted that His main trait would be a spirit of peace, serenity, and gentleness. He imagines the Messiah coming not on a warhorse, but riding a donkey, clothed in humility. Painting the Messiah as a king who shows up on a young donkey, bringing peace to all the nations of the earth, is a beautiful and heartwarming image. It shows the Messiah as the ultimate bridge-builder for a new kind of humanity—one that is truly human and life-giving, where divisions and discrimination are wiped away, and where everyone can live together, meet each other, and work through their differences.

This is the image of Jesus in today’s Gospel. Jesus is filled with a spirit of gentleness, humility, and peace. He is a humble Teacher. He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. By talking about a yoke, He is showing us that—just like oxen harnessed together—a shared burden is a lighter burden. Jesus Himself is ready to share the yoke and the burden with us. He knows how to sympathize with us because He has been through it Himself. This mystery of the humility of Jesus is welcomed and understood by the simple. The simple, the broken, the ones struggling with problems—they are the ones who truly open their hearts to the message, and they are the ones who best understand these words of Jesus. The Apostle Peter writes about the meekness and humility of Jesus Christ thus: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1Pt 2:23). How beautiful! And how challenging! Please let us now do a brief examination of conscience by asking ourselves in our hearts: “When I was reviled or insulted, what did I do….” “When I suffered or got stressed up, what did I do?” This Sunday, we have the wonderful opportunity to ask ourselves what kind of spirit drives us. Are we helping to build social peace and reconciliation? Are we bringing solutions to the problems facing our families, our groups, or are we just being indifferent? Does our witness of faith bring relief or anxiety, restlessness or rest? Does society see the humility and gentleness of Jesus in us? These are very serious questions, and our credibility in the world depends on them. Jesus invites you and I to learn from Him, to embrace his humility and to know that he is always there with us to share our burdens and worries.