Tuesday, June 14 : Saint John Henry Newman

Christ had gone away. Peace and joy the Apostles had abundantly, more so than when He was with them; but for that very reason, it was not such a joy “as the world giveth” (Jn 14,27). It was His own joy which arose out of pain and chastisement. This was the joy which St. Matthias received when he was made an Apostle… The rest had been chosen (as it were) as children; they had been heirs of the kingdom, while under tutors and governors (Gal 4,2), and, though Apostles, had not understood their calling, had had ambitious thoughts or desires after riches, and were indulged for a while… But St. Matthias came into his inheritance at once. He took upon him at once, upon his election, the power and the penalty of the Apostolate. No dreams of earthly prosperity could flit around that throne, which was reared over the grave of one who had been tried and had fallen, and under the immediate shadow of the cross of Him whom he had betrayed. Well, then, does St. Matthias repeat to us on this day our Lord’s words, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me” (Mt 11,29), for he had taken it on him from the first… He had borne the yoke in his [apostolic] youth. He entered at once upon his long Lent, and he rejoiced in it… “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt. 16,24). Here we have the words of the text emphatically repeated. To come to Christ, is to come after Him; to take up our cross, is to take upon us His yoke; and though He calls this an easy yoke, yet it is easy because it is His yoke, and He makes it easy; still it does not cease to be a yoke, and it is troublesome and distressing, because it is a yoke… I do not of course mean, far from it, that religion is not full of joy and peace also; “My yoke,” says Christ, “is easy, and My burden is light” (Mt 11,30), but grace makes it so; in itself it is severe…: that yoke is a cross.

maronite readings – rosary,team