💖 HOMILY - DECEMBER 11 💖

First Reading - Isaiah 40:25-31

Gospel - Matthew 11:28-30

There is a famous saying: "Knowledge is power." Indeed, we need knowledge, but knowledge without the wisdom of God may be counted as mere information. The readings of the day invite us to humble ourselves, to accept and access the wisdom of God with openness of heart.

Today’s first reading forms the final part of a great poem on the majesty and wisdom of the Lord, articulated through a series of rhetorical questions to which the poet himself provides the answers. The poem focuses on creation, largely contrasting the Israelite conception with that of the Babylonians. The opening section contrasts the wisdom of the Lord with the Babylonian chief creator-god, who needed to consult the god of wisdom. The second section compares the God of Israel, who fashioned and spread out the universe, with the Babylonian gods, which were themselves crafted by human hands. The third section challenges Jacob, Israel, and the audience to name another source of enduring strength that gives power to the feeble and renews the strength of the weary. The Lord is no local or temporary god; His power is eternal, extending over all ages and to the remotest parts of the earth.

The gospel of the day reflects the wisdom of God through the invitation of Jesus. Jesus invites people to carry His yoke. In Judaism, the "yoke" often refers to the Law, a burden borne like the yoke on oxen, pressing on their necks and shoulders. It is tempting to see a contrast between the light yoke Jesus offers and the heavy yoke of the Law, which had become burdensome due to excessive additions that suppressed rather than liberated. However, this was not the Law's original design. Obedience to the Law was always intended as a joy, revealing God's nature and will for humanity, and offering a joyful privilege to respond.

It is better, then, to look beyond the yoke of the Law to the tradition of Wisdom. In the Old Testament, personified Wisdom often stands at her doorway, inviting people to her banquet of rich food and fine wines (Wisdom 2:20-33), and to take on her yoke (e.g., Sirach 51:26: "Put your necks under her yoke"). This invitation aligns with Jesus' address to the poor who labor and are overburdened. The wisdom of God is not reserved for the learned but for those who are humble and open-minded enough to accept His teaching.

Dear friends, the wisdom of God is reflected in the universe and His strength in the feeble and weary. Those who are humble and weary are often more open to receiving God's wisdom. This is why God's strength and wisdom, embodied in Jesus and His teachings, find a home in them. While we may be considered learned or wise based on qualifications or credentials, if we are not open to the ways of God, our wisdom may be merely worldly and short-lived. May God's wisdom find a place in our hearts and guide us in our journey of faith.