Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 16, 2026
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
When I was a first-year teacher, “Come to me, and I will give you rest” was the Scripture offered at our staff retreat, and it was apt! Schoolteachers operate at such a high energy level and make so many decisions per hour that our brand of exhaustion has a name, “teacher tired” (exhaustion leading to a post-work collapse on the couch).
However, what truly burns me out is not trusting God.
When two oxen are yoked together, one ox’s resistant thrashing can make it impossible for either of them to move forward. I’m sorry to say that I was that unruly ox during my first year of teaching. I panicked and became so upset at the Lord that I could barely pray.
Just one year later, as I channeled my passion into making an impact on my students’ lives, I learned, for the very first time, how to love with agape (self-sacrificing) love, and this love was hands-down the most beautiful reality I had ever known.
Jesus is meek and humble of heart. His way is soft, for a bruised reed he does not break, and a smoldering wick he does not quench. He wants to lead us gently through any situation we find ourselves in. Today, as I go through my day, I can visualize Jesus in a yoke next to me. I can feel Jesus assume the greater part of the burden of this day. He wants to carry it with me.
Let Jesus set the pace. Let him choose the direction. Let him whisper counsel. Let him be a true partner. Jesus says, ”Come to me. I am meek and humble of heart. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Prayer
Jesus, we hear the world around us saying your burden is heavy and your yoke is too difficult, but you have told us it’s not. Your burden is light and your yoke is freeing. Serving you is sweetness. Sustain us as we continue in your service. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a title given to Mary as patron of the Carmelite religious community of contemplative monks, nuns, and priests.
The original Carmelites were hermits living on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land in the late 12th century. They chose Mt. Carmel because it is the place where the Old Testament prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israel’s faith. The monks built a chapel on the mount and dedicated it to “Our Lady of the place.”
The Carmelites celebrated a special feast on July 16 to mark the day that Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the scapular. By the 1700s, this July 16 feast was being celebrated everywhere in the Church.
St. Simon Stock was an early Carmelite who received a vision of Mary on this date in 1251, in which she gave him the brown scapular. The scapular comes from a two-sided apron that monks wear while they work—a skinny poncho of sorts. In the vision, Mary handed Simon a scapular and told him that she would protect whoever wore it. The garment became part of the Carmelite habit and appears in many other religious habits as well.
Many people wear a small version of the scapular under their shirts, which looks like two brown, square pieces of cloth that hang on the breast and back, connected by strings around one’s neck. It is worn as a devotional practice—as a way to call to mind Mary’s motherly protection and to ask for her prayerful assistance.
Some of the Church’s greatest saints were Carmelites, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese of Lisieux, all of whom are doctors of the Church.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, you gave us the scapular, and you protect and care for us as a mother—pray for us!
Image Credit: Image by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.