R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“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.”

For the farmer at the time of our Lord and Savior, the wooden yoke linked across the necks of the oxen made them capable of the becoming like an engine to move the plow and handle the burden of ploughing the field — the beast of burden.

So that when our Lord and Savior said, “Take my yoke all who labor and find life burdensome and weary, and I will refresh you,” His listeners knew what He meant from the beast of burden.

Let us look for a moment at the experience of fatigue: physical, emotional, but the worse is the emotional since the physical you may kick with a good night’s sleep but the emotional, spiritual, even mental fatigue doesn’t go away as easily.

Let me share with you the mental fatigue I have experienced saying Mass since this past March: first, you cannot have people — we had to go virtual. Sure, Mass is Mass but We were not together — my sacrifice and yours. It caused me mental and emotional fatigue. I know it was for a most serious reason but the mind became fatigued.

Then comes the sanitizer … Priest, wash your hands with hot soap and water before Mass. Then, sanitize the hands during Mass. Pick up your own Roman Missal (Try extending your arms in prayer and holding the Roman missal at the same time! I needed weight training at the Y … but it was on locked down!). After the regular washing of hands at Mass for the priest, but before you give the Body of Christ to the people, instant sanitize your hands. Again. Do so before you put on the mask (If you touch the mask: sanitize again). Let us not forget the effort devoted to Holy Communion!

After Holy Communion, sanitize your hands again. Well I am asthmatic and the the smell of the sanitizer goes right to my lungs so I also pray, “Lord, please protect me from coughing!” An absolute no-no! Then we sanitize after Mass. One day someone reminded me to sanitize the priest chair after Mass for the next priest. I was the next priest! I said, “Basta!”

All very essential I know! But it does cause me real fatigue. It would be nice just to say Mass but not for now — be careful, and be safe for the sake of all.

One day I told linguini my dog about my mental fatigue —man’s best friend. He listened and then lifted up his right paw and leg and went, “ai!” So much for support!

That is why we must go to Our Lord. Come to me all your who are fatigued in any way. I will refresh you.

I have great respect for the Mayo Clinic. Our Bishop Malone when he too had cancer went there — at that time the best almost anywhere. With the help of God they kept him in remission for many years. They have a symbol: four equal arms — work, play, love and Worship. If one or more becomes a stub, you have fatigue: mental, emotional, spiritual, physical. Work, play, love for God and the other, and worship at Mass.

Go to Him whose yoke is easy. He is meek and humble of heart. He will refresh you!

Have a good 4th of July. The Statue of Liberty inscribed at her base: GIVE ME YOUR TIRED. YOUR POOR. YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATH FREE. MARY THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND PATRONESSES OF THE UNITED STATES. PRAY FOR US.

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R.  Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R.  Alleluia.

Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.