Wednesday, December 9, 2026 — Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Rest for the weary
Matthew 11:28-30
The Gospel
Jesus calls all who labor and are burdened to come to Him, promising rest. He tells them to take His yoke upon themselves and learn from Him, for He is meek and humble of heart, and they will find rest for their souls. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
Readings of the day: First Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31; Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10; Alleluia; Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30.
Reflection
The invitation has no fine print. St. John Chrysostom notes that Jesus does not say, come this man and that man, but all: all who are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin. And He does not call them to settle accounts, but to remit their sins. St. Hilary explains who the weary are: those laboring under the hardships of the Law and burdened with the sins of this world. A yoke is still a yoke, and the Lord does not pretend otherwise. But the yoke He offers is carried beside a Master who is meek and humble of heart, and who carries it with us. That is why it is light: not because the road is flat, but because we do not walk it alone. St. Gregory adds the warning underneath the promise: a cruel yoke is to be subject to the things of time, to cling to what passes away. The rest Jesus promises begins when we set that burden down and take up His.
From the Fathers
“He said not, Come ye, this man and that man, but All whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins.”
— St. John Chrysostom, Homily 38 on Matthew, in the Catena Aurea on Matthew 11:28-30
“He calls to Him those that were labouring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.”
— St. Hilary of Poitiers, in the Catena Aurea on Matthew 11:28-30
Saint of the day
Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (c. 1474–1548), an indigenous convert of Mexico. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City from December 9 to 12, 1531, asking for a church in her honor. He was canonized by St. John Paul II on July 31, 2002, the first indigenous saint of the Americas. His optional memorial is kept today.
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Sources: the day’s readings follow the daily lectionary (USCCB, Lectionary 183). The Gospel text is not reproduced here; read it at the link above. Patristic quotes: Catena Aurea on Matthew 11:28-30, compiled by St. Thomas Aquinas, translated by John Henry Newman (1841, public domain).