In the first reading we see an image of a donkey.  The donkey is a working animal who carries big loads without making much of a fuss. Many donkeys were used in ancient time to turn the stone to grind the wheat. Also, in science fiction the donkey is depicted a somber, and  slow-moving animal.  Take for example Eeyore from tales of Winnie the Pooh.  He often walks looking down. An incident with Piglet shows his pessimistic outlook in life, when Piglet says good morning, his response is “Well, I suppose it is...for some." In Mexico, the donkey is also associated with someone not very bright, not very smart. There is a little jingle where children recite the vowels in the alphabet, and it ends with saying “the little donkey knows them better than you.”  In some cases, schools the teachers would use donkey ears to embarrass the students who did not respond adequately. They would call them “burros” for those who could not learn as fast as the others.  Overall, the donkey has a negative  connotation.  But not for Jesus.  I remember one time I was talking about all the different people in the passion narrative.  How we can be like Peter, and like Judas.  How we can be in the good side of history or become one of the villains in the ongoing passion of the Lord.  One lady after church approached me and said, “Father, all I want to be in the passion of the Lord, is the little donkey that carries Jesus into the city.”  I was surprised by the response.  This person did not want to be one of the main persons in the passion, but just the simple donkey.  I thought it was a great act of humility to not ask for much but be content to be the “carrier” of the Lord.  This person was being authentic, not just trying to give a pious response to impress.  If we say let’s try to be like that donkey, some could get easily aggravated.  How could Father compare us to a donkey? But there is no intent to insult anyone, but there are aspects of our lives we can use the metaphor of a donkey.  If you notice when he was entering Jerusalem, he could have entered the city riding a majestic horse, he rather chose the simplicity of the donkey.  Jesus did not want to come into the city like an earthly king showing off the power, but rather he wanted to show what is means to have authority with humility and rode this animal.  The image of the first reading is the donkey exemplifies humility.  The second reading says don’t live according to the flesh, fulfilling your earthly desires.  Live according to the spirit, helping others.  A quote from Eeyore comes in handy,  “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”    Finally, the Gospel opens by saying Jesus almost exultant and overcome with joy saying, “I give you thanks, Father, for you have revealed things to little ones” (paraphrasing here). This shows God has big plans for those little ones. Sometimes we have big egos that get in the way of God’s plans.  Sometimes our big egos create heavy burdens for us to carry.  We become so picky that we become unhappy.  Although the donkey is          associated with carrying big burdens, God is asking us to trust Him for God will be there to give us rest and reassure us with his loving presence.
Even a donkey deserves a rest.  We need to rescue the image of the donkey for a negative conception, and really be fine to be “carriers of God to others” so others can enter the new city of Jerusalem, heaven.