July 5, 2026

"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."  (Mt 11:28-30)

I recently joined ‘by zoom’ with a group of parish leaders from around the country to discuss ways in which our churches can relate more compassionately to the people who join us weekly as well as those who no longer feel at home in our assemblies. The discussion focused on the next steps we might take to reach out to others and invite them home.  We discussed how we could truly be the safe space they were looking for even with so many different types of challenges and burdens. We spoke about how our weekend liturgies can become sacred places where people encounter God's mercy, rediscover hope, and experience the peace that so many long for.

As we reflected together, I found myself thinking about Jesus' beautiful invitation in this Sunday's Gospel: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened...Take my yoke upon you." I never really fully understood what a yoke was or how it served people with burdens. In Jesus' time and throughout history, it was a wooden beam laid across the shoulders of a person carrying heavy objects or two oxen so they could pull a heavy load together. The weight did not disappear, but because it was balanced or shared, it became lighter. That is precisely what Christ offers us. He never promises a life without burdens. Instead, He promises that we will never have to carry them alone.

Perhaps the greatest gift the Church can offer is to become the place where people hear once again the gentle invitation of Jesus: "Come to me."  As we move forward, the love of God restores us to the greatest promise of who we are called to be, beloved children.

This weekend our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is a remarkable milestone. The Declaration itself did not end the Revolutionary War, nor did it immediately fulfill all the ideals it proclaimed. All of the real work was ahead yet it was a moment where people were inspired by unity and hope.  Our country became our home.

Our National Holiday always reminds me of a woman named Myrtle, a remarkable ninety-something matriarch I met while working at a senior citizens center during my years of discernment in the mid ‘80’s. The center served a predominantly African American community, and there was discussion about whether it was appropriate to celebrate the Fourth of July, knowing that the freedom proclaimed in 1776 did not extend to their ancestors.

Myrtle settled the conversation with remarkable wisdom. She said we should absolutely celebrate, not because the Fourth of July represented freedoms already fulfilled, but because it represented the hope of freedom in the future.  I have never forgotten those words.

In some ways, I think we can all relate with regards to our faith. None of us has yet reached the fullness of the freedom God desires for us. We are all still growing, still healing, still learning to trust. Yet every step we take toward Christ is another step toward the freedom Paul promises us when we truly become disciples.  True freedom comes when we place our trust in Jesus.

We try to lighten our burdens by leaning on other people, accomplishments, possessions, or unhealthy habits. For a while they may seem to help, but eventually they leave us carrying an even heavier load. Jesus offers something entirely different. He does not pretend our burdens do not exist. Instead, He invites us to place them on His shoulders alongside His own cross.

Last weekend marked a deeply personal anniversary for me. Looking back over this past year, I find myself profoundly grateful for God's grace. One of His greatest gifts has been a freedom I wasn't sure I would ever know. More importantly, I have come to appreciate in a deeper way that I do not have to carry life's burdens by myself. Christ has patiently taught me to place them on His shoulders instead of trying to bear them alone. I am grateful beyond words for His mercy and for the many people He has placed in my life to walk beside me.

Perhaps that is what Jesus means when He says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden light." The yoke does not remove every challenge or burden from our lives. Rather, it reminds us that Christ is carrying the weight with us. The burden becomes lighter because we no longer bear it alone.

As we celebrate our nation's birthday, may we thank God for the gift of political freedom while never forgetting the greater freedom Christ came to give. His freedom reaches into our hearts, restores our hope, and reminds us that no burden is too heavy when placed in His loving hands.

May God continue to bless our nation, our families, our parishes, and each of us as we learn to walk together sharing and carrying the gentle yoke of Christ.