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14th Sunday |
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Dear Preachers:
It is that time of the year again when we reach out to you for help. Our weekly e-mailings now go to almost 6,000 recipients. Our webpage, “Preacher Exchange,” had 11 million “hits” last year. We have kept these Spanish and English resources free so those in poorer parishes and the developing world can have access to them. Judging from the emails I get, that is exactly what is happening. We can’t continue this service without your help – so will you?
Every day our community prays for our benefactors. And so you and your loved ones will be remembered at our daily Eucharist and prayer during these summer days . Thank you.
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In today’s gospel we have some of the most tender words in the Scriptures: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” These words are not spoken from a distance. They are not a command, advice, or instruction. They are an open invitation—not for a select few, but for anyone. Jesus opens a door and invites all who are in need to enter. And when someone responds, they are not handed a list of rules or a book of instructions; they are given Jesus himself.
Notice to whom the invitation is directed. Not first to the successful, the self-sufficient, or the spiritually accomplished, but to the burdened and weary. And honestly, who among us is not carrying some burden? Illness, financial strain, wounded relationships, difficult decisions. Others carry burdens not visible from the outside: regret, anxiety, exhaustion, shame.
Jesus does not begin by telling people to fix themselves before coming to him. He simply says, “Come.”
There is a surprising contrast in today's Gospel. Jesus thanks the Father because these things are hidden from “the wise and learned” and revealed to “little ones.” We have a long tradition of scholarship and theological reflection in the Church, so Jesus is not being anti-intellectual. His words are a spiritual diagnosis.
Some people possess knowledge that has become closed, self-assured, and self-protective. They are convinced they already understand everything. In contrast, there is a kind of openness that still knows how to receive, how to listen, and how to be surprised by God.
The “little ones” Jesus speaks of are not necessarily naïve or uneducated. They are those who have learned – often through suffering – that life cannot be mastered or controlled. They have discovered their limits. And, hard as it may be to believe, that is often where revelation begins.
I am a city kid. When Jesus speaks of a “yoke,” I have to admit I had never seen one up close. Years ago, when I was preaching in Virginia, our community lived near Washington’s Birthplace. There was a reproduction of a colonial farm on the grounds, much like one from Washington’s day. A guide showed us two oxen yoked together, pulling a wagon. They were joined to one another; where one went, so did the other. What one would not be able to do, both could.
Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” A yoke is not a symbol of ease. It is a tool of labor, joining two together to pull a load. Yet Jesus offers a yoke that is “easy” and a burden that is “light.”
Much of our exhaustion comes not only from the weight we carry, but from trying to carry it alone. Jesus is not promising a life without responsibility. He promises his presence within our responsibilities. We are yoked to him and he to us. To take up the yoke of Christ is to allow our life to be joined to his.
The “rest” Jesus promises is not inactivity. Discipleship asked much of his followers. Rather, it is the rest that comes from trust – a rest that no longer needs to prove everything, control everything, or justify everything.
“I am meek and humble of heart.” This is the only direct description Jesus gives of his own heart in the Gospels. Notice what he does not say: “Learn from my power” or, “learn from my wisdom.” Instead, he says, learn from my gentleness and humility.
Our world often rewards force, speed, and dominance. No surprise there for those who watch the evening news or follow sports. But Jesus points to a different center of gravity: a heart that does not crush what is fragile and does not demand more than love can carry.
The self-examination today's Gospel invites is simple: Where am I carrying what Jesus is asking me to put down? What burden am I trying to bear alone? What would it mean, concretely, to let my life be joined more closely to his – my decisions, my failures, my hopes, and my fears?
The promise is not that life becomes weightless. The promise is that we do not carry its weight alone. And that makes all the difference.
Today we also hear another section from Paul's Letter to the Romans. We have been listening to this letter week after week as it unfolds. Some preachers try to weave all the readings together. But the epistle readings, except in rare cases, are not chosen because they share a common theme with the other Scriptures. Often they do not fit neatly together. For that reason, I sometimes pass over the epistle. Today, however, let's pause and listen to Paul.
He speaks with striking clarity about what makes the Christian life different from every other form of moral effort. It is not primarily about self-improvement but about the indwelling of God's Spirit. The Christian life is not moral athleticism or sheer willpower. The question is whether we are living from the life God has already placed within us.
Paul does not deny our struggle; he names it honestly. There is a way of living “according to the flesh” – organizing life around ourselves, our fears, our cravings, and our need for control. Paul is blunt: that way leads to death. Not necessarily dramatic death, but a slow interior shrinking of the soul.
But there is another way to live: according to the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and now dwells within us. The Spirit is the promise that our own lives can be raised even now – in hope, courage, and love.
There is a harmony between Paul and the Gospel. Jesus speaks of a revelation given not to the wise and learned, but to the childlike. He says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Paul describes what that rest looks like. It comes when we stop trying to live through anxious self-reliance and begin to live from the Spirit dwelling within us.
Many people hear the Christian life as one more burden – more obligations, more demands, more strain. Paul and Jesus both challenge that misunderstanding. The Christian life is not heavier. What makes it possible is not our ability to carry more, but the presence of God's Spirit within us.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070526.cfm
—Pope Leo XIV (Magnifica Humanitas)
—Psalm 145: 8-9
This passage from today’s psalm got me thinking a lot about how we are made in the image of God. If we truly believe this, then we might re-work the words to read as follows: The Christian is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love. The Christian is good to all, compassionate to every creature.
The issue of immigration calls us to exercise these attributes of grace, mercy, consideration, compassionate love and goodness. Our broken immigration system has grown more stressed. As a response to a climate of fear, anxiety, and vilification surrounding immigrants in the United States, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a Special Pastoral Message on Immigration on November 12, 2025. This message represents a particularly urgent communication from the bishops and was approved by nearly 97% of the Fall Plenary Assembly.
The bishops emphasize that nations have a responsibility to regulate borders and maintain a just immigration system, but this must be balanced with the Church’s foundational concern for the human person, created in the image of God. They highlight the priority of care for the most vulnerable, including widows, orphans, the poor, and strangers (Zechariah 7:10; Luke 10:30–25; 2 Corinthians 8:9). The key principles are solidarity with immigrants; opposition to mass deportations; protection of families and sensitive locations such as places of worship, schools, and healthcare facilities; promotion of safe and legal pathways; and advocacy for meaningful reform.
The USCCB launched the “You Are Not Alone” initiative (You
Are Not Alone),
encouraging dioceses, parishes, schools, and Catholic organizations to provide
accompaniment and support to immigrants & families affected by enforcement
activities. This initiative focuses on solidarity through prayer, public
witness, pastoral care, and community support programs by becoming “Keepers of
Hope,” promoting active engagement in immigrant support and advocacy. Here, at
HNOJ Cathedral, parishioners can join Justice for Immigrants.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home. From today’s Psalm Response:
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Reflection:
Jesus praises the Father because the deepest truths of God's kingdom are not grasped by power, status, or intelligence alone, but by hearts that are humble and open. Like little children, we are invited to trust God and receive his wisdom as a gift.
So, we ask ourselves:
• Do I approach God with humility and openness, or do I rely only on my own understanding? • What "mystery" of God's love have I discovered through simple faith? • How can I become more childlike in my trust of God today?
Closing Prayer
Loving God, thank you for revealing your love to humble hearts. Teach us to trust you more deeply, to listen with openness, and to receive your gifts with gratitude. May we walk as your children and rejoice in the mysteries of your kingdom. Amen.
POSTCARDS TO DEATH-ROW INMATES
---Pope Francis
Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates’ names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.
Please write to:
• Jeffery Meyer #0280127 2/4/1999 • Ted Prevatte #0330166 2/22/1999 • Raymond Thibodeaux #0515143 3/2/1999
Central Prison PO Box 247, Phoenix MD 21131 (While the prison is in Raleigh mail for inmates is processed at this address)
For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://catholicsmobilizing.org
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“Artificial intelligence can be a
construction site of history... if technical progress learns to serve human
life.”
“One
has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman
measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out.”
