Posted on July 2, 2026 View all Gospel Reflection
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest…” (Matthew 11:28)
This weekend as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, many things can come into our minds. One of the most important things is that, through the wisdom of the Founding Fathers of this country, the people of this great country have the rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Liberty is the essential bedrock upon which our ability to love God and freely live out our faith is based. It is also a right that brings with it great responsibility.
Liberty is not the right to do whatever we want. It is the right to exercise responsible stewardship of those gifts entrusted to us by our Creator so that we can love God and love our neighbor. Our first reading today presents a curious a pair of things that appear to be contradictory. We see the arrival of Solomon, riding on a colt, entering in triumph. Yet, he also banishes the chariot, the warrior’s bow and proclaims peace to the nations. How can one be triumphant and also peaceful? The kingdom of Solomon is marked by the union of all Israel. King Solomon, whose name means “Peaceful One” builds on the victories of David whose only desire was to serve the Lord. And herein lies the key to peace.
If we put God first, and ourselves second, then the work we do will be united with His. When we look at the words of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” all too often we frame these in terms of what I want to do. It can easily become an exercise in self-centered behavior. We want to be seen, obeyed and praised. However, when we look at the words of the prophets, as well as the teachings of Jesus Christ, we see that He instructed us to be humble. Just last week we heard Jesus say “‘Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” (Matthew 10:39) Losing one’s life does not mean allowing others to trample over you, but it does mean taking them into account, making sacrificial efforts to meet their needs, and to love them as Christ has loved us.
The image of the Statue of Liberty echoes these words when the words at its base declare: “‘Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! … Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’” (Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus) What a powerful message!
When Christ spoke about loving our neighbor as ourselves, he was calling us to create a new space where we would not be ruled by our own passions. That we should not live according to the flesh. (Romans 8:12b) Rather, we should have the Spirit of God dwelling within us. We should not be confused by actions that only serve us and exclude others. We must work to allow anyone who seeks to better their life and grow in their relationship with God the freedom join us and help us to build up our nation.
As we consider again the words under the Statue of Liberty, the words of the Declaration of Independence, and the Word that is Jesus Christ, there cannot be any doubt that we are each called to live lives whereby each of us bears the image of Christ to others. Our actions and lives should be a beacon of hope shining in a world of darkness. Let us pray therefore that the Lord will strengthen us and give us the grace to live humbly and to allow the true Happiness that we pursue to be eternal life. Let us give thanks for the freedom to be able to exercise our faith in this country so that the message of the Lord can be heard from sea to shining sea.
