FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
5 JULY 2026
The
prophet Zechariah addresses the people of Jerusalem as “O Daughter Zion” and “O
daughter Jerusalem.” He tells them to rejoice heartily and shout for joy. Their defeat at the hands of their enemies is
over. Zechariah has reminded them that they
had been defeated because they had abandoned the Covenant. But, God had continued to love them, even in
their infidelity, and he has forgiven them.
Now he promises that a king will come.
He will be just, a savior, and meek.
Unlike conquering warrior kings who come riding on war horses as a sign
of their continued military intentions, this king will come riding on a
donkey. He will ride on a donkey to
signal that he brings peace, rather than war and further bloodshed.
We see this
prophecy fulfilled when Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. With his disciples who have seen his
miracles, heard his teaching, and accepted his promise that the kingdom of
heaven is at hand, Jesus is the just and meek savior who rides on a
donkey. He comes to defeat the power of
sin and death not by military might, but by giving himself out of love on a cross. He trusts his Father’s promise that he will be
raised from the dead. Once his disciples
have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they will accept his invitation to
yoke themselves to him and experience the freedom only God can give.
On this
weekend, we Americans celebrate our independence. 250 years ago, the Declaration of
Independence proclaimed our freedom from British rule. On this holiday, we express our gratitude for
the freedoms we enjoy. But we are also aware
of the ways in which freedom has not been the reality for too many people. We are a polarized society with divisions
that rip us apart. With those divisions,
we can ask ourselves if we can be optimistic about the future. The answer to that question depends on our
political perspective.
Today,
Jesus give a better perspective on that question. He invites us to let go of what burdens us
and take his yoke upon our shoulders. In
the ancient world, yokes were constructed to fit the backs of specific
oxen. They were also made to yoke two
oxen together, making the task of hauling a heavy load much easier. Jesus promises true freedom if we yoke
ourselves to him and to one another as members of the Body of Christ. Too many times, people interpret freedom as a
license to do whatever we want to do.
Saint Paul calls this definition of freedom as living “in the
flesh.” If we choose to live in the
flesh, we do not care what our actions do to other people. We don’t think about what doing whatever we
want will do to ourselves. As fallen
human beings, we can be enslaved to so many other realities: consumerism, competition to be the best and
brightest, and addiction to many unhealthy substances.
Being yoked
to Jesus Christ gives us hope. Optimism
is easily disappointed, as we have known many times. How many times have we been optimistic about
the success of our favorite sports team or political party and been
disappointed? Saint Paul provides a good
definition of being yoked to Jesus Christ.
He calls it living “in the spirit.”
Living in the Spirit, or being yoked to Jesus Christ, gives us hope in
the present. Hope remains with us even
when life is difficult and we struggle with disappointments and
adversities. Hope reminds us that Jesus
Christ is with us in those most difficult times, and that he will not abandon
us. Hope tells us that being yoked to Jesus
Christ will provide ultimate and perfect freedom. On this holiday weekend, we need to cling to
the hope of living “in the Spirit.” Being
yoked to Jesus Christ as members of his Body on earth, we can do our best to
behave as responsible citizens of the United States of America. To quote our patron, Saint Augustine, we are
pilgrims in this earthly city on our way to the New and Eternal Jerusalem, the
City of God.
