This Fourth of July weekend, we celebrate 250 years of independence, 250 years of not having a king. So why do this Sunday's readings point us to kingly imagery again and again?
In this homily, Fr. Michael looks at the paradox at the heart of Independence Day for Catholics: even as we celebrate our freedom, Scripture reminds us that we do have a King — Jesus Christ, the one meant to rule in our hearts and our lives.
He begins with the Catholic Church's often-overlooked role in the founding of America, from Junípero Serra and the California missions, to Catholic Maryland founded as a refuge from persecution, to the Irish fleeing a man-made famine and the Germans fleeing the Kulturkampf. From there, he turns to what it actually means to call Jesus our King: not a distant ruler like King George, but a Shepherd and a Father, one who draws close, who knows his sheep, who lays down his own life for the good of those in his care.
Drawing on Zechariah's prophecy of a king of peace who rides a donkey, and Christ's own invitation in the Gospel, "Take my yoke upon you… for my yoke is easy and my burden light." This reflection ends with a searching question worth sitting with: Where in your life do you still need to let Christ be King?