14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 (Independence Day Weekend)
Two hundred and fifty years ago this week, our nation declared its independence. Throughout the weekend there will be parades, picnics, fireworks, and patriotic celebrations. We will remember the courage and sacrifice of those who secured our freedom and those who have defended it ever since. Freedom is one of America's most cherished values. But have you ever noticed that freedom can be difficult to define? Most people think freedom means being able to do whatever you want. Nobody tells you what to do. Nobody sets limits. Nobody gets in your way. Yet if that definition were true, then the happiest people in the world would be those who answer to no one and live entirely for themselves. But that's not what we see. We see people who have every opportunity, every convenience, and every freedom imaginable, yet they are exhausted, anxious, addicted, angry, and unhappy. Apparently there is more to freedom than simply doing whatever we want. That is why Jesus' words in today...