Church of the Visitation, Brick, NJ

Our King comes, not in the glory of earthly rulers, but as a humble poor man. Jesus tells us how God works in the world. Paul reminds us that we are not debtors to the flesh, but we are free people, liberated to be our best selves, to serve God and each other with humility and joy.

How do we live out this freedom of ours? Many of the world’s poor live in severe poverty, their nations’ economies weighed down by the yoke and burden of debt. This crushing debt is owed to the wealthy countries of the world, their banks and their investors. Our affluence rests in some measure on the back-breaking poverty of our brothers and sisters.

It is good to contemplate what we can do to relieve or forgive these debts that have been paid many times over, because interest payments are counted first. Pope John Paul II called for forgiveness of such debts, and some progress has been made, yet much suffering remains.

The promise of Jesus is good news indeed. God has hidden the knowledge of the reign of God from the learned and the wise, those who say that the poor are responsible for their own plight, and that nothing can be done for them. Jesus turns such human wisdom on its head, proclaiming instead that God works differently. We are poor in spirit if we follow Jesus in lifting the yoke of the law and slavery to the flesh, freeing the burdened of their crushing load. It may cost our economy some of its profits, but we can believe that our burdens will also be lifted and our work made light. What seems impossible to the learned is known to the humble. When we rest in Christ, laying down the burden of our preoccupation with “things,” we can rejoice with all people at the coming of our meek and humble Lord, who brings holy rest to an anxious and materialistic world.

Today’s Readings: Zechariah 9:9–10; Psalm 145:1–2, 8–11, 13–14; Romans 8:9, 11–13; Matthew 11:25–30

U.S. Bishops Agree With Pew Study Finding That Faith Is Important To Americans, Stress Importance Of Ongoing Religious Education

WASHINGTON— The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reacted to the findings of a report on religious beliefs and practices by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life made public today.

The study, which is based on a survey of more than 35,000 American adults, estimates that nearly 92 percent of American adults say they believe in God or a universal spirit. The findings also point to the fact that Americans take religion seriously, that faith is a very important part of their lives and that many of them attend religious services regularly and pray daily.

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington agrees.

“History testifies that religious faith is very important to Americans. At every juncture of our past, Americans have called upon God for guidance, protection, and direction. There is a clear identification with religion in America which, for Catholics, reflects the dedicated efforts of priests, catechists and teachers in our history,” said Archbishop Wuerl, chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

The Pew study also states that 74 percent of Americans believe in life after death and that 63 percent believe that Scripture is the Word of God. Another 63 percent of respondents with children at home say they pray and read Scripture with their children and 60 percent send their children to religious education programs.

The study also concludes that most Americans have a non-dogmatic approach to faith and that the majority of those affiliated with a religious tradition agree that there is more than one way to interpret the teaching of their faith.

For Fr. J. Brian Bransfield, specialist in the Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis of the USCCB, “it is hard to quantify the tremendous thirst for truth among families and people of all ages, as demonstrated by the overwhelming response to the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. This thirst is sometimes misdirected through the effects of secularism, with its focus on individualism and consumerism. Prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said, 'God does not count in large numbers.' In the face of any measure, the steady and ongoing response of the Church is an ever renewed commitment to robust catechetical efforts."

It’s Independence Day weekend, and we are in the middle of a series on the Eucharistic Prayer. There is a link worth tracing between the Declaration of Independence and the language of liturgy. One of the signers of the Declaration on that July 4 long ago was Charles Carroll, probably the wealthiest man in the colonies and one of the few Catholics on the political scene. As a flourish to his signature, he sought to distinguish himself from other prominent citizens bearing the same name by penning “Charles Carroll of Carroll-town”—a defiant “come and get me if you dare” postscript aimed at the British.

Carroll’s brother John was a priest and patriot who in 1789 was given the task of organizing the Catholic Church in this country. By 1791 he had assembled a synod, or assembly of delegates, to launch that task formally. Archbishop Carroll wanted to gain acceptance of our faith by American people who mistrusted our customs and could not comprehend our liturgy. He made the amazing proposal to Rome that our liturgy should be prayed not in Latin, but in the vernacular, English. His wish was denied, but one hundred sixty years later, his deep desire helped the American bishops and scholars at the Second Vatican Council to win the vote in favor of the vernacular not just for the United States, but for the Church throughout the world.