Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
A yoke is a wooden bar that binds two animals together so they can pull a plow or cart as one. In a similar way, we sometimes say a husband and wife are “yoked” together in marriage—moving forward side by side.
To be yoked to Jesus means making Him our partner in life. When we bind ourselves to Him, we never carry our burdens alone. In fact, He carries the heavier part. That is what gives us rest—the ability to place everything into God’s hands and trust Him.
There’s a beautiful story about Pope John XXIII. Before going to bed, he would say, “It’s your Church, Lord—I’m going to sleep.” There’s wisdom in that. Sometimes we simply need to hand things over to Jesus and let Him take care of them. After all, He tells us again and again: “Do not be afraid.”
But trusting God doesn’t mean doing nothing.
I once heard a story about a young boy helping his father with yard work. His father asked him to move some rocks. The boy struggled with a large one, pushing and pulling until he finally gave up. “I can’t do it,” he said.
His father asked, “Did you use all your strength?”
“Yes,” the boy replied.
“No,” the father said gently. “You didn’t ask me to help.”
Together, they lifted the rock.
That’s what it means to be yoked to Jesus. We still do our part—but we don’t do it alone.
As we reflect around this special Independence Day, we can also remember the challenging birth of our nation 250 years ago — founded on the belief that our rights come from God: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It’s easy to think we can secure those things on our own. But human nature is fragile, and we are prone to fall. True freedom and lasting happiness will be elusive until we accept that we must rely on God, not just ourselves, in order to secure these blessings.
With the faith of “little ones,” we trust in His power and love. Only when we are yoked to Him can we become the people—and the nation—God calls us to be.
So we pledge allegiance to one nation, under God. We entrust our country to Him. And we pray:
God, bless America.
Have a blessed week, everyone.
