The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 5, 2026

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

— Matthew 11:28-29

Dear Friends,

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish bulletin graphic for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 5, 2026, featuring a quote on generosity and freedom from the weekend reflection.This weekend, as our nation pauses to celebrate the gift of freedom, the Church invites us to reflect on a deeper liberty — the freedom that comes not from independence, but from surrender.

It seems counterintuitive. A yoke, by definition, is a weight shared between two. And yet Jesus offers his yoke not as a burden but as a relief. The difference lies in who is carrying it with us.

Generosity is not a burden, but a liberating experience. It liberates because the generous person is walking in the yoke with Christ, sharing gifts and challenges alike. When we give — our time, our treasure, our presence to one another — we are not depleting ourselves. We are aligning ourselves with the One who said the burden would be light. And we find, often to our surprise, that he meant it.

On a weekend when we celebrate earthly freedom, it is worth asking: what truly sets us free? Not the absence of obligation, but the presence of love. Not the removal of the yoke, but the discovery that we are not pulling alone.

This summer, consider one way you might step more fully into that yoke — in your family, your parish, your community. Christ is already there, waiting.

Adapted from the Archdiocese of Louisville Stewardship Bulletin Reflections, Cycle A 2025–26.

Going on in the Community

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY – Regina Caeli Academy invites you to consider a role that blends faith, learning, and community. If you have ever wondered how your gifts may serve the Church, this might be your moment. Local centers are hiring now. What we offer: Top-Tier Classical Curriculum, Part-Time Positions, Faithful Catholic Environment, and a Mission that Matters. Come see what positions are open. Visit rcahybrid.org/employment to learn more.

ENCOUNTER SCHOOL OF MINISTRY SUMMER INTENSIVE is being offered on July 27–30th, 6–9 PM. Mother of God Community, 20501 Goshen Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20879. Come and grow in your identity as a beloved child of God. This program enables attendees to experience the power of the Holy Spirit, with a curriculum vetted by top-notch Catholic theologians and scholars. Each teaching is followed by exercises designed to help you hear and respond to God in the depths of your heart. The transformation experienced from encountering Jesus propels us to be disciples and heralds of the New Evangelization. The four evenings introduce the first year of the 2-year Encounter School of Ministry: Identity, Prophecy, Inner Healing, and Freedom. Come with expectant faith that Jesus makes all things new. Register before July 1 for 20% off: encounterdc.regfox.com/encounter-dc-summer-intensive-2026

INDIVIDUAL UNBOUND MINISTRY PRAYER – Would you like to experience greater freedom in your spiritual and emotional life? Unbound prayer ministry uses five scriptural keys to help you overcome the fears, anxieties, and negative thoughts that hinder your relationship with God and with others. On Saturday, July 11th, 2026, trained teams will be available to provide individual prayer using the Unbound model in Ellicott City, MD. We ask that you read at least the first seven chapters of the book Unbound by Neal Lozano prior to your appointment (available at www.Amazon.com or www.heartofthefather.com). To schedule an appointment or for more information, please contact Dan or Peggy Gahagan by Monday, July 6th, 2026, at UnboundMinistryMaryland@gmail.com.

IGNATIUS SPIRITUAL EXERCISES – Loyola University’s Office of Mission Integration is offering the greater Baltimore community the opportunity to pray the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola during the 2026–27 academic year. Over the past nine years, over 300 people have availed themselves of this opportunity. Our approach will be one that Ignatius himself proposed for busy people — a way to make a prayerful and potentially transformative retreat in everyday life. Over the course of nine months of daily prayer with Scripture, journaling, and regular conversation with a guide, one can experience the same graced movements and discoveries that a privileged few get to make in 30 days of secluded silence. Please attend our Zoom Information Session on Tuesday, August 25th at 7:00 pm. Contact sue-cesare@dexterco.com or sspahn@loyola.edu for more information.

The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
-Matthew 9:

June 14, 2026

Why Pray balck and tan graphic with image of praying hands