12th Sunday Ordinary Time

Fr. Mark Gatto

Preached: June 21, 2026

Are you free? Do you think that you are free? Many of us are not as free as we might think? What possessions and things are you clinging to? How anxious are you about your money? Even our social media accounts have a hold on us. Put in a search for a trip or some item and we are sent advertisements for them automatically.

Are we really free? We sometimes have prejudices that hold on to us in how we think about other people. What peer pressure influences how you act? We need to honestly do a self examination, am I free?

Jesus was radically free and calls us to be free. Jesus stood up and contradicted the assumptions, customs, cultural norms of his society. He interpreted the laws, especially Sabbath laws freely. He was free to love without reserve, not ruled by fear of anyone. Even free to die, not attached to anything or anyone, not even his own life or even the success of his mission.

If you and I desire to live the spirituality of Jesus today we must become free. The freedom to do the will of God. In the gospel we heard today, Jesus is speaking to his disciples and says, “Fear no one… Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” He speaks of little sparrows worth only a penny, yet not one of them is forgotten by God, so therefore he says, “do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jesus calls us to be radically free as he was free. This freedom is only possible if we overcome the fears that hold on to us. What are some common areas of unfreedom in our lives? Possessions. If there was a fire what would you save? When seniors are downsizing or our parents die, how much stuff gets thrown out.

The desire for status. I think of certain political individuals or those who are willing to sacrifice their integrity, what they truly believe, for the sake of being connected to a powerful figure.

What about attachment to the opinions of others? Will I do what is true, good, beautiful, or are we controlled by the opinions of others? Is peer pressure a greater influence on us than the will of God?

Prejudices. Are there prejudices, biases that control me and make me unfree in seeing or judging others? We need to honestly look at ourselves. Am I free? What is it that controls my life and decisions?

Preparing for a good death requires us to become free, not clinging to anything ior anymore. As Jesus says, “do not be afraid.”

A biography of St. Catherine of Siena described her as the Preacher of Freedom. She once said, “The truth will set you free from falsehood. It will dissolve all shadows, giving you light and knowledge in God’s mercy. In this truth, you will be freed.” She knew that call of Jesus to not give in to fear, to be radically free. She was free enough not to go along with the plans of her parents who wanted her to get married as was customary at that time, free enough not to be afraid to challenge authorities, even Cardinals and Popes.

It is fear that takes away our freedom. No longer free to act according to the will of God. Slaves to fear, opinions of others, prejudices, our desires for wealth or power. Like Jesus, Catherine wanted us to be utterly free. It is fear that prevents us from being free.

What fear do you need to overcome? We need to be totally honest with ourselves and see what we are clinging to that makes us slaves and stands in the way of our radical freedom.