Independence Day is a time for patriotism and picnics, to be sure. A different way to think about this national holiday is to consider what our freedom actually opens up for us. Read between the lines of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, and you might be surprised to find the notion of Christian love and fraternity is truly at the root of our great nation.

Pray

We are free. That’s an amazing thing to behold,
and we wouldn’t have that freedom
without it being made available to us by you, Lord.

And more than free to simply do what we want,
we are free to love with abandon, to build your kingdom
in the here and now.

We’re free to share and amplify freedom where it is being stifled
by oppression, racism, sexism, or classism.

We’re free to be compassionate, and paradoxically, free to be servants.
It’s what you want us to do. It’s what your Son taught us to do
when he washed the feet of his followers.

Today, we celebrate the beauty that is freedom.
In God we do truly trust.

Act

Is there a part of you that is tethered or restrained from being free? Perhaps there is a relationship that is unhealthy, a lifestyle choice that is holding you back, or some other stumbling block. Think of how freedom from those obstacles might bring you closer to peace and closer to God.

Grief over the death of a loved one is one of the sharpest pains the human heart can feel. The heartache of loss can last a long time and even get in the way of nurturing relationships with our living loved ones. God’s love for us and those we have lost is the healing light we need to see the way forward.

Pray

Dear God,
I have a dull, aching pain in my heart
that sometimes swells with sadness.
I get a knot in my throat,
and then the tears begin—again.
I’ve lost someone dear to me,
and now my despair
feels deeper than ever.
I know I’ll never “get over” this loss,
but I humbly ask you
to help guide me through grief
to a place of understanding
and acceptance.
May I take comfort
that my loved one is with you,
and you are with me.
Amen.

Act

Take a moment and think of one way you brought joy to a loved one who has passed away. Recognize the inherent good of that word or deed, and offer up a quick thank-you to God for having been able to experience it.

But soon thereafter, even more came to light about this soft-spoken man of faith: He’s from Chicago, but is he a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan? He’s a Midwesterner, but his mother’s roots reach deep into the multiracial cultural identity of the Creole people in New Orleans. He’s an American, but he has spent more of his life outside of the United States than in it, and his decades of ministry and service in Chiclayo, Peru, resulted in him becoming a Peruvian citizen in 2015. This complexity of Pope Leo XIV’s background, which almost takes the form of duality, is very much a part of his appeal and approach to the faith, and likely had a hand in his election. 

When we look around our Church today as the global entity that it is, many of the seemingly disparate facets of the new leader of our faith start to congeal and make sense for a pope at this time in history. And though many groups can legitimately claim him—Americans, the Augustinian Order to which he belongs, Peruvians, and White Sox (or is it Cubs?) fans—his identity as a missionary remains the central hub. 

From Chicago to Chiclayo 

“We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive like this square [St. Peter’s Square] with its open arms, all, all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, and love,” said Pope Leo. With two additional mentions of “mission” or “missionary” in his short speech, it’s clear how important this point is for him. 

For our new pope to lean into the Church as a mission is really at the core of the Gospel. Early on, St. Paul took missionary zeal to another level, spreading God’s word far and wide. In a sense, St. Francis of Assisi was a missionary—and certainly not a crusading knight, as he once hoped to be—when he met and dialogued with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in Egypt. Pope Francis explicitly called for “a missionary Church that walks with her Lord through the streets of the world” (concluding Mass of the October 2024 Synod on Synodality). 

What I believe Pope Leo and so many before him are trying to impress on us, the people of faith, is that every interaction, every relationship we have, can have some element of mission service to it, if we shift our thinking. Yes, there are those whose mission is at the outer rings of the margins. But our loved ones, coworkers, and neighbors can also be where our mission is. Whether via Chicago or via Chiclayo, Pope Leo XIV’s mission of love now extends to the whole world, which so desperately needs healing. 

Have you ever lost your cool while waiting in line, stuck in traffic, or in a difficult meeting at work? It happens to all of us. But, with God’s help, we can become more patient and accepting of frustrating situations.

Pray

Dear God,
I need your help.
I’m always rushing around
to get from Point A to Point B,
and whenever someone or something
gets in the way,
I get upset
and sometimes even lash out
in anger.
Guide me to be more like Christ,
who endured suffering patiently,
even lovingly.
Amen.

Act

The next time you feel your patience running out, envision the Stations of the Cross. It might help you put things into perspective.

“When you look into muddy or choppy water, you will not see your face reflected. If you want the face of Christ, who looks on you, to be reflected within you, come away from the disturbance of exterior things, and let your soul be at peace.” —St. Anthony of Padua

Life can often feel like, in St. Anthony’s words, “choppy water,” and we can indeed lose our sense of bearing when things get chaotic or even hostile. To continue with his words as inspiration, what does it look like for you to “let your soul be at peace”? For me, leaning into spiritual practices such as prayer cultivates peace in my life. But I’m consistently surprised by how actions and activities that are not traditionally considered “spiritual” do, in fact, enrich my soul. When I’m out for a hike and a gentle breeze blows by, for example, if I’m attuned and in the right mood, it’s not just physically pleasant; it feels like my soul is expanding, breathing.

However, it’s often when something is lacking that you gain a deeper insight into the very nature of what is missing from your life at that moment. It might seem a bit of a stretch, but if your well-being is lost, there is a saint who is particularly good at finding lost things who might help here. St. Anthony—whom many have offered up the quick but effective “Tony, Tony, turn around. There’s something lost that must be found.”—can be equally effective in helping to find intangible things as he is in tracking down wallets, wedding rings, and car keys.

When I prayed for St. Anthony’s intercession to help regain well-being, the answers came from a few different sources, and I needed all of them working in concert. Here are the areas St. Anthony helped me rediscover.

Engaging with the Arts

Art can take on so many forms that there might be a kind of artistic expression you haven’t even discovered yet. Or maybe there’s something you do routinely that you don’t consider very creative. Consider finding ways of inserting some creativity into these mundane tasks. Are you mediocre in the kitchen? A cooking class or even YouTube videos can make the kitchen a dynamic, fun place instead of just a room with a microwave and refrigerator in it.

I’m partial to music, so I’m constantly on the search for new sounds while digging, much like an archeologist, for musical gems from the past. The next time I sit at the computer to look for more music, I think I’ll ask St. Anthony to help me find something different and surprising.

A Mental Pause

Meditation, or mindfulness, is another practice that isn’t overtly spiritual but that seems to have an interplay with our spiritual health. From YouTube videos to counseling to apps like Calm, there are plenty of resources for people to try out to help relax and center our busy, sometimes frenzied, minds. I have taken especially to the Calm app myself, since it only takes about 10 minutes to go through a guided reflection and has lots of other meditation-related content.

Meditation certainly can take on a spiritual aspect, but the fundamentals of quieting our minds to get better grounded in the present don’t require religious belief, so to me, it’s quite distinct from prayer. Taking good care of our mental health—whether one has a diagnosed condition or not—is a big step in being the best version of ourselves for others. That’s where self-care bleeds into and impacts our interpersonal relationships.

The Diet-Exercise-Sleep Triangle

It might seem obvious, but establishing and maintaining good nutrition, exercise, and sleep patterns is a major component of well-being. But I’ve found that bringing in my Catholic spirituality to each is like a secret weapon. Choosing the right ingredients for a meal isn’t just about calories and vitamins. It can be a moment to consider: Is this food ethically sourced? Sometimes the best remedy for insomnia has been prayer. And I’ve certainly offered up a prayer to launch me out of my laziness and into the gym.

Spending time with the arts, meditating, and taking good care of our bodies are major spokes on the wheel of well-being, and each is a powerful tool in its own right. But for me, without spirituality as the central hub, these activities seem less potent and more disconnected from each other. When they are reoriented in connection with the soul, they make more sense together, and the interplay between these practices starts to emerge. Reoriented this way, taking care of ourselves isn’t just healthy, it’s good.

Thank you, St. Anthony, for pointing me in the direction(s) to regain my footing amid life’s often shifting sands.

Questions for Reflection

✦ How does well-being take on a spiritual dimension for you? My Catholic spirituality seems to intersect with and inform areas such as art, healthy lifestyle choices, and meditation. But what are some other ways that well-being and your soul interact? When you identify some, think of ways to strengthen that spiritual connection.

✦ In many ways, suffering is the opposite of well-being. Who in your life or in the history of the Church inspires you to make your way through suffering to a place of well-being? Perhaps St. Dymphna, patron saint of those with mental health conditions, or St. Raphael, a healing angel and patron saint of healing, could be good first options for a prayer of intercession.

✦ The journey toward well-being is exactly that: a process. And it can be a lengthy one at times. Consider journaling to chronicle your ups and downs, your spiritual discoveries, even your frustrations. What do you notice when you look back at an entry from a week ago? A month ago?

I have to admit, sometimes the ringing in my ears can get pretty annoying. In the morning, when I first wake up, it seems particularly pronounced. Tinnitus is the official name for this condition, and for me, it’s related to hearing loss. My hearing issues are hereditary, and though mild and gradual, they’re irreversible. But as my hearing has diminished over time, the drive to listen to what’s going on around me, to truly absorb and comprehend, has not. Knowing that my hearing is not a given in my life has led to me having deeper experiences with sound—music, especially. It’s also a reminder to me that all is a gift in life, even when it seems to be the opposite. And as it turns out, I don’t need perfect hearing to identify God’s voice in my life.

Pray

Lord,
I may not catch every syllable spoken to me,
But I hear your voice in the people I meet today.
Grant me the wisdom to move beyond mere hearing
And lean into listening, which is like hearing with the heart.
May the understanding I gain from listening
Help me better serve you and follow the path you set for me.
Amen.

Act

Do you or someone you know struggle with hearing, vision, or some other physical challenge? Consider checking out the work of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, an organization dedicated to better integrating those with disabilities in the life of the Church.