Saturday, July 4, 2015

July 4 - Homily for Today

Today we celebrate Independence Day in the United States: the birth of our nation. 239 years ago today a band of courageous and long-sighted colonists signed a document that resulted in the formation of united colonies, united states of America. The issues at hand were unjust taxation from England – the mother country – and religious freedom: the freedom from being bound by a state religion, the freedom to be able to choose one’s own form of religious affiliation and expression.

What must be kept firmly in mind here is that the preservation of this freedom is what being American was to be about, as well as a just form of government and system of levying taxes and the like. The choice of religion was always meant to involve the God of religion, and the freedom involved was to be first and foremost the “freedom of the children of God.” It is only when one is free in God’s sight can one be truly free to follow one’s conscience and live a life for God, for family, others and for country!

In our country this particular Independence Day, we Catholics join together in solidarity – thanking God for the vision of our founding fathers: those brave and noble men who FEARED GOD, who had an awesome respect for him, and who knew that any authority they had in governing souls was given by him, and had better align with his divine, originating and primal law!: but for the best of reasons: after all, this is no heavy burden: the law of God: God’s very law is a law of freedom: God’s law ensures that everything be allowed to be itself, to grow and develop and mature according to its own nature and design, and one day find its fulfillment in God to whom all things, and all nations are journeying. God’s law is a law of loving relationship and caring!

May we who are Catholic – who are members of “two kingdoms” simultaneously – the earthly and the heavenly: beginning this day, with a resolution renewed, blend our entire perspective of and activity in the earthly kingdom, with a supernatural perspective and vision that God himself freely gives to all who ask! And when government, either intentionally or unintentionally, with vincible or invincible ignorance attempts to overreach its bounds in matters referring to religious liberty and free exercise of conscience, may we with wisdom and courage and the fear of the Lord in our own hearts – peacefully, yet forcefully make our objections heard.

And one last thought: for two and a half centuries the military engine of this great nation has defended these very rights and freedoms: pure and God-ordained as they were in their origins; may we remember in our hearts and with gratitude all who so willingly and bravely gave their lives so that we might be free, free in our civic society, and free to live our lives with the freedom of the children of God!

And may Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our Country, pray for us as we begin yet another year of grace, year of challenge and year of seeking true justice and peace in all our affairs!

Amen.

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