Dear Friends in Christ:
This week we celebrate Independence Day, July 4th. Our nation has experienced many blessings and we have had many struggles for the 248 years of our existence. As Americans and as Catholics we need to recall the words of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. These rights are unalienable. They are not given to us by the government but by God. They are ours to use and exercise for our own good, the good of our families, our church, our country, and people everywhere. The role of government is to ensure and protect our rights. The First Amendment to the Constitution states that first among our rights is the free exercise of religion. This right of religious liberty precedes the rights of free speech, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble or redress grievances to the government.
Faith is not a garment that we put on or take off at will or convenience or according to circumstance. Before he was executed by King Henry VIII, St. Thomas More declared, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first!” Every Catholic is called to put God first! We are called to be faithful to Christ and His Church at home and work as well as at church. There is no such thing as a part-time Catholic or a “private” Catholic! There is no living our faith in private and acting differently in public. Likewise, to publicly declare that we are Catholic and then act in contradiction to our faith is a scandal. Living our Catholic faith with integrity is good not only for our souls but also for our nation.
As Catholic citizens, the question is how do we live our faith in all circumstances? In our baptismal vows, we promise to reject sin and all evil and to live in the freedom of God’s children. This means that we are to reflect God in our words, attitudes, and deeds. Specifically, we ask ourselves: Are we faithful to the teachings of our Catholic faith in our public and professional lives as well as in our private lives? Do our values and actions reflect what we profess? Do we practice honesty, virtue, justice, and integrity in our dealings with our employers, co-workers, customers, and neighbors? Do we serve the legitimate needs of our customers, clients, shareholders, and employers with honesty and integrity? Do we treat the environment with respect as God’s creation? Do we fulfill our duty as citizens by obeying and abiding by legitimate law and authority? Do we work to ensure the dignity of all workers by the hours we demand, the working conditions we provide and the wages we pay? Do we respect the needs of families? Do we, as workers, investors, and employers, see our endeavors as a part of the building up of society or do we see only our own profit and gain? Do we contribute to upholding good morals, or do we allow indifference or fear to deteriorate and diminish moral and ethical behavior? As citizens, do we consider the common good before our own?
We are blessed to be citizens of this great nation. Our rights have been provided to us by God and our exercise of these rights has been secured by the sacrifices of our forbearers. For us not to live morally and ethically, for us not to exercise our religious liberty or stand up in defense of our rights is the first step in forfeiting the freedoms we enjoy; it is an invitation to others to deny what is rightfully ours. As we celebrate our nation’s independence this week, we pray for our country, our leaders, and those who have sacrificed themselves for our nation. We pray especially for those around the world who are denied the freedoms and blessings we so abundantly enjoy. God Bless America.
In Pace Christi,
Fr. Troy