Homily for Independence Day
July 4, 2024
Proper
Texts
Col 3:
12-17
Matt 25:
31-46
Christian
Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.
Declaration of Independence (John Trumbull)
(U.S. Capitol)
Writing to his
wife Abigail, John Adams predicted that Americans would celebrate the day in
perpetuity:
as the great Anniversary
Festival. It ought to be commemorated,
as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shews,
games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of the
continent to the other, from this time forward forever.[1]
He was half right,
because he was writing of July 2, the day on which the Second Continental
Congress voted independence. The
cut-and-dried resolution of July 2, tho, was fleshed out and given immortal
voice by Jefferson’s verbal, philosophical justification for it, the
Declaration adopted on July 4 after much debate and amendment (see 1776), tho not signed till a month later
and beyond.
There’s an old
saying that God looks after orphans, drunks, and the U.S.A. No one’s sure of its origin. Perhaps it sounds cynical. But believers certainly may see God’s
Providence in our history from colonial times—not only in the unlikely survival
of Jamestown, Plymouth, and St. Augustine but also in consideration of various
failures like North Carolina’s Lost Colony and the Pueblo uprising in New
Mexico—thru our Revolutionary War, which in military calculation we had no
business winning, thru Civil War and all the turmoil that you and I have lived
thru: the Cold War, the 60s,
astronomical gasoline prices, Covid, etc.
St. Paul addresses
the Colossians, a community that he never visited, as far as we know, as “God’s
chosen ones” (3:12). Americans tend to
think of themselves, too, as God’s chosen ones.
Rather arrogantly, we proclaimed our “manifest destiny” to rule North
America and serve as models of freedom and prosperity for the whole world.
Jesus tells us
that much is expected of those to whom much is given (Luke 12:48). Our liturgy today lays out our task: “that, under your providence, our country may
share your blessings with all the peoples of the earth” (Collect). We’re to “be instruments of [divine] peace.” In our tumultuous world, that’s our mission
as a free and prosperous people.
Moreover, if we
come at the mission as followers of Christ, “as God’s chosen ones,” then we are
challenged, in Paul’s words, to be compassionate, humble, gentle, and patient (3:12)
in our gratitude to God and our sharing of our blessings so that both our
nation and the nations of the world might enjoy “the vision of our founding
fathers” (Preface) and live as one family of God’s children.
Today’s gospel
commands us to practice social justice, that best-kept secret of Catholic
doctrine, at least individually. Really,
it’s a national command. As Paul VI
said, “If you want peace, work for justice.”[2] So our nation welcomes refugees, “huddled
masses yearning to breathe free, the homeless [and] tempest-tost,”[3] or
ought to; and strives for just peace and protects the vulnerable around the
world, or ought to; and is the quickest and most generous people in responding
to natural disasters anywhere. We don’t
hoard our prosperity, altho “America Firsters” wish to, but multiply it by
sharing it. “May those who love you
prosper!” says the Psalmist (122:6). May
we all prosper because God guides us and helps us to achieve what still remains
to be done (Collect) in our nation and for all nations.
[1] Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3
July 1776, “Had a Declaration...” [electronic edition]. Adams Family
Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/
[2] Message for World Day of Peace, 1972.
[3] Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus.”
No comments:
Post a Comment