A Message From Your Pastor

My Dear Parishioners,

The late writer and holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel wrote about seeing the American officers who liberated his prison camp at Buchenwald: "Like lost children, the American soldiers wept and wept with rage and sadness. And we received their tears as if they were heart rendering offerings from a wounded and generous humanity. Ever since that encounter, I cannot repress my emotions at the sight of the flag and the uniform, anything that represents American heroism in battle. That is especially true on July 4th. I reread the Declaration of Independence, a document sanctified by the passion of a nation's thirst for justice and sovereignty."

Today, we too remember and reread the Declaration of Independence, but we may not have the same emotional response as Wiesel. This day remains significant because of the courageous people who have serves our country since the beginning. We all know that story that the colonists had felt a tension with Mother England and King George III.

There are phrases that we have learned in our history classes such as "taxation without representation." All of this led to the thirteen colonies breaking away from England and forming the United States of America. They inspired in us a deep sense of love, gratitude and devotion to a country.

Healthy patriotism can feel a bit like marriage vows: we commit through sickness and health. We have seen peace and war, prosperity and poverty as well as understanding and conflict among its peoples. But today is a day for celebration and rejoicing in the great accomplishments of the last 250 years.

We reflect upon America: the land of opportunity. Many of us are sons and daughters of immigrant parents and grandparents. They experienced need and in some cases famine in their country of origin. They arrived here with just a few dollars in their pockets, as they saw "Lady Liberty" and the beautiful harbor of New York City. Many were indentured slaves forced to come here, treated as merchandise. Many of them and their families fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today.

They brought their faith with them to sustain them throughout their new lives and the new world. And they found faith communities and parishes that served as support systems. They had the desire to work hard and prosper, making a good life for their families. They were here to better themselves, be a part of society, and contribute to the general good of the community by whatever work they chose, from delivering milk to building skyscrapers. And they were proud to do so.

So we look to the future. As we do, we make a positive contribution to society by being respectful law abiding citizens. We do this by putting our faith in the Dear Lord into practice, living a God fearing life and respecting and treating each other the way we would like to be treated. This is Christianity in practice and our nation was founded on those principles.

Love of country is not devotion to a land over God, we are one nation under God. Love of country does not mean satisfaction with the way things are either. Love draws us to desire the best for our nation. It means to act in the words of Christ with a greater love of sacrifice for neighbors and enemies. Through the Church we are living witnesses of a higher love and a deeper gratitude to all those who made it possible for us to continue to pray, "God Bless America."

May God bless you.