Happy 4
th
of July! How are you? Hope you are doing well. As the thought-provoking title of this article attempts to indicate, today is a momentous occasion to celebrate our nation’s independence. The humble beginnings of thirteen colonies on the east coast have given rise to fifty states spread throughout the northwestern hemisphere.
We are a country of fifty distinct geographical territories but unified in what was proclaimed in 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.” While the United States of America is not ruled or taxed by Great Britain or some other foreign power we nonetheless recognize that we are not absolutely independent.
That is to say, as human beings we have needs for food, shelter, health, and friendships that do not come exclusively from who we are. There is a dependence upon the gifts and abilities of others to help meet those needs. We are individuals with the gifts of Life and Liberty (otherwise referred to as Freedom) and the desire to seek true and lasting Happiness. From a Catholic Christian perspective we believe our happiness can never be fully satisfied with the things or experiences or even relationships of this life.
All of those can be blessings from our Heavenly Father in our journey of discipleship but they are literally not the be all and end all. God alone is the Alpha and the Omega of our existence. As St. Paul said it is in Him that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Therefore, “it is right and just” that we celebrate our nation’s Independence on this 4
th
of July but it is also “our duty and our salvation” to realize our dependence on the Lord for all that we are. As the fireworks light up the night sky on this blessed day may our hearts be alight with the merciful love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
