Happy 4th of July!

A happy Independence Day to all!  It is a joy to celebrate the blessings of liberty each year.  We have seen over these many years that liberty is a blessing that must be guarded with the greatest vigilance.  Too often, as we have also seen over these many years, we find ourselves only steps away from losing this blessing, yeah, even giving them away.

It has been popular over the past few years to dismiss our founding fathers because of their imperfections, weaknesses, inconsistencies, etc.  However, we dismiss their legacy, especially their intellectual legacy, at our great peril.  Indeed, as Aristotle recognized, a benign dictatorship is the most efficient form of government:  as our Catholic intellectual tradition teaches, a world ruled according to Catholic principles by near saints; but, alas, we are not saints yet.  A democratic republic is the best we’ve come up with so far: but if we don’t understand, appreciate, and apply the ideals set forth in our Declaration of Independence and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (among other documents of note produced throughout the history of our republic), and principles as they are set forth in our Constitution, and finally, recognize and act at significant moments to further refine these principles, then all will have been for naught; and this great patrimony could be lost to humanity.

Thus, the continued, active participation of every man and woman of faith is necessary as was repeatedly recognized by the founding fathers.  However, if our participation is to be worthwhile, it will be necessary that we first of all ensure that we are each and all one with the will of God – as Lincoln said, when an aide expressed the confidence that “God is on our side”, we should be more concerned that we be on God’s side.  Having done our best to ensure this through our participation in the life of the Trinity through our active participation in the sacred rites and a life of grace, let us dedicate ourselves to the unfinished business before us.  But, for today, let us celebrate!

“May Christ our Lord help us all with His bountiful grace, so that we may know His holy will and perfectly fulfill it.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola)