Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 6, 2025
This week we celebrate Independence Day. Those of us who grew up in America have mostly fond memories of the summer holiday. July 4 is a hot summer day for picnics, barbecues and maybe swimming, with a fireworks display after dark.
But we commemorate something important. Before 1776, the idea of democracy was radical. It seemed absurd to entrust the governance of a nation to the people. Kings were the norm and they were seen as appointed by God. The people had whatever rights the king granted.
It is true that Christianity did defend the dignity of the individual, though in the context of the divine rights of kings. In the 13th century, the English nobility forced the King to sign the Magna Carta which granted some rights, not to the people, but to the landed nobility. The Magna Carta was seen as radical and suspicious. But as the centuries passed, political philosophy asked why should governance be entrusted to one person or to a few. The late 18th century was a time for revolution and we Americans led the way.
We defeated a colonial master, thus establishing the right of a people to self-determination. And our new nation was founded on freedom of religion, speech, assembly and conscience. We take these rights for granted today, but in 1776, it was radical.
The nation that was founded in 1776 was not perfect, indeed, it was far from perfect. It took nearly another nine decades to end slavery which is one of the most egregious violations of human dignity imaginable. Slavery and the exploitation of immigrants and native Americans were wrongs that were inconsistent with our founding principles. Even though we did not then and do not now fully embody our ideals, still we are spurred to be better precisely because we were founded on lofty values.
In 2025, we celebrate our Independence Day as a nation with deep political divisions. This is not new, but it is particularly virulent these days. We tend to demonize those Americans who espouse political opinions with which we disagree.
I grew up in rural western Pennsylvania where the first day of deer season is a school holiday and where people feel left behind by the economy and uncared for by political leadership. People there tend to vote Republican.
I have spent my adult life in big cities where there is a marvelous ethnic and racial diversity and where people tend to vote Democrat. I can attest that there are good people in the countryside and in big cities and that everyone I know wants what is best for their children and the country.
People in the countryside do not usually despise racial minorities and people in the cities do not typically disrespect the farmers and country folk who are an important part of our nation. Unfortunately, Americans don’t talk enough with one another and sometimes don’t even know people with different political views.
We Catholics can be a bridge. Jesus taught reconciliation and unconditional love. As we celebrate July 4, let’s cherish our fellow Americans. Let’s build a nation that strives to meet our founding ideals of “liberty and justice for all”.
