Celebrating Independence Day as a Christian
by Nick Rabiipour – The Catholic Company
July 4 is the national celebration of our Nation’s independence. As we celebrate let us remember to pray that God will strengthen and bless America and make our nation a haven of liberty and justice for all – born and unborn.
How are we as Catholic Christians and Americans supposed to celebrate this great day? John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of our country, wrote this about how to celebrate the fourth of July:
“It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with parades, picnics food, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and fireworks from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”
DOWNLOAD THE BULLETINWell, let’s see how we’re doing in celebrating the fourth of July the way one of the greatest Founders envisioned. Parades? Check. Picnic? Check. Sports? Backyard games count, right? Check. Bonfires? Check. Fireworks? Double check. Solemn Acts of Devotions to God Almighty? Um . . .I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically live up to that calling on the Fourth of July.
But, John Adams set an example for us. After everything’s said and done, we owe God more than anyone else for what occurred 242 years ago. In fact, the most famous part of the Declaration of Independence explicitly points to God as the source of our freedom:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
There are many ways to honor God on this special day. Perhaps you can read a passage from the Catholic Bible with your family to kick off the festivities, or pray a family rosary with the special intention for our political leaders and our country’s future.
Not our parents, or politicians, or government, are the source of our most important rights. Only God. As the source of our rights, He deserves the highest praise, honor, and glory on Independence Day and every day.
