Each day of our ecclesiastical calendar commemorates holy men and women and events that remain holy and noteworthy unto our salvation. A great blessing is that we, as Americans, can celebrate these feasts without fear or persecution. Freedom is a gift of God and is paramount to our lives in Christ. It is also an essential part of our identities as Americans.
As much as freedom is a blessing, it can also be a curse. There are moments when we choose wisely as individuals or as a nation and moments when we choose poorly. If choosing wisely was easy, then God wouldn’t have needed to redeem us; we would have remained in the Garden! Wisdom is ideally maintaining what is good. It is also repenting when we fall short, asking God to restore us fully to His likeness and image, bringing us into deeper communion with Him, His creation, and one another.
Today is a day that we celebrate the freedom of our Nation. The Library of Congress concisely details “This day in history.” Other helpful links are found therein as well.
As we fittingly celebrate, let us pray that our Gracious Lord will continue to bless us with holy wisdom as individuals and as a nation. May His Grace sustain us, and may Ss. Joachim and Anna and the Saints of America, ever intercede on our behalf! God bless America!
O Lord, our God, You hold together the universe by Your power, and by Your Divine and Almighty Will You govern the universe; You created from one blood all the nations that inhabit the face of the earth, and have assigned to each its boundaries; You have conferred special blessings on this our country the United States of America, and helped it develop into the foremost nation of the world, a champion of freedom and democracy; a haven for the oppressed and a refuge for those who look for the opportunity to live in dignity. You have kept the United States of America free for 247 years by Your Divine Grace and preserved and saved it through many wars and upheavals.
Do You, Yourself, All-Holy Master, accept our prayers of thanksgiving for the liberation and birth of our nation on the Fourth of July who in faith fervently pray to You.
Heavenly God, give rest to the souls of our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters who have nobly fought and gloriously died for its freedom. Make us all not only worthy of this freedom, but make us aware of the responsibilities that flow therefrom, preserve us in peace and concord, and guide us unto every good work pleasing to You. Give steadfastness to every civil authority and power in our great nation and make them well-disposed towards the God-given rights of all Your people.
For You are the Prince of Peace and the Savior of our souls, and to you we ascribe glory to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen!