Today we celebrate Independence Day, the day when 56 very active residents of this land declared on behalf of all that the king of England had been abusive in his rule of the colonies in North America, and that such abuse would no longer be tolerated. The Declaration of Independence lists 27 specific actions of the king that were objectionable because they violated the dignity and freedom of human beings in this country. In Catholic social justice language, the Declaration of Independence was about the life & dignity of the human person; the call to family, community, and participation; and rights & responsibilities (see http://bit.ly/9qwkCG for the seven themes of Catholic social teaching).
The final sentence of the Declaration of Independence also contains a great testament to the colonists' reliance on God and their commitment to endure the sacrifices that needed to be made for the sake of their common good: "[F]or the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." Words that should guide us all today for the support of our nation.
To read the Declaration and for related resources, check out http://bit.ly/ckkyhD.
Copyright © 2010, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins. (http://bit.ly/16p8ws)
