Spiritual Advisor, Msgr. Vaccari

My Mother, My Confidence!

July 3-4, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The holiday weekend is here and many will have the opportunity to relax with family and friends, perhaps take a vacation, go to barbeques or to the beach or spend time relaxing at home. It is a weekend of remembering and celebrating our beginning as a nation, when we declared ourselves to be a nation independent from Great Britain.

With the public discussion these days about the place of invoking the name of God at public ceremonies, it is enlightening to return to the Declaration of Independence itself. That document, authored by Thomas Jefferson, includes multiple religious references. Phrases such as "Nature's God," "endowed by their Creator," "appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world," and "a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence."

Without being an overtly religious document, the Declaration of Independence not only presumes the involvement of God in the life of the new nation, but also looks to be guided and directed by God. The effort by some to remove the language of God from public discussion is contrary to the initial foundation of our nation. While our country does not have a national religion, believe in the existence of God is at the heart of our national identity.

Using language about God can present a difficulty depending on what image of God is presented, and how knowledgeable the speaker or writer is about God. This is a different, although related topic, from whether or not reference to God is permitted at all!

On this Independence Day, let us be thankful for the men and women who serve our nation in the military, who work to ensure our continued freedoms and liberty. May the Lord protect them and, if they are away, may they return safely home soon.

Monsignor Andrew Vaccari

pastorsmmj@gmail.com

Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta

Let us pray for the courage to risk and look at the real needs of others, of the Church and of the world. Let us pray for the strength to respond positively to what we find.

Spiritual Advisor, Msgr. Vaccari