A Blessing for America on the 250th Anniversary of Independence
Cardinal Burke looks back on our discussions thus far and also discover how the Declaration of Independence points directly toward an understanding of patriotism rooted in belief in God.
Transcript
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On this 4th of July, as our nation marks the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence, I extend to you and to your families my prayerful greetings. And my hope for a blessed Independence Day. The Declaration of Independence itself appeals not merely to human authority, but to the laws of nature and of nature's God. It affirms that human dignity does not come from the state, but from the Creator, and that authentic freedom is inseparable from moral truth. These truths remain as urgent today as they were two and a half centuries ago.
True patriotism does not blind us to the failures or sins of our nation. Rather, it calls us to love our country rightly, to seek her true good, and to labor for her renewal according to the moral law written by God upon the human heart. It calls us to gratitude for past sacrifices and to fidelity in our own time, especially when fidelity requires courage. As Christians, we know that our ultimate homeland is in heaven. Yet Christian hope does not diminish our earthly duties.
It strengthens our love for our country and orders it toward justice, peace, and the common good. On this anniversary, I encourage you to renew your commitment to pray for our nation and to entrust America to the sacred heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May God bless you. Your families and the United States of America.
O sacred heart of Jesus, King of heaven and earth, I place today my nation, the United States of America, into your heart, pierced for love of us. On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I acknowledge that true liberty is your gift, and that our lasting homeland is the eternal kingdom of God. Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, and through the intercession of her immaculate heart, bless my homeland anew, purify her from sin, and guide her leaders in truth, justice, and peace.
So that she may safeguard all human life, respect the integrity of marriage and the family, and honor the practice of religion, reign in my home and in my nation, draw every heart into communion with you, that your truth, love, justice, mercy, and peace may triumph in America and throughout the world. Amen.
