In the 1940s, Normal Rockwell completed a series of 4 paintings on freedoms, highlighting freedom of speech, of worship, freedom from fear and freedom from want. My favorite is freedom of speech; it features a working-class man at a meeting getting up and speaking his mind as the others look on with respect.

What makes our country’s Declaration of Independence unique is that the founders, in their wisdom, state that we are given inalienable rights from our Creator; not the government. Rather, the government should respect these rights and safeguard them.

As we all know, there are many threats to that.

Certainly, there have been foreign enemies who would like to see our nation wiped off the face of the earth.

And there have been intrusions on liberty by government in our own nation’s history too; in part this led to the Civil War and need for people to stand up for Civil Rights during the 1960s. All of us have seen the war on the unborn; thankfully we’ve seen the overturning of Roe. v Wade, and many states have put limits on the killing of the unborn. Sadly, our state government went in the opposite direction, enshrining it in law up until birth.

My hope is that this Independence Day we will all have a greater respect for our freedoms as citizens and exercise them.

For one, we can thank those who defend them. Saying “thanks” to a veteran or someone in a uniform is a great small action to do.

Second, we can exercise our freedoms. If you don’t like how things are going, do something about it. Vote, most obviously. But volunteer. Speak your mind. Write to your elected officials on issues that matter. Rediscover the argument, not the shouting, and engage with others to articulate what you believe. This is something I have to do as a priest. I know at times a homily or something I write will “ruffle feathers,” but it’s my job to speak about Church teachings. I hope to challenge folks to think about their faith in various ways. This is up to all of us too. We can’t fear being “canceled” or “unfriended.” As we’ve heard these past few weeks in our readings, we are called and sent. A tax on stamps and tea in part led to a revolution 250 years ago. These days, what is so disturbing to see is so much apathy. That can’t be our mentality. It’s important to live out our freedom and articulate our beliefs as we live out the virtue of hope.

Third, we need to know our freedom and pass it on. Talking to kids about the history of our country, giving them an appreciation for the sacrifices of soldiers, explaining to them what the Constitution is, or taking them on a tour of the State Capital, and explaining to them the meaning of our flag. All of these are simple things we can do to never forget the great country we live in.

Fourth, we can sacrifice. Each of us has the power to be a person of hope who changes this world for the better. Many of us sacrifice for our families; we should also always be looking at what we can do to change this world for the better through evangelization in words and actions. Whether it’s packing meals for the needy, doing work at a homeless shelter or a highway cleanup project, or spending a day visiting a prison and ministering to inmates, there are so many ways we transform society through our sacrificial actions of love.

Lastly, may we pray for our country and cherish what we have. Patriotism is a good thing; it’s the focus of the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus of which I’m a member and serve as Faithful Friar in our local council. America is far from perfect, but we are very blessed to live here and have the freedoms protected that Rockwell depicted in his work many years ago. I think it’s important to appreciate that, and instill in others, especially our young, an appreciation for our nation and how blessed we are to be American citizens.

I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day – God bless, and God bless America.

Have a blessed week,

Fr. Paul

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July 5, 2026