This past weekend we celebrated 250 years since the founding of our nation. It has renewed my gratitude for the citizenship that I enjoy in these United States of America. At the same time, it has led me to reflect a bit more on our First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. Even as we enjoy the constitutional right to live freely according to our faith, people throughout the world are being persecuted and even executed in violent attacks because of their religious beliefs. Even here, there are numerous attempts to deny our constitutional rights by imposing legal terms on citizens that violate their religious freedom.
In August 1993, Pope St. John Paul II gave the Church, indeed the world, his encyclical teaching entitled Veritatis Splendor, or in English, “The Splendor of the Truth.” It is a masterful presentation on the subject of truth, freedom, goodness and moral responsibility. Given that we are celebrating 250 years as a nation this month, it would certainly be worth taking the time to read and reflect upon these themes, now more than 30 years since Saint John Paul II first presented them. The Vatican’s English translation of “The Splendor of the Truth” can be found by following this link: Veritatis Splendor (6 August 1993).
Then, in September 1995, during his Apostolic visit to the United States, during the Eucharistic celebration at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Pope John Paul II said this: “Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” In the past several decades the true notion of freedom, that is, “the right to do what we ought,” has been distorted to now be understood as “the right to do whatever I want.” In short, this is a very immature view of the gift of freedom from what those who framed our constitution imagined. It reduces freedom to the level of pursuing pleasure. This interpretation of freedom is ruinous for all.
Rather, the notion of freedom as St. John Paul II presents, underscores it and reminds us that with freedom comes responsibility. True freedom is the right to do the good that I ought to do. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world…..let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and give praise to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 14, 16) We are most authentically human when we are freely able to pursue what our moral responsibility says ought to be done. It is then that the light of Christ shines through us in a most beautiful way.
Our National Anthem closes with these words: “O say does that star spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” Having sung the National Anthem more than once these past few days, and noticing the ‘stars and stripes’ waving from flag poles on buildings and the front porches of homes, at cemeteries, along boulevards, from cars and motorcycles, in children’s hands during parades, and on patriotic wear of all kinds, hopefully we have been reminded that we are the land of those who are free to do the good we ought to do and the home of the brave men and women who continue to put their lives at the service of others instead of only themselves.
We are a great nation to the degree that we exercise our freedom to do what we are obliged to do and overcome the temptation to live on a level that is simply self-serving. The National Anthem reminds us to preserve the integrity of our freedom to contribute to the common good. Likewise, it reminds us to be a land where bravery is continually exercised in the protection of the weak and the defense of all that is good and right and just. In other words, it requires a certain degree of sacrifice and a commitment to serving others. Indeed, we are at our best when we promote the common good.
Our founding fathers taught us to be “one nation under God.” This national experiment in liberty has now reached its 250th birthday! It is by the grace of God that we as a nation have made it this far. It will only be by fidelity to God’s Holy Will that we will persevere as one nation under God. It is up to each of us to exercise freedom with faith in God and determination to do the common good that we ought to do. It is up to each of us to stand up bravely for the free exercise of our faith and cry out against all that is unjust, to lay down our lives for all that is virtuous and resist all that is self-serving.
To the degree that our elected officials at every level of government; our institutions of education, health care, scientific research and technology; our businesses large and small; and each of us as citizens put God first and honor him as Sovereign Lord, will we prosper as a nation and lead the world in exemplary ways. Only by striving to be “one nation under God” will we overcome the confusion and chaos of these times. May our ‘star spangled banner’ ever wave over this great land as we place our faith once again in God as the foundation of these United States of America.
