[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: July 04, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: God of justice, Father of truth, who guide creation in wisdom and goodness to fulfillment in Christ your Son, open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel, that your peace may rule in our hearts and your justice guide our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

• Egg and Caper Sauce
• Fourth of July Dinner Menu
• Independence Barbecue Menu
• Independence Day Cake
• Poached Salmon
• Rice Waffles
• Sauce for Rice Waffles
• Special Strawberry Shortcake
• Watermelon Pickle

ACTIVITIES

• July 4: Independence Day
• Namedays
• Religion in the Home for Elementary School: July
• Religion in the Home for Preschool: July
• What is a Nameday?

PRAYERS

• July Devotion: The Precious Blood
• Serran Prayer for Vocations

Ordinary Time: July 4th

Independence Day (USA)

Old Calendar: Commemoration of All Holy Popes; Our Lady of Refuge; St. Theodore, bishop and martyr (Hist)

Today is the national celebration of our Nation's independence. As we celebrate let us remember to pray that God will strengthen and bless America and make our nation a haven of liberty and justice for all — born and unborn.

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Independence Day
On April 19, 1775, American minutemen faced English soldiers on the village green in Lexington, Massachusetts. Someone — no one to this day knows who — fired a shot, and a battle followed which marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

After the Battle of Lexington, the desire of Americans for complete independence from England grew stronger. Less than a month after that battle, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. On July 4, 1776, the Congress issued a Declaration of Independence, announcing "that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."

For a time it seemed to some that the fight for independence was a hopeless struggle, but an important American victory at Saratoga marked a turning point in the war. After that victory the Americans gained a strong ally, France. With the help of France, the Americans went on to win a final victory over the English at Yorktown. The English Parliament then decided to make peace and accept American independence.

With independence won, the thirteen states set out to form a new nation. There were strong differences among the states, but Americans came to understand the need for unity, and devised a new plan for government—the Constitution.

The new government, under the Constitution, was faced with many problems, both at home and abroad. However it found ways to solve these problems, and the United States began to grow rapidly.

Excerpted from American History, published by Laidlaw Brothers.

Things to Do:

• Read the Declaration of Independence and see what grievances our Founding Fathers had with England. This same site offers links to learn more about the founding of our nation.

Catholic Culture Library Related Articles

On Being Catholic American

First Centenary of First American Bishops

How Birth Control Changed America — For The Worse

The Philosophy of American Patriotism In the Present Crisis

The Jefferson Bible

The Relevance of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson and Freedom of Religion

What Is Patriotism?

Sapientiae Christianae—On Christians as Citizens

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 8:28-34

“They cried out to him.” (Matthew 8:29)

When Jesus entered the region Gadara, two men inexplicably ran toward him, crying out to him. It may have looked similar to the way the disciples had just rushed to Jesus and begged him to save them from a violent storm at sea (Matthew 8:25). But something was very different.

These two men were possessed by demons who saw Jesus as a threat to the hold they had over their victims. By contrast, the disciples saw him as the one who could keep them safe and protected. The demons strug­gled to keep their dominion, but the disciples submitted to Jesus. Ulti­mately, the disciples were saved, but the demons lost everything.

Haven’t we all done what the disciples and these two men did? Haven’t we all run to Jesus, implor­ing him for help? Perhaps it was a job interview, a family illness, or a rocky relationship that prompted us. And he reached out and helped us. But while a crisis may bring us to Jesus, that alone won’t keep us by his side. We will still have to answer the everyday questions of how we will live and whom we will trust. The issues may not be as dramatic as the one that sent us running to the Lord, but they are every bit as important. They are all worth running to the Lord for his help.

In fact, it is in these every­day challenges that demons like to hide. They work slowly and subtly, gradually chipping away at our com­mitment to the Lord. They whisper thoughts of resentment, pride, and condemnation, hoping to turn us in on ourselves. This may be what happened with these two demo­niacs. They didn’t go to sleep holy one night and wake up possessed the next morning. It happened over time, as they wandered farther and farther away from the command­ments of the Lord.

Whether we yield to good or to evil is a matter of degrees, like the slow drip of a faucet that eventu­ally fills a cup. None of our choices is trivial. Every one matters. So get in the habit of running to Jesus even with your little hopes and fears of the day. Don’t wait for the big crises. Keep your divine friend close by, and the Tempter can do you no harm.

“Father, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Amos 5:14-15, 21-24, Psalm 50:7-13, 16-17