A sincere prayer for the 4th of July and a nation that needs to put God First!

I wrote this prayer for the approaching 4th of July holiday in 2014 and delivered as part of my homily last year upon my return to St. Jane de Chantal, ironically on the 4th of July weekend.  I offer it here again as we approach our nation's Independence Day and as we still struggle with real problems but many blessed opportunities because of our hope in God:



Loving and Merciful God:

We pray today for an America that worships you, that honors life, from conception to natural death.  We pray for an America that respects religious liberty & freedom, that works to eradicate violence, murder, racism and hate.  We pray for an America that sees the human dignity in all people, regardless of race or creed, nationality, physical appearance, physical or mental challenges, men and women, young and old, gay or straight.  We pray for an America where children or cherished and protected, even in the womb of their mother.  We pray for an America that seeks the ending of an unjust application of the death penalty, where the stranger is welcomed and given comfort instead of condemnation, where every veteran who served this great country is respected and in the autumn of their lives receives the support and health care they so richly deserve.  We pray for an America where bullying no longer exists, and that places like our family homes, our schools and even our churches be places of safety, comfort and peace.  We pray for mothers and fathers to be equally resected and that all mothers and fathers love their children, teach them to worship you Lord and raise them up to be good citizens. 

We pray O God that in America your name can be mentioned and praised anywhere without fear of reprisal or lawsuit, that our land understand freedom of religion and not confuse this with freedom from religion.  We pray for an America that pays her bills, pays her people a living wage and levies her taxes fairly.  We pray for an America that takes care of her air, lands, and waterways.  We pray that our nation embrace your Holy Word Lord, and respects both your divine and natural law.  We pray for an America where justice and morality count too.  We pray, especially this week, for an America that will respect marriage as the union of one man and one woman, open to your gift of life!  We pray for an America that promotes peace, embraces faith, hope and love.

May we the United States of America receive gratefully your many blessings Lord and in turn, as your sons & daughters, return those blessing to everyone we meet.  May we always worship you Lord in true liberty and freedom.  God Bless America yes, but as Americans we Bless You, we Thank You, We Praise You.

And we pray this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen!