246 years ago on July 4th, in the midst of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia declared with courage and might the independence of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain. Our founding fathers proclaimed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

These words were written many centuries ago for Americans but they resonate deep within the hearts of all. It is because Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not only our nation’s ideals, but also the goals of every human heart wanting ultimately to live a meaningful life. They are not only the aspirations of every American, but also the aspirations of every human being, created in the image and likeness of God.

While this weekend leading up to the 4th of July should be marked with pomp and revelry, with sports and barbecues, with games and sales, with bells and bonfires, we should also take the time to reflect on these values and how they are lived (and challenged). The right to life is challenged by abortion, mass shootings, war, poverty, lack of health care resources, among many others. The work to enshrine the value of the sanctity of life in human laws and in human hearts continues, as Bishop Alberto Rojas in his Statement on the Dobbs v Jackson emphasizes (See page 6). Furthermore, freedom is challenged by religious persecution, decline in democracy and suppression of free speech. Finally, the pursuit of happiness is challenged by unemployment, inequality, racism, and family fragmentation.

I cannot help but recall the powerful words of St. Paul proclaimed last week in the second reading: “For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. (Gal. 5, 13) True freedom consists not of pursuing the desires of the flesh but of pursuing the good that we ought to do. Authentic human freedom is choosing to live in the Spirit – of Truth, Goodness, and Love. It is ultimately choosing Jesus.

In his mass in Baltimore in October of 1995, the then Pope now St. John Paul II said: “Today, the challenge facing America is to find freedom’s fulfilment in the truth: the truth that is intrinsic to human life created in God’s image and likeness, the truth that is written on the human heart, the truth that can be known by reason and can, therefore, form the basis of a profound and universal dialogue among people about the direction they must give to their lives and activities… 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… We must guard the truth that is the condition of authentic freedom, the truth that allows freedom to be fulfilled in goodness.”

Happy Freedom Day!