Ordinary Time: July 4th
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time; Independence Day (USA); Optional Memorial of Elizabeth of Portugal
MASS READINGS
July 04, 2022 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time: O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Independence Day, Option 1: 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, God, for ever and ever.
Independence Day, Option 2: Father of all nations and ages, we recall the day when our country claimed its place among the family of nations; for what has been achieved we give you thanks, for the work that still remains we ask your help, and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation, grant that, under your providence, our country may share your blessings with all the peoples of the earth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
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Entrance Antiphon, Cf. Sir 36:18-19:
Give peace, Lord, to those who wait for you; hear the prayers of your servants and guide us in the way of justice.
Preface:
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.
He spoke to us a message of peace and taught us to live as brothers and sisters. His message took form in the vision of our founding fathers as they fashioned a nation where we might live as one. His message lives on in our midst as our task for today and a promise for tomorrow.
And so, with hearts full of love, we join the angels today and every day of our lives, to sing your glory as we acclaim.
Today in the United States is Independence Day, the national celebration of our Nation's independence, the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Church in the United States of America incorporates this observance into the liturgy with a special Mass asking for peace, justice and truth. 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.
The Universal Calendar celebrates St. Elizabeth of Portugal today, but the United States transfers the Optional Memorial to July 5.
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.
Highlights and 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.
- Besides our highlighted recipes, see also Catholic Cuisine for some clever patriotic food ideas.
- Read Catholic Culture Library's 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
