‘Happy anniversary, America!’
On July 2, Bishop Raica released the latest episode of his Grace & Peace video series. Anticipating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the bishop remarked, “For 250 years, the U.S.A., our homeland has been a beacon of freedom and hope.” The complete text of his remarks follows herein.
On July 2, Bishop Raica released the latest episode of his Grace & Peace video series. Anticipating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the bishop remarked, “For 250 years, the U.S.A., our homeland has been a beacon of freedom and hope.” The complete text of his remarks follows herein.
My sisters and brothers, as a nation, we will celebrate our 250th anniversary of the founding of our country on July Fourth. Two hundred, fifty years seems like a long time, yet we know that our nation is particularly blessed in so many ways that makes it unique in the world. While it is not perfect, we cling to the hope that together we can strive as a united people to form a more perfect union.
It doesn't happen easily. Bringing together a people of diverse backgrounds and experiences creates a unique melting pot of cultures and traditions. We learn to understand each other, appreciate each other, even embrace each other. In this country, unlike others, we are not identified by race or nationality, male or female, but merely American, each with hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow.
Interestingly, we know the desire of many to come to this land, and, in spite of our historical national flaws and missteps, we find here such unique opportunities rarely found in other nations. If there is anything to say about our nation, it is this: we know it is a past that has not always been perfect. Nevertheless, it also has a future insofar as its citizens seek to protect its liberty and strive to hand on to future generations the meaning of America and its unique place in the world.
For 250 years, the U.S.A., our homeland, has been a beacon of freedom and hope, in part because of our national insistence on the goodness of the citizens of our nation. I think back to my own grandparents, who came from Italy and who came from Poland as part of a migration from Europe approximately 120 years ago. They rebuilt their lives from literally nothing except what they could bring in a suitcase.
They longed to breathe deeply the liberties and freedoms of this new land that they came to know, yet their lives, even here, were very basic, surviving off land and sea. Family was everything. They lived simply, without much education, travel, or even vacation, yet through their tenacity and determination, they laid the foundation for their children and their children's children to live even better than they did.
May we, too, on this 250th anniversary again give thanks to God for the fruits of this American experiment, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. May God bless this land abundantly and her people from sea to shining sea. Happy anniversary, America!
