This Monday, we officially say goodbye to Fr. Peter Ha and welcome Fr. Michael Bremer to our Parish. We have scheduled a farewell gathering for Fr. Peter for this weekend. We also intend to have a reception for Fr. Michael in the near future.
This Thursday we celebrate the Fourth of July, Independence Day. On this day, we celebrate the birth of our nation, and we cherish in a very special way the many freedoms we enjoy in this country. However, these freedoms should never be taken for granted. As mentioned previously, there are those in our society who are attempting to undermine our trust and belief in God, and in the process are distorting our precious freedoms. On our money bills, we proclaim, “In God We Trust.” As disciples, we are invited to pray that this trust in God may be restored in our nation through the example of our leaders. There is a compelling need to strengthen the moral foundation of our country, a moral foundation based on faith and trust in the Lord. There is also a need to reaffirm our commitment to truly make our country “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We are invited on this day to truly appreciate our faith and freedoms.
The following “Independence Day Prayer” is taken from a collection of freedom prayers from Mary Fairchild and reflects our appreciation for Our Lord and our country:
Dear Lord,