Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin
A nocturnal eagle? Hmm. The fireworks must have woke it up.
Happy 4th
From time to time, we in Canada come to our senses and realize what a blessing it is to have the US as our neighbour. Happy Birthday to y’all, in Texas and everywhere else, as you celebrate the birth of your great nation. Have a great day, and emjoy the fireworks. God bless America!
The Blessed Virgin is the patron of the United States, under the title Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Therefore, in honor of the holiday:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant
From this day all generations shall call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name
He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He has remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever. Amen.
To my American friends and brothers in Christ. Know that there are millions who are your friends and stand by you and your great nation and its people. Be proud to be American (and make America proud of you in return). The world is a better place because of your country’s generosity and courage and dedication to freedom of all men. Never forget that.
Happy 4th of July to you, and God Bless America!
As my brother serves in the US Army in Afghanistan today and every day, I am reminded of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA:
If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.
And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:
I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.
Y’all are gonna make me cry…
Pray for us here in the U.S., that we will live in a manner worthy of our founding documents. Our independence from tyranny is predicated on our dependence on God.
Thanks, Mary, for your recent scripture quotes.
God Bless Everybody & be careful with the fireworks!
It was also my 7th wedding anniversary! We spent the special day shopping for a computer monitor. I know, we’re just not normal. We did go “out” together and have a deep conversation about Star Wars.
My 7th grandchild was born at 3.30 p.m local time on July 4th here in Tauranga, NZ – that is yesterday in our time, my daughter’s second little girl, named Emma Grace (Mitchinson) A beautiful 8lb 3oz effort.
Doesn’t the birth of a child seem to bring you into God’s presence – a birth of shared creation. Would that we could all re-gather that beauty and innocence of children that Jesus encourages us to have.
And God Bless America, and give you courage in leading the free world.
Actually, many of the principles of the Declaration of Independence are directly contrary to Catholic theology and philosophy:
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . .”
And here I thought their just powers came from God! Oh well . . .
Quick, somebody reply to Eric before I get real sarcastic, real fast. “Many of the principles of the Declaration of Independence are directly contrary to Catholic theology and philosophy.” What rot.
Directly contrary, Eric? One could easily argue that God chooses to hand on these “just powers” through the consent of the governed and that this in no way diminishes His sovereignty. Sorta like the way human free will does not at all diminish His omnipotence. That’s just one argument.
I used to be proud to be an American, until we legalized infanticide and exported it to the rest of the world. Well, at least i’ll be proud of what we used to be.
Thanks to ‘all of y’all’ from outside the U.S.A. for your kind wishes! (that’s the plural of ‘y’all’ for those who are wondering).
Actually, where I come from the plural of “y’all” is “y’ins” (you ones). 🙂
Congratulations on the new grandchillins, Don!
I hope all had a wonderful 4th. My family celebrated on Sunday (yeah, we’re rebels!) ‘cos folks had other plans for Monday. I was drivin’ back from California on I80 over Donner Summit to Reno from my Mom’s place around 9:30 & there were fireworks over Donner Lake! They were about the same level as the interstate & they’re peek between the mountains as the road winded through. It was really sweet when I got to the lake ‘cos they couldn’t have been more than 200 yards away. Really huge. (Lots of CHPs making sure folks didn’t make unplanned stops on the side of the road & become hazards, too. Good thing.) For a little while I could see them reflected in my rear-view mirrors. Very cool.
“What rot.”
Which is wh ydemocratic governments were at one point condemned by the Church. No Catholic Father or Philosopher before, say, the 1700s would have argued that governments get their authority from “the people.”
“I answer that, Two points are to be observed concerning the right ordering of rulers in a state or nation. One is that all should take some share in the government: for this form of constitution ensures peace among the people, commends itself to all, and is most enduring,” Thomas Aquinas
I answer that, Two points are to be observed concerning the right ordering of rulers in a state or nation. One is that all should take some share in the government: for this form of constitution ensures peace among the people, commends itself to all, and is most enduring.
Sure. No problem with that, but as St. Augustine argues, when such an arrangement has gone bad (and by any measure this has already happened in the U.S., as well as most of the rest of the Western world), then “the people” lose the right to elect a government and that right passes back to a chosen few.
In the US and most of the rest of the Western world, is it the “the people” who have gone bad or the “chosen few”?