Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for Sunday, July 5, 2026

Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America!

We are blessed to live in a country where we may practice our faith boldly, openly, and without fear.From the moment that the first settlers arrived in the 17th Century, through our fight for independence, through our Civil War, and through great social upheaval over the years, one thing has remained a critical component of life in this country – freedom of religion.

Freedom of religion was particularly important as Catholics flooded into the country during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries.Catholic immigrants arrived in a country that was overwhelmingly Protestant. Yet, they were never prevented from building churches, schools, colleges, hospitals, and cemeteries.

As I reflected on our freedoms and how immigration (including all four of my grandparents) shaped our country, I could not help but notice the similarities between the words of Jesus in this week’s Gospel and the words of Emma Lazarus inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.

Religion was so important to the founding fathers, that they included freedom of religion in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with freedom of speech and freedom to assemble.Religion is addressed in two ways: the “Establishment Clause” which prevents the government from establishing an official state religion or endorsing one religion over another; and the “Free Exercise Clause” which protects citizens' rights to hold any religious beliefs and to practice those beliefs without government interference. It is disturbing that, today, many people refuse to acknowledge that religion was both appreciated and respected in our country since its earliest history.

We respect and protect our Constitution because it respects and protects us!

Fr. Mike