Independence Day
St. Mary’s Church, Annapolis
July 4, 2026
Today we gather in a place where faith and American history meet in a remarkable way. On this property stands the Carroll House, the birthplace and home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Here in Annapolis, long before religious liberty was secured, Catholic families persevered in their faith. Here, on this very property, generations prayed, worshipped and hoped for a country where faith would not be a barrier to citizenship.
Today as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, that history gives us much to celebrate. We can thank God for the blessings of liberty, for the opportunities this nation has provided, and for the countless men and women who sacrificed so that future generations might live in freedom.
Yet the Gospel appointed for this Independence Day reminds us that the deepest measure of a nation is not its wealth, its military strength, or its political achievements. The measure of a nation is the measure of its soul. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a startling vision of what that soul should look like. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” “Blessed are the meek.” “Blessed are the merciful.” “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
These are not the values that usually dominate political campaigns, social media feeds, or cable news programs. The Beatitudes sound almost impractical. They seem too gentle for a harsh world. Yet Jesus insists that these are the people who inherit the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes are not merely a list of personal virtues. They are a vision of what human society looks like when God is allowed to shape it. And they describe the kind of citizens every democracy desperately needs.
A nation cannot survive on rights alone. It also needs virtue. It needs humility. It needs mercy. It needs citizens who are willing to seek the truth, even when it is uncomfortable, and who love their neighbors, even when they disagree with them.
That is where the wisdom of the great American Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor can help us. O’Connor understood that grace does not descend upon perfect people. Grace breaks into the lives of sinners. Repeatedly, her stories depict proud, self-satisfied people being shocked into seeing reality. She believed that before grace can heal us, it often has to humble us.
Perhaps the same is true for nations. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, gratitude should never become complacency. Patriotism should never become self-congratulation. We have accomplished much, but we have also fallen short of our highest ideals. We have defended human dignity, yet at times we have failed to honor it. We have expanded liberty, yet we continue to struggle with division, loneliness, violence, poverty, and distrust.
The Christian does not deny these realities. Neither does the Christian despair because of them. Hope is something different from optimism. Optimism says things will probably get better. Hope says God remains faithful even when things appear broken. Hope is what sustained Catholics in colonial Maryland when they faced discrimination. Hope is what sustained the founders who risked everything for a future they could not see. Hope is what sustained those who sought freedom from slavery. Hope is what sustained the saints through every age of turmoil and uncertainty. And hope is what sustains us now.
The Beatitudes are ultimately not about us. They are about Jesus Himself – the One in whom we place all our trust. He is the poor one who emptied Himself for our sake. He is the meek one who entered Jerusalem riding a donkey. He is the merciful one who forgave His executioners. He is the peacemaker who reconciled heaven and earth through the Cross. If America is to flourish in the next 250 years, it will not be because we have perfected our institutions. It will be because men and women continue to allow themselves to be shaped by Christ.
Standing here at St. Mary’s, in the shadow of the Carroll House, we can see that the Catholic contribution to America has never been simply political. It has been spiritual. Catholics helped build this nation not only by signing documents or holding office, but by building churches, founding schools, caring for the poor, welcoming immigrants, and witnessing to the dignity of every human person, from the moment of conception until natural death.
That mission remains ours. Today, we give thanks for our country. We pray for our leaders. We ask God’s blessing upon our nation. But above all, we pray that America may become ever more worthy of the Beatitudes. For blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And blessed is any nation whose people continue to seek first the Kingdom of God.