"We hold these truths..."

As I reflect upon life, psychology, and our modern society, I realize more and more how much we are influenced by the culture around us without our even being aware of it and without our willing it.  So also the past shapes our thoughts and feelings.

Today we celebrate some of that past: we celebrate the history of our country, the courage of our founding fathers, and the risks they took to secure our freedom.  Their choices then—more than two hundred years ago—inform our lives today. We are very much who we are today because of who they were.  That bold Declaration of Independence announcing to the world the formation of the United States of America still bears fruit in the little ways we too declare our independence from those in authority.

We like to think of ourselves in isolation from others.  We like to believe that we are unique individuals (as we are) with no need to credit anyone else for who we are (which is of course foolish).

For instance, I have in the past ten years developed a strong devotion to Divine Providence.  Now it is quite tempting to want to own this devotion for myself, to consider it almost as if it were my own conception, my own special revelation, my own gift to the world.  Yet it is, contrarily, something I have received, not only by virtue of my Catholic heritage, but also by being born into this great and free nation we call the United States of America.  For what are the ending words of the Declaration of Independence?

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor."