The 1st might be a part of your 4th of July. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th will probably be a part of your Independence Day. May I suggest that you also treat yourself to a 5th – no, not that kind of a fifth, but the 5th as described below?
1st – Prayer: try the “Litany for Liberty” or the “Mass prayers for July 4: Independence Day”
2nd – Flag: wear it , fly it, carry it, salute it, see it, hold your heart in front of it, pledge allegiance to it, sing under it
3rd – Hot Dog: grill it, burn it (that’s the way it’s good), bun it, mustard (up the courage to eat) it, and enjoy it like a kid, whether you grill out or grill out inside
4th – Fireworks: set them off, watch them, ooh and aah over them, be annoyed by them or be irritated by them, just don’t burn yourself or anyone else with them
5th – Look up the meaning of “unalienable” in at least two places: You know, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Don’t assume you “know” what “unalienable” means. Look up two definitions or read two reflections about the word – and then ponder whatever stirs up within in you as ponderable.
Fr. Rob,
On the 4th my extended family listened as I retold your homily. It was then that my nephew brought out a very large dictionary and a laptop to cross reference the definition of unalienable. Your homily was beautiful!
Mary