Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea church in San Francisco, gave a 13-minute homily on Sunday, May 17 in advance of Memorial Day on the virtue of respecting America and its leaders.
Here is a 15-second excerpt:
“We should all love the country that God has given us. Patriotism is a virtue. It is our duty to cultivate the good habit of loving and honoring the land that God gave us for our birth and our sustenance. It’s really part of the 4th commandment.”
Certainly one should honor the country. However, in my humble opinion, this includes informed, respectful dissent when one believes certain of the country’s policies are incorrect. This includes casting informed votes in all elections.
Certainly. I am most grateful to be an American and am proud of our great nation. That said, our nation has been beset by two long-lasting national sins, racism (most severely in slavery, but continuing long after) and abortion (for the past half century). We must speak out and work to eradicate such evils. God bless America! And, may we repent of our sins and turn to the Lord.
love of COUNTRY
NOT love of GOVERNMENT
‘Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God Commanded you; that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.’ Deut 5:16
That was an excellent observation of Fr Illo, don’t you think? ‘‘Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land!…” Anyone who hates his country is an anonmoly. It’s not about rights. Its about sickness in a body, unnatural and unhealthy.
This is excellent! Patriotism, and love and honor for our country, is truly a Virtue! Patriotism has been nearly lost, and widely misunderstood, since the irresponsible 1960s era, in which many sick, ignorant, misfit youth agitators constantly criticized and violently persecuted our great country, popularizing mindless “dissent,” to destroy America. Many serious enemies of our country also recruited, trained, and even paid some of these mindless misfits! We have a great country, and through excellent, intelligent public debates on important issues, and political processes, we can elect better leaders, and pass new laws, to correct our problems. We are supremely blessed, to live in America!
What a great and rare gift our American Democracy is! We must do all we can, patriotically, to love, honor, and cherish our great country! In ancient Greece, Athenian Democracy only lasted 186 years! The Roman Republic lasted from 509-27 B.C. It collapsed with the Roman Revolution, and became the Roman Empire, ruled by Emperors, until the Fall of Rome, in 476 A.D. To establish and maintain a successful democratic form of government, protecting human rights and freedoms, requires a great deal of patriotic love of country, hard work, self-sacrifice, responsibility, and moral integrity.
Many historians today, have noted the many similarities of the problems faced by the Roman Republic in her final days, and the problems faced by America, today. The first Emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus Caesar, ruled when Christ was born.