O beautiful forspacious skies

July 4,2015

O beautiful for spacious skies

and amber waves of geain, and purple mountain majesty above th fruited plains,

Americs! America!

God shed his grace on thee!

Confirm thy good in brothehood....

and mend thy every flaw.

In today's Gospel, Jesus was not recognised nor accepted in his native homeland.

As we recall our nation's birthday, it is well to note George Washington was not accepted by everyone in his.

There were Torys who were quite content with England's rule. Many could not accept a revolution. Eventually many of them fled to Canada when England's cause was lost.

In every age the voice of the prophet/revolutionary meets firm resistence. So it was  for John the Baptist, for Lincoln and for Washington.

Also most prophets have their own flaws.We should not expect perfection from them, but rather other better traits that over shadow them. FDR needed the solace of Lucy Mercier behind Eleanor's back/ Eisenhower almost came home from the war with his mistress secretary.

And today in the Second reading, Saint Paul tells us he was given a thorn in the flesh to buffet him. What thorn? We do not knowr But he felt he must mention it.

The paradox is that when Paul admits and recognizes his weakness--he is strong.:

"When I am weak, then I am strong!" he proclaims.

So as a nation when we admit slavery was wrong; when we admit that recent torture by our CIA was wrong; when we admit Japanese internment in Worod War II was wong.....then we are strong.

And so we pray:

God bless America!

and mend her wvwey flaw.

Amen