Flag Day
Today we honor what our flag signifies through the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. We remember the inalienable rights granted to each American citizen that are so aligned with the value of every human being – dignified because they were created in the image and likeness of God.
Patriotism and Catholicism can work together for the glory of God.
In 2013, Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Unsan, North Korea as a chaplain with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
His desire to serve our nation was deep.
After being assigned duty as an auxiliary chaplain at a local Army airbase in Kansas, he felt called to serve his country and asked his bishop to allow him to enlist in the U.S. Army.
He became a chaplain in the U.S. Army on July 12, 1944, serving God and his country. He heroically and fiercely said Mass on the battlefield and risked his life to administer the sacraments to those dying. He put his own life in danger staying with the wounded in the Battle of Unsan. While a prisoner of war in Prison Camp No. 5, he served both physical and spiritual needs of the other men in the camp. He tended to the sick, picked lice off men, washed clothes, bathed those who could not bathe themselves, said Mass, inspired the imprisoned, and prayed over their burials.
Servant of God Fr. Vincent Capodanno served as a Navy chaplain with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He also was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions beyond the call of duty as he ignored his own wounds, refused medical attention, and sought to help a wounded Navy corpsman and two wounded Marines despite enemy fire. It was there he was killed.
Whenever I visit a traveling Vietnam Wall, I take a rubbing of his name … wondering if someday, in my lifetime, he – and Fr. Kapaun – may be canonized.
Catholic Chaplains have been serving our country for years beginning in 1846 with Fathers John McElroy and Anthony Rey who both served in the U.S. Army.
There is something inherently Catholic about preserving and defending freedom – the freedom to live in truth.
The fabric of our country is woven into the history of the American flag and that fabric of our country was woven by God.
So, on this Flag Day, fly your flags high, and know that no one is above our Lord, but we can show our patriotism by standing for freedom: Freedom to attend Mass, Freedom to worship our Lord, Freedom to value every individual as a child of God.
Happy and blessed Flag Day!
