2007.07.05: July 5, 2007: Headlines: Speaking Out: Connecticut Post: The Rev. Edward A. Colohan writes: 187,000 volunteers of all ages have brought great credit upon themselves and our nation
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2007.07.05: July 5, 2007: Headlines: Speaking Out: Connecticut Post: The Rev. Edward A. Colohan writes: 187,000 volunteers of all ages have brought great credit upon themselves and our nation
The Rev. Edward A. Colohan writes: 187,000 volunteers of all ages have brought great credit upon themselves and our nation
The other day while reading the Connecticut Post, I came across this interesting article: the headline, "Dodd to promote national service." The article pointed out that U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, who's seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, "will unveil a plan for universal national service aimed at restoring America's moral authority to the world." The article also stated Dodd's feeling that "national service should be a priority because we 'must fully engage the talents of all Americans to meet the challenges.' Connecticut's senior senator himself served in the Peace Corps for two years in the Dominican Republic. He felt that America benefits greatly when 'it leads with its highest ideals — justice, opportunity and hope.' " As I read this article, I thought it might be good for us, on this celebration of our nation's 231st birthday, to think about sharing the freedom we so richly enjoy here at home.
The Rev. Edward A. Colohan writes: 187,000 volunteers of all ages have brought great credit upon themselves and our nation
As we celebrate our nation, we can all do more to help each other
THE REV. EDWARD A. COLOHAN
Article Last Updated: 07/05/2007 07:57:42 PM EDT
The other day while reading the Connecticut Post, I came across this interesting article: the headline, "Dodd to promote national service." The article pointed out that U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, who's seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, "will unveil a plan for universal national service aimed at restoring America's moral authority to the world."
The article also stated Dodd's feeling that "national service should be a priority because we 'must fully engage the talents of all Americans to meet the challenges.' Connecticut's senior senator himself served in the Peace Corps for two years in the Dominican Republic. He felt that America benefits greatly when 'it leads with its highest ideals — justice, opportunity and hope.' "
As I read this article, I thought it might be good for us, on this celebration of our nation's 231st birthday, to think about sharing the freedom we so richly enjoy here at home.
One way was the thought of former Sen. Brien McMahon of my hometown, Norwalk, to "send an army of young volunteers into the world as 'missionaries of democracy.' " Ultimately, McMahon's idea came to fruition with the founding of the Peace Corps, in which 187,000 volunteers of all ages (remember the mother of President Jimmy Carter, going off to India at an older age to serve her country?) have brought great credit upon themselves and our nation.
In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he gives these thoughts on freedom, which, according to one writer, could very well apply to our celebration of July 4th:
For you were called; for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
A vivid example of this love came out of the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech. One of the professors there became an instant hero on that awful day. Professor Liviu Librescu was teaching a class in a building which the crazed gunman attacked. The courageous professor threw himself as a barricade against the classroom door. He then shouted for his students to hurry out the windows. Fifteen students' lives were saved by this brave 76-year-old professor, who was fatally shot.
In a tremendous act of love for his students, this dedicated teacher, who had suffered the loss of freedom in a Nazi concentration camp, gave all of us a shining example of what St. Paul defined as the real meaning of freedom.
Another shining example of sharing freedom is the poignant story of Ann Curry of the NBC News' "Today" show. At great risk to herself and her crew, she made three trips to Sudan. She then traveled last March to Darfur, in the words of The New York Times, "one of the most dangerous places on Earth, to report on the genocide for Today, NBC Nightly News and MSNBC." When reminded of the great danger she was exposing herself to, she courageously said, "I am more afraid of not having done enough to help others than I am of dying."
Both of these dedicated servants — Professor Librescu and Ms. Curry — can serve as outstanding models of how best to appreciate the wonderful gift of freedom which we celebrate today, and how we, too, can dedicate ourselves to sharing this wondrous gift with those who are in need of our help.
This prayer, taken from the Roman Liturgy, can help us to accomplish our goal:
O God: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the beauty of human life. Help us to cherish the gifts that surround us and to share your blessings with our brothers and sisters, and to experience the joy of life in your presence.
The Rev. Edward A. Colohan is a retired U.S. Air Force chaplain and also the retired parochial vicar of St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church in Trumbull. He now resides in Stamford.
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Headlines: July, 2007; Speaking Out
When this story was posted in September 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Connecticut Post
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