Today our nation celebrates Constitution Day in remembrance of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. But why celebrate? Read this reflection from Michael Andrews, Chancellor to the Diocese of Lansing, pictured below. He writes:
Constitution Day offers us the opportunity to reflect on the supreme expression of civil law in our nation. At its core, the U.S. Constitution embodies the principle — proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence — that justice, freedom, and rights are not granted by government, but are inherent gifts endowed by the Creator, which the government is duty-bound to protect. It is a framework strongly shaped by the wisdom of classical philosophy and the moral vision of Christian theology.
The Constitution’s safeguards, including the separation of powers, checks and balances, and the Bill of Rights, arise from a sober understanding of the human condition: while we are capable of great good, we are also inclined toward sin, ambition, and injustice.
Nevertheless, law alone cannot preserve liberty; it must be sustained by moral character. Alexis de Tocqueville, the French observer of the young United States, wrote: “Despotism may be able to do without faith, but freedom cannot.”
Constitution Day challenges us to renew our commitment to the moral and spiritual foundations that make freedom – the capacity to choose the good – and self-government possible: a people formed in truth, guided by right judgment, and observant of the law of God.
