We thank You, O heavenly Father,
for the guidance given to our Founding Fathers
in recognizing that "all men" of all nations
"are endowed by their Creator with unalienable right,"
and in realizing at the very birth of our nation
that the chief purpose of government
is to safeguard these Divine rights for even the least of us.
Enable us, O God,
to do all in our power to share with "all men" our heritage,
Your precious blessings of true freedom.
We pray especially for those misguided souls
who are spreading a hatred of You
and of Your children throughout all nations.
May we be enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit
never to "be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil by good" (Romans 12:21);
that we may comprehend fully the sublime lesson of Your Incarnate Son:
"Love your enemies,
do good to them that hate you
and pray for them that persecute you" (Matthew 5:).
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.