God keep our land, glorious and free!

Archbishop Miller: 'Ours is a land of ample opportunities, vast resources'

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, (middle), after a Mass inside the John Paul II Pastoral Centre.
The prelate hopes the archdiocesan faithful remember that 'as Canadians, we have much to be thankful for.'
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic.)

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, has released a message for Canada Day:

On this Canada Day, I join with you in celebrating the great nation in which we are blessed to live.

“He shall rule from sea to sea,” says Psalm 72: “From Sea to Sea” a mari usque ad mare is Canada’s motto.  On this July 1, I invite you to pray for Canada and all who live here, from sea to sea.

As Canadians we have much to be thankful for.  Ours is a land of ample opportunities, vast resources and a high quality of life.

We are especially thankful for the freedoms that Canada offers, in particular religious liberty, which enables us to practice our religion freely and openly.  It is recognized as a fundamental freedom in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Let us pray for our legislators and jurists, that they may be inspired by the first words of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”

As we thank God for the gift of Canada, we must keep foremost in mind our less fortunate brothers and sisters, in our country and around the world.  May we work to bring about the justice and peace for which they yearn, so that the day may come when we can truly say, “The rulers of the earth belong to God…who reigns over all” (Psalm 47).