Cameron’s Fourth of July celebration shows off what= is truly great about our country and this town. The parade, the contests, the food= , the fireworks, and the music gather people of all ages. Families can enjoy the weekend tog= ether. The United States of America values freedom and democracy at home and abroad.&= nbsp; We advocate peace and justice, health and development. We celebrate those values on the anniversary of our independence, the birth of our nation, the day we became free.

Yet, we sometimes take advantage of our freedoms. We sometimes take from society mor= e than we give. We claim privileges;= we make dangerous choices; we commit crimes; we sin. Freedom and prosperity bring temptation. Our spirit is wil= ling, but our flesh is weak.

Saint Paul says Christians can do better than that. He tells the Romans in today’= ;s second reading, “You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.” Temptation= does not rule them; Christ lives in them. We all know this is easier said than done. Paul admits there is a battle betw= een the flesh and the spirit, between temptation and grace, but he insists the = two forces are not equals. ItR= 17;s not a game of chess where the two sides come to the table with the same strength. Sin has no chance a= gainst grace; it has no queen, no bishops, no rooks, no knights. There may be a battl= e for a while, but grace will win.

We all have difficult temptations – days when we fe= el inadequate, when evil thoughts get the better of us, and when our confidenc= e is gone. But God gives confidenc= e to those who believe. Paul says, “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in yo= u, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also.” So even when we = feel lost, helpless, and dead inside, the Spirit who raised Christ can still lift us.

Freedom is our grace as well as our danger-zone. Sadly, we sometimes choose to live according to the flesh, and when we do, we turn from God’s Spirit. We compromise our values, and we b= ecome less than we could be. “But,” Paul says, “If by the Spirit you put to dea= th the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Independence Day can help us reconnect with our values &#= 8211; God, family and country; tradition and vision; work and play. A good celebration of the Fourth h= elps us claim who we are; it will encourage us to act more faithfully, to behave more responsibly, and to love more generously. It will help us celebrate our free= doms and use them for the common good. Being good citizens and being good Christians should go hand in hand. Both our country and our faith can help us find the inner strength to overcome our temptations. That strength is there for the tak= ing, if we use our freedom to say yes to the Spirit of God.