While we're celebrating Independence Day, let's give thanks for four U.S. holy ones this month, including Blessed Charlie Rodríguez Santiago (13), a lay catechist of Puerto Rico; Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (14), our first native American saint; Blessed Stanley Rother (28), priest martyr from Oklahoma; and Blessed Solanus Casey (30), Capuchin healer and sage. That's in addition to Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra (1).

Prophets don’t have an easy job of it no matter where they’re trying to speak truth to power, but there’s no question that the home front is their toughest audience, as Jesus found out when he returned to Nazareth.

Back in seminary, we used to practice the art of debate for a semester, as a prerequisite for our first course in preaching. (Anybody who thinks debate has nothing to do with preaching ought to stand in the back of the church after Mass sometime and listen to people arguing with the homilist.) I remember the day our instructor passed out the positions for the next debate. I was assigned to participate in a discussion of political solutions to the problems of poverty in our community.

On the southeast corner of Belden and Sheffield in front of the Student Center of DePaul University in Chicago stands a statue more than nine feet tall of Msgr. Jack Egan. His hands reach out cupped, as though he was sharing something very precious.

A friend of mine told me he wasn’t going to his high-school reunion. “Why not?” I asked. “Back then everybody thought I was a loser. I’ve put together a very happy and satisfying life where people respect me, and I don’t want to return to being the butt of their jokes.”

For the times we have not listened to and followed the Lord, we pray for forgiveness.

The call of the Lord comes to you through the needs of other people. You just don’t say no to the call of the Lord.