Braegelman: America at 250 – His heart, our home

By JoAnn Braegelman

It seems like a long time ago — and it really was — but I have fond childhood memories of the special celebrations that marked our country’s 200th anniversary. It was our nation’s bicentennial and it was a big deal! I remember sitting by a campfire that July 4th, waiting for fireworks and listening to the adult conversations around me. I don’t remember what was said, but the air above the conversation seemed to convey something very important. Maybe it was nostalgia, maybe gratitude, maybe hope for the future or maybe it was all of the above.

Now in 2026, the United States celebrates yet another milestone: its 250th anniversary. Undoubtedly, there will be many gatherings, parties and fireworks, as there are every year, but I think the magnitude of this event calls us to more than celebrations. It is a moment in history that calls us to reflect on the past with gratitude, to face current issues with honesty and to look forward with hope. It also invites us to consider our roots, recognizing how dependence on God and on the land has shaped our story as a nation. Such reflection deepens our faith and reminds us of our own responsibility to care for creation.

This reflection becomes even more meaningful as we recall that this year also marked another significant moment in our nation’s history: the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that took place on June 11, 2026. Jesus’ Sacred Heart reminds us of his divine love poured out for all of humanity and all of creation. This consecration acknowledges Christ’s Kingship in our lives as a nation and individually. It is a symbol of love, mercy and healing. It also gives us a spiritual lens through which we can recognize our responsibility to one another and to the land that provides us what is essential for life.

The people who lived on this land long before the United States was founded lived in ways that showed reverence for creation. Whether settlers, indigenous neighbors, farmers or immigrants, they all shared practices of respect for the land. Their lives required them to live in harmony with nature and to respect its limits. They were in tune with the seasonal rhythms of nature as they planted and harvested. Neighbors worked together to raise barns, share resources and cooperate with one another. They lived with humility, gratitude and trust in God. I am grateful for their hard work and their belief that they were building something great for future generations.

If we are honest, we have to admit that many of the issues in our world today create stress and frustration. This often creates division in nearly every area of life: at work, in politics, with family and in religion. I sometimes wonder what the future holds for our children and grandchildren. Even caring for creation, or more specifically, the phrase “climate change,” can be a cause for division. Yet creation and its stewardship are not yes-or-no topics, and the idea of caring for it has become less of a priority and more of a novelty. Perhaps this indifference to caring for the environment reflects one of the downsides of an industrialized, technology dependent society that favors convenience over long-term sustainability. The issue is especially urgent because harmful environmental issues disproportionally affect marginalized communities. Recognizing our shared responsibility to care for and protect creation is an opportunity for healing, both for our world and for the divisions among us.

Caring for creation is not a political slogan, though many may try to use it that way. It is our moral responsibility, rooted in Sacred Scripture, the teachings of the Church and the simple truth that the earth is our common home, and that we need to take care of it. It has been entrusted to us by God from Genesis, where we are called to “till and keep”, to Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home,” the Church has consistently taught that creation care is an essential expression of our faith.

Our story as a nation is still being written, so we must ask ourselves what kind of world we hope to pass on to future generations and how our consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus might guide our response. His Heart reveals many things: love, mercy, healing, hope, and compassion for those who suffer most. It calls us to respond in the same way. This is more than a personal devotion; it is a participation in Christ’s love for the world – including the world he created and entrusted to our care. The good news is that it does not require grandiose plans! Caring for creation begins with small, faithful acts of devotion. Native plantings in our backyards become signs of healing. Water conservation is a way to safeguard and protect life. Planting trees is a sign of hope for the future. Through these simple acts, and our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we begin to create a world that manifests our love for both our neighbor and the earth.

As I think back to that campfire so many years ago, what strikes me the most is not the words that were spoken, but the feeling that the conversation was important. Even then, to a child’s ears, it felt sacred, as if gratitude, hope and responsibility were somehow bound together. As the United States celebrates 250 years as a nation, I find myself returning to that image and wonder how the Sacred Heart of Jesus – whose burning love transforms, heals, and purifies — might shape the conversations around today’s campfires.

We have the opportunity to choose the kind of nation we want to be and to start making it a reality. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, individually and as a nation, points to a renewal that begins from within through mercy, compassion, and love. The call to care for creation reminds us that renewal must also extend outward to the land, air, water and lives of future generations.