On July 4th, Praying With Hannah Arendt for LGBTQ+ People, Our Nation, Our World

Hannah Arendt

In the United States of America, today is a holiday known as “Independence Day” or “The Fourth of July,”  commemorating the birth of the nation.  This year is special because it marks 250 years since that fateful day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

In thinking about the state of our nation and world on this milestone anniversary, I am reminded of the 20th-century political philosopher Hannah Arendt. A German-Jewish refugee from the Nazis who later became an American citizen, Arendt dedicated her life to understanding how totalitarianism takes root by isolating individuals and destroying public life. Her remedies were simple yet profound: the defense of human plurality—our distinct uniqueness—and the capacity for new beginnings.

Inspired by her insights on how we must counter dark times through collective action and deep solidarity, I offer this prayer.

A Catholic LGBTQ+ Prayer for Ourselves, Our Nation, and Our World on July 4th

inspired by Hannah Arendt

O God, Who is the source of life, liberty, and love,

We pray on this Independence Day that You will grace our nation and ourselves with these gifts.

For LGBTQ+ people, these times are dark in the U.S. and in many other places of the world.

For some, life is threatened by violence and poverty.

For others, liberty is denied by restrictive and punishing laws.

And for many, the ability to love freely is harmed and made difficult by ignorant attitudes and biases of those who have been family, friends, and neighbors. 

To help us delight in these gifts You have bestowed, show us the way of interdependence with one another.

Open our eyes to recognize that we only find justice when we work together, and when we rely on your love, forgiveness, and mercy. 

Help us to remember that justice is achieved when we learn to respect plurality and diversity, when we respect one another, no matter how different the other appears to us. 

While we pray for LGBTQ+ people, we also remember others who are suffering greatly during these dark times:

Migrants and refugees, people of color, women, the unemployed and underemployed, those who are poor, victims of political retribution, and victims of war.

As interdependent people, we will not achieve justice and equality for ourselves while others still suffer from injustice and inequality.

Renew our strength and courage to speak out for all the oppressed.

We ask you also to open our hearts to those we perceive as enemies, those whose opinions differ from our own, and those who knowingly or unknowingly persecute us.

May we come to see them as part of our one family.

Finally, help us to live in hope for a better future. 

Remind us that you are also a God of surprises, who brings about new and vibrant life even from what has been old, lost, or dead.

Each new person, each new day is a gift of hope that you offer us to build a new world that reflects your way of love. 

We ask all of this through Jesus Christ, our friend and savior. AMEN.

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, July 4, 2026