We all know “America, the Beautiful.” The compelling lyrics ring strong and true every time I hear them, filling me with pride and confidence in the Lord’s greater plan for the United States. The familiar verse asking God to shed His grace upon our nation is a lovely prayer, but through years of crooning the classic melody, I noticed the common tendency to end after verse one or occasionally two. Curious, I searched for the lyrics in their entirety and was deeply impressed. I felt as though I had stumbled upon undiscovered treasure. How many times do we have the opportunity to raise our voices in the complete anthem?

The aspirations that flow through Katharine Lee Bates’s poem deepen patriotic humility and faith in the God we trust. While present day patriotism is reduced to political affiliation or social ideologies, the essential definition is found here in this hymn.

“America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!”

The lines point to greatness not built on the self, but available from virtue. The recognition of shortcomings underscores that the United States is ever in need of refining. We ask that whatever wealth, success, or influence America possesses be purified by God into virtue, i.e. the mentioned “nobleness.” America’s highest pursuit should be gains of a divine nature.

This is patriotism.

250 years ago, the United States was founded with hope upon God-given rights, the dignity of the human person, united together with a government formed to serve these principles. It seems to me that to be a patriot—a real red-blooded American—is to cultivate the greatest possible faith in God. If our rights and dignity are divinely given, then every person has inherent worth because he or she is made in the image of the very Author of our lives. Freedom will thrive when we as individuals and as a country enjoin ourselves to its Source.

Practically speaking, good stewardship of our nation is easily taken in stride for the faithful.

Pray for the nation and its leaders. Pray that elected officials, judges, military personnel, and first responders will be blessed with wisdom and humility, as well as the conversion of the nation. This teaches children and reinforces to us parents that living in our country carries a spiritual responsibility.

Celebrate American history with gratitude and honesty. Read biographies of founders, saints, presidents, inventors, and reformers. Teach children to appreciate what is noble in our history while acknowledging our failures. Take the good with the bad in our American heroes, recognizing that, through space and time, we all need a Savior. Patriotism is rooted in truth, not mythology.

Create a culture of service. Love of country begins with love of neighbor. Loop your kids in on making dinner for another family on a regular basis. Call someone and volunteer to keep their kids so they can get a break. Keep a stash of coats, blankets, socks, and toiletries to offer to the homeless as you see them. Children will witness that life as a Catholic and as a citizen involves looking beyond ourselves.

Practice virtue in the home. The Founders frequently connected liberty with self-government. A family that cultivates prayer, responsibility, self-control, diligence, and respect for others will form citizens capable of sustaining a free society.

Perhaps this is why the later verses of “America the Beautiful” remain so compelling. They offer a prayer for a nation still being sanctified.

As we mark 250 years of American history, we would do well to recover this understanding of patriotism. Love for America is not measured by slogans, political victories, or nostalgia for a bygone era. It is expressed through gratitude for God’s blessings, fidelity to truth, and a sincere desire for the good of our neighbors and nation.

May God continue to shed His grace on America. May He mend her flaws, ever refining her to greater strength and virtue. And may we, as faithful Catholics and grateful citizens, do our part to become the kind of people upon whom such blessings are bestowed.