Words by Florence A. Jones, Music by Franz Wald

Ring, O bells, from ev'ry steeple!
Tell the story far and near;
Let the breezes bear your echoes,
Freedom's natal day is here.
Fire the guns and shout for freedom,
See the flag above unfurled!
Hail the stars and stripes forever,
Dearest flag in all the world.
Ring, O bells, and shout, O people,
Float, O flag, from sea to sea!
We, thy children, rally 'round thee,
Hail, O flag of liberty!
Float, O starry flag of freedom!
Flag our fathers died to save;
He on whom your shadow lingers
Never more can be a slave.
May "Old Glory" float forever,
High o'er vale and mountain crag,
See her stars on ev'ry ocean,
One dear country, one dear flag!
Ring, O bells, and shout, O people,
Float, O flag, from sea to sea!
We, thy children, rally 'round thee,
Hail, O flag of liberty!

January 5, 2008

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
1 Jn 3:11-21
Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another,
unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.
Responsorial Psalm
100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
The LORD is good: the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Gospel
Jn 1:43-51
Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Source：
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      For many immigrants, the bright torch and billowing robes of Lady Liberty signified the end of their journey to America and the beginning of their journey in America. The Statue of Liberty was very symbolic for many weary travelers, and rightfully so. The Franco-American statue was designed to be a symbol of freedom. The woman depicted in the statue (amazingly enough modeled after the statue designer’s mother) represents liberty, while her torch is a beacon for the masses that seek refuge. Her seven-spiked crowned is representative of liberty shining out to the seven continents and seven seas. In addition, a chain representing tyranny lays broken at her feet. On the interior wall of the Statue of Liberty, Emma Lazarus’s poem, “The New Colossus,” is inscribed on a bronze plaque. The poem reads: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

      With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
      Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
      A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
      Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
      Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
      Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
      The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
      Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
      With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
      Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
      The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
      Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.
      I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

      First conceived by French politician Edouard-Rene Lefebvre in the mid-1860’s, the 300 foot Statue of Liberty would come to celebrate liberty in both America and France. In 1875, construction first began on the statue in Paris, France and construction of the 150-foot pedestal began in the United States on Bedloe Island (now Liberty Island) in 1884 . Interestingly enough, the framework of the Statue of Liberty was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who engineered the Eiffel tower.

      On July 4, 1884, the completed statue was offically presented to the U.S. in Paris, France. Soon after, construction of the pedestal began in America. Funds ran low, however, and all activities halted. Not until March 1885 did construction begin again, after a fund-drive by media mogul Joseph Pulitzer. The pedestal was finally completed in April of 1886 at a final cost of $300,000.

      The statue, christened Liberty Englightening the World was dedicated on October 28, 1886 to a boat-filled New York Bay. Cheering crowds admired the copper colored behemoth. In attendance were President Grover Cleveland and representatives of the French government. All were awestruck by the monument’s size and beauty.

      Over the years, the statue’s bronze color has weathered and faded to the familiar blue-green that we are accustomed to. Even so, the statue’s strength has a symbol has not faded. Initially a sign of the Franco-American alliance during the Revolutionary War, the Statue of Liberty has come to symbolize so much during times of war. The statue was a sign of freedom during the World Wars, at least for the United States. In addition, Lady Liberty represented freedom and a new life for the millions of immigrants that entered the United States in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Even today, Liberty Enlightening the World represents freedom for the generations that have descending from those immigrants who first beheld the monument.

References
21 James B. Bell "Statue of Liberty" World Book Encyclopedia Multiple Editors. World Book, Inc.; Chicago 1993. pp. 874-881; Volume So-Sz

"Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage."

~ Pope Paul VI

Nearly 200 years ago, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph's, the first new community for religious women to be established in the United States.  She also began Saint Joseph's Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic School for girls staffed by Sisters in the United States. Her enduring legacy now includes six religious communities with more than 5,000 members, hundreds of schools, social service centers, and hospitals throughout America and around the world.  Her works led to her Canonization on Sunday, September 14, 1975, in Saint Peter's Square, by Pope Paul VI.  The first citizen born in the United States to be Canonized, her remains are entombed here in the Basilica that bears her name.

The remarkable life of Elizabeth Ann Seton spans the full spectrum of human experience. She was a New York socialite, a devoted wife, a dedicated volunteer in charitable organizations, the mother of five children, a convert to Roman Catholicism, an educator, social minister, and catechist, and a spiritual leader and formator — a tireless servant of God. Her story is instrumental to understanding her ongoing legacy and enhancing your visit to the Shrine.

Lord, please bless my children,

Protect them day and night;

Lead them down the right roads,

Forever in Thy sight.

Let them know Thy presence

Each step along the way,

Giving strength and courage

To sustain them, come what may.

Be their consolation

In times of woe and strife,

Guide then past the pitfalls

On their journey through this life.

And when this life is over,

See them safely to that shore,

Where peace and love are boundless

Beyond Heaven's golden door.

Catherine Janssen Irwin

January 4, 2008

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
1 Jn 3:7-10
Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 7-8, 9
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.v R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 1:35-42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

My Aerie, built on craggy cliff,
or in a tree top high.
I soar above the reaching hills,
on lifting winds I fly.
I raise my young with tender care,
until they fly away.
Their destiny to fly alone,
it is but Nature's way
My prey I seek with piercing eye,
grasp with talon strong.
Then lift into the endless sky
to sing my victory song.
By strength of wing will soar on high.
My future yet to be,
to glide beyond restricting Earth.
Eternity to see.
My place in Nature is secure.
I'm viewed now with respect.
A Symbol for the strong and free,
I fly with no regret.
With courage yet unquestioned,
there's challenge in my cry,
I lift to heights, unhindered,
An EAGLE... flying high.
Don R. Wilkins
Motley,MN
© 2007

January 3, 2008

Christmas Weekday
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
1 Jn 2:29–3:6
If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.
Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

She stands all alone in the darkness of night
Through rain, wind and snow a remarkable sight
On a river that separates city from nation
A statuesque queen a European creation
A crown on her head with a torch gold and bright
Giving strangers from each nation new hope and delight
She stands for the freedom, truth promise and more
Of America the beautiful she's the opening door
The tattered and torn have all called on her name
Traveled thousands of miles before her they came
Each with their vision and dream to fulfill
Each with persistence and a God given will
She's watched as they came in day and in night
In peace and in war time what a magnificent sight!
She's protected the shores of each native and more
Given hope to the stranger, and help to the poor.
She's been the mother, the queen the woman of all
Standing stately and beautiful, her watch is God's call.
It' a woman you see God has put in this place
To stamp out despair... with love and hope to replace
A woman a mother sent to protect each and everyone
The young and the old, a song of freedom to be sung
America the beautiful the strong and the brave
Despite guns, bombs, and destruction, our lives she must
A sister, a mother, grandmother and more
The person to keep us safe inside freedom's door
She stands like the lioness in front of her cave
Protecting her cubs, their lives she must save
With the years and upheavals of presidents and kings
She holds to our dreams and let's freedom ring
It rings louder and louder with each blow we take
With each bomb that bursts each life that's at stake

For the victims of 9/11
2004
By Lynn Petronella

From this land she beckons here, her beaconed light dost call.

come here all you heavy burdened, come here one and all.

Joins us in our efforts, make our standards tall.

break the yoke of bondage, answer freedom's call.

abandon all your heartaches, leave them all behind.

seize this very moment, come all every kind.

leave lost dreams behind you, enter at these gates.

meet our Lady at the door, meet her as she waits.

she holds the keys to Liberty, to freedom as she stands.

Walk right up and touch her as she holds your hands.

when she bows to greet you, your children and your claim.

her beauty seeks no meaning, her majesty remains.

She sheds her light in Glory and keeps the path this day.

that someday all earths children will feel her beacons ray.

Until that day when trumpets sound as Liberty insists.

she waits here on her pedestal, where GOD still yet exists.

Copyright ©2003

Warren Michaels

AKA

Warren Edward Barootjian

January 2, 2008

Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory
Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
1 Jn 2:22-28
Beloved:
Who is the liar?
Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father,
but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in you,
then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.
I write you these things about those who would deceive you.
As for you,
the anointing that you received from him remains in you,
so that you do not need anyone to teach you.
But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false;
just as it taught you, remain in him.
And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 1:19-28
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

January 1, 2008

The Octave Day of Christmas
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel

Reading 1
Nm 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.
R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Reading II
Gal 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.
Gospel
Lk 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

(Source: USCCB)

White House News

As we enter this New Year, we reflect on the past and look forward to a promising year ahead.

A future of hope and opportunity begins with a robust economy. Thanks to America's workers and entrepreneurs, our economy grew at a vigorous rate last year. Keeping taxes low and exercising fiscal restraint helped ensure that the number of jobs increased and the deficit once again fell ahead of schedule. The underpinnings of our economy have proven strong, competitive, and resilient enough to overcome the challenges we face. In the coming year, we will continue to encourage growth in the economy so Americans have more money to invest in their businesses, spend on their families, and put aside for the future.

In addition to our efforts here at home, the United States continued its work to spread freedom and peace around the world. America is determined to defeat terrorists and extremists, and we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom. In 2008, we will continue to stand beside our partners in the international community to lay a foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.

America is grateful for the service and sacrifice of our Nation's troops and their families. During this hopeful time of year, we remain mindful of the courage and resolve of the fine men and women who protect our country and defend freedom's cause.

As we welcome this New Year, we move forward with trust in the power of the American spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith in a loving God who created us to be free.

Laura and I send our best wishes for a happy New Year. May God bless you, may God bless our troops and their families, and may God bless America.

GEORGE W. BUSH

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restoreth my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

For His name's sale.

Even though I walk through the valley

Of the shadow of death, I will dear no evil,

For You are with me;

Your rod and staff,

They comfort me.

Your prepare a table for me

In the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

All the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house

Of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

At dawn let me hear of Your kindness, for in You I trust.

Show me the path I should walk, for to You I entrust my life.

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

May Your kind spirit guide me on ground that is level.

For Your name's sake, Lord, give me life; in Your justice lead me out of distress.

Psalm 143:8,10-11

Let freedom ring across the land

Today and every day.

Oh, guard it with a passion,

Lest it quickly slip away.

For freedom is a precious thing

For which many fought and died,

And we must guide it feverishly.

Let freedom ring across this land,

Across this land of ours,

This glorious land, America,

Embraced with stripes and stars.

Oh, let it be a beacon bright,

A light to share with others;

Let freedom's ring inspire hope

That all might live as brothers.

By Loise Pinkerton Fritz

The Freedom Bell in Washington, DC

In 1981, the Freedom Bell was donated to the United States in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial. It was cast specifically for the 1975-76 American Freedom Train by Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same foundry that cast the original Liberty Bell.

The American Freedom Train carried the bell to all 48 contiguous states during the nation's Bicentennial celebration. It was alternately called the Freedom Bell or the Children's Bell.
It is nearly twice as large as the real Liberty Bell. The replica is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and First Street in front of Washington DC's Union Station.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

1. Alabama introduced the Mardi Gras to the western world. The celebration is held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
2. Alabama workers built the first rocket to put humans on the moon.
3. The world's first Electric Trolley System was introduced in Montgomery in 1886.
4. Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel. It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products.
5. Montgomery is the capital and the birthplace of the Confederate States of America.
6. The Confederate flag was designed and first flown in Alabama in 1861.
7. Alabama became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819.
8. The town of Enterprise houses the Boll Weevil Monument to acknowledge the role this destructive insect played in encouraging farmers to grow crops other than cotton.
9. Baseball player Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron was born in Mobile in 1934.
10. Boxer Joe Louis was born in Lexington in 1914. He died in 1981.
11. "Alabama" is the official state song.
12. Baseball player Willie Howard Mays was born in Westfield in 1931.
13. A skeleton of a pre-historic man was found in Russell Cave.
14. At 2,405 feet Cheaha Mountain is Alabama's highest point above sea level.
15. Huntsville is known as the rocket capital of the World.
16. The Alabama Department of Archives is the oldest state-funded archival agency in the nation.
17. The musical singing group Alabama has a Fan Club and Museum in Fort Payne.
18. In 1902 Dr. Luther Leonidas Hill performed the first open heart surgery in the Western Hemisphere by suturing a stab wound in a young boy's heart. The surgery occurred in Montgomery.
19. To help fund education Alabama instituted its state sales tax in 1937.
20. Schools established in Mobile include Washington Academy (founded in 1811) and Huntsville Green Academy (founded in 1812).
21. Between 1817 and 1819 Old Saint Stephens was the first territorial capital of Alabama.
22. In 1956 the Army Ballistic Missile Agency was established at Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal.
23. Governor George C. Wallace served four terms in office.
24. In 1995 Heather Whitestone serves as first Miss America chosen with a disability.
25. Alabama's geographic center is located in Chilton a community located 12 miles southwest of Clanton.
26. The word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language.
27. The United States Army Chemical Corps Museum in Fort McClellan contains over 4000 chemical warfare artifacts.
28. Hitler's typewriter survived from his mountain retreat and is exhibited at the Hall of History in Bessemer.
29. Blount County was created on February 7, 1818 and is older than the state.
30. Winston County is often called the Free State of Winston. It gained the name during the Civil War.
31. Mobile is named after the Mauvilla Indians.
32. Peter Bryce is recognized as the state's first psychiatrist. He was born in 1834 and died in 1892.
33. The Alabama State Flag was authorized by the Alabama legislature on February 16, 1895.
34. Hematite is Alabama's official state mineral and is known as oxide of iron (Fe2O3).
35. The Monarch butterfly (Danaus pleipuss) is the state's official insect.
36. The star blue quartz is the state's official gemstone.
37. The Florence Renaissance Faire is the Alabama's official fair.
38. The pecan is the Alabama's official nut.
39. People from Alabama are called Alabamians.
40. On January 11, 1861 Alabama becomes the fourth state to secede from the Union.
41. On January 28, 1846 Montgomery was selected as capital of Alabama.
42. Tallulah Bankhead entertained as a star of stage, screen, and radio during the 1930s-1950s. She was born in Huntsville in 1902 and died in 1968.
43. Singer and entertainer Nathaniel Adams (Nat King) Cole was known as the man with the velvet voice. He was born in Montgomery in 1919 and died in 1965.
44. Alabama resident Sequoyah devised the phonetic, written alphabet of the Cherokee language.
45. The Birmingham Airport opened in 1931. At the time of the opening a Birmingham to Los Angeles flight took 19 hours.
46. Alabama's mean elevation is 500 feet at its lowest elevation point.
47. Audemus jura nostra defendere is the official state motto. Translated it means "we dare defend our rights."
48. Washington County is the oldest county in Alabama.
49. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Indians in 1814. Following the event the Native Americans ceded nearly half the present state land to the United States.
50. At the Battle of Mobile Bay Admiral David Farragut issued his famous command, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." The event occurred on August 5, 1864.

For more information, please visit official site:

http://www.alabama.gov/portal/index.jsp

...Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles, From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I life my lamp beside the golden door!"

(By Emma Lazarus)

History

The words are by Katharine Lee Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College. In 1893, Bates had taken a train trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to teach a short summer school session at Colorado College, and several of the sights on her trip found their way into her poem:

• The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the "White City" with its promise of the future contained within its alabaster buildings.
• The wheat fields of Kansas, through which her train was riding on July 4.
• The majestic view of the Great Plains from atop Pikes Peak.

On that mountain, the words of the poem started to come to her, and she wrote them down upon returning to her hotel room at the original Antlers Hotel. The poem was initially published two years later in The Congregationalist, to commemorate the Fourth of July. It quickly caught the public's fancy. Amended versions were published in 1904 and 1913.

Several existing pieces of music were adapted to the poem. The Hymn tune composed in 1882 by Samuel A. Ward, was generally considered the best music as early as 1910 and is still the popular tune today. Ward had been similarly inspired. The tune came to him while he was on a ferryboat trip from Coney Island back to his home in New York City after a leisurely summer day, and he immediately wrote it down. Ward died in 1903, not knowing the national stature his music would attain. Miss Bates was more fortunate, as the song's popularity was well-established by her death in 1929.

At various times in the more than 100 years that have elapsed since the song as we know it was born, particularly during the John F. Kennedy administration, there have been efforts to give "America the Beautiful" legal status either as a national hymn, or as a national anthem equal to, or in place of, "The Star-Spangled Banner", but so far this has not succeeded. Proponents prefer "America the Beautiful" for various reasons, saying it is easier to sing, more melodic, and more adaptable to new orchestrations while still remaining as easily recognizable as "The Star-Spangled Banner." Some prefer "America the Beautiful" over "The Star-Spangled Banner" due to the latter's war-oriented imagery. (Others prefer "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the same reason.) While that national dichotomy has stymied any effort at changing the tradition of the national anthem, "America the Beautiful" continues to be held in high esteem by a large number of Americans.

Popularity of the song increased greatly following the September 11, 2001 attacks; at some sporting events it was sung in addition to the traditional singing of the national anthem. During the first taping of the Late Show with David Letterman following the attacks, CBS newsman Dan Rather cried briefly as he quoted the fourth verse. [1]

Ray Charles is credited with the song's most well known rendition in current times (although Elvis Presley had a good success with it in the 1970s). His recording is very commonly played at major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl; Charles gave a live performance of the song prior to Super Bowl XXXV, the last Super Bowl played before the September 11 terrorist attacks. His unique take on it places the third verse first, after which he sings the usual first verse. In the third verse (see below), the author scolds the materialistic and self-serving robber barons of her day, and urges America to live up to its noble ideals and to honor, with both word and deed, the memory of those who died for their country. Symbolically, Marian Anderson (a noted opera singer of her day) sang a rendition of America on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being refused use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her skin color.

It is often included in songbooks in a wide variety of religious congregations in the United States.

It has also become a tradition for the song to be performed at the start of the WWE event WrestleMania. Such artists to perform the song at the event include Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Reba McEntire, Little Richard, Boyz II Men, Ashanti, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Mariah Carey, Lilian Garcia and Michelle Williams.

When Richard Nixon visited the People's Republic of China in 1972, this song was played by Chinese as the welcome music. Interestingly, the Chinese characters for United States literally mean "Beautiful Country."[2]

[edit] Idioms

"From sea to shining sea" is an American idiom meaning from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean (or vice versa). Many songs have used this term, including the American patriotic songs "America, The Beautiful" and "God Bless the USA". In addition to these, it is also featured in Schoolhouse Rock's "Elbow Room". Although the United States has borders with the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the phrase refers only to the West and East coasts of the Continental U.S. A term similar to this is the Canadian motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare ("From sea to sea.") See also Manifest Destiny.

[edit] Takeoffs

A song as popular and familiar as "America the Beautiful" inevitably gets used out of its proper context or time frame, for humorous effect. Some examples:

• In 1971, the song inspired the cross-country Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash race from New York to Los Angeles that later was the topic of several movies with Burt Reynolds

• A Far Side cartoon from 1982 (reprinted in Sherr's book) shows Columbus nearing land, with his crew of conquistador types, and saying, "Look, gentlemen! Purple mountains! Spacious skies! Fruited plains! ... Is someone writing this down?"

• In one of his comedy club routines in the early 1960s, Flip Wilson did a Columbus story with an African-American twist... ironically, the catchphrase repeated by Queen Isabel (an early "Geraldine") is "Chris gon' find Ray Charles!" When his Columbus sees land, he comments, "It's America, all right... just look at those spacious skies... those amber waves of grain... dig that purple mountain's majesty... I'll bet there's fruit out there on the plain!"

• In his satirical, musical record album, The United States of America, Volume 1, Stan Freberg plays Columbus, Jesse White plays a skeptical King Ferdinand, and Colleen Collins does Queen Isabella (mimicking Tallulah Bankhead), resulting in this bit of dialogue: [3]

Ferdinand: Look at him in that hat! Is that a crazy sailor?

Isabella: Crazy? I'll tell you how crazy! He's a man with a dream, a vision, a vision of a new world, whose alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears, with purple mountain majesties above the Two Cents Plain . . .

Ferdinand and Columbus: Fruited!

Isabella: Fruited.

• Mel Brooks, on a talk show, once did an impression of how Frank Sinatra might sing the song, complete with tuxedo, black hat and coat, and cigarette, leaning up against a bar, and rendering the song in "lounge style".

• George Carlin performed a satirical version around 1970, when environmental issues were becoming a hot political topic: [4]

Oh beautiful, for smoggy skies, insecticided grain

For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain.

America, America, man sheds his waste on thee

And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea!

• Westboro Baptist Church created an animated video that parodies "America the Beautiful." [5]

• The Chicago-based death metal band Master recorded a parody of "America the Beautiful" on their 1991 album On the Seventh Day God Created...Master but instead called it "America the Pitiful".

• Neil Young recorded a (presumably non-ironic) version for his 2006 folk-rock protest album "Living with War" which criticizes the Bush Administration.

(from Wikipe

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