In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620
May God bless all our ChicagoBoyz and -Girlz, our families, our readers and their families, our friends and our enemies (turn their hearts to righteousness, O Lord!), and an extra slice of God’s love to everyone cannot be with their family on Thanksgiving, or has no family to go to, and is noshing at home, or is on duty on land or sea, or is stuck somewhere, and may be noodling on the computer and see this … .
May God grant safe travels and happy reunions and kindness and all good things, great and small, including but not limited to turkeys not being overcooked, and the gravy coming out correctly, and nothing burnt, and everything on the table on schedule and looking and tasting good, and many willing and cheerful hands making light work of the cleanup afterward, and a nice walk in the dusk and the cold air after dinner.
Thank you Lord for this great country, still a “civil body politic” after almost 400 years, and thank you for all who took risks and made sacrifices to give us what we have. Please grant that we may we be worthy to keep it and preserve it and improve it and to pass it on even greater than it was given to us.
God bless America.
Amen.
Amen, and Amen…
That was beautiful. Don’t forget a little prayer for the Lions too, they are up against those mighty Patriots.
Very nice Lex, thanks for sharing this.
JB – good luck with that although surprisingly (to me) the line is only Detroit + 6.5.
This is how far we’ve come: a devout Catholic commemorates Separatists, and so far from causing consternation, everybody enjoys it. May 2400 be to 2010 as 2010 is to 1620.
Thanks, Lex!
Warm Thanks
Thank you Lord; thank you, original framers; thank you, my determined European ancestors for buying the ticket to freedom; and thank you, Chicago Boyz and participants for a stimulating and erudite site which leaves us all a little better for the reading.
if the EPA ha been around back then, the Pilgrims would never have been allowed off the boat until they provided an environmental impact statement which was acceptable. Obviously there would be a ban on introducing an flora or fauna that would upset the balance of nature.