The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
Fourth of July celebrations and rituals in the United States have long struck me as liturgical: an opening hymn, professions of allegiance, processions in the street, the veneration of martyrs and forefathers, even sprinkling rites and the hazy incense of fireworks. Patriotic language often carries religious undertones, and American fervor is never in short supply.
The goal of pointing out these liturgical elements of our national celebrations is not to make anyone feel guilty about enjoying parades and fireworks or to shame anyone for having gratitude for predecessors and pride for their country. These are legitimate practices. It’s simply a reminder that our nation is not God; it’s one nation (among many) under God.
The mission of Ezekiel and many of the prophets was to declare a similar message to the people of Israel who, in their long history, encountered and lived among various peoples and nations. Adopting the practices of the surrounding culture and worshipping things other than God was a common temptation for Israel, and it’s a common temptation for us too.
The Psalmist today proclaims, “Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.” One of the practices Jews adopted to keep their eyes fixed on the Lord is to pray the Shema, the prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 that begins, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” This prayer is so important to Jews that they make small copies of the prayer and affix them to the doorposts in their homes. Although small, the mezuzah reminds Jewish families to keep the Lord ever in their sight, at their coming and their going, their resting and their rising.
Today, as we navigate the grills and games, the streamers and sparklers, God sends us like Ezekiel to carry his name among the people and to boast, not of earthly powers and political triumphs, but of the Lord our God, who is Lord alone.