Homily From The July 4 Cluster Mass
Editor’s note: This is the complete text of Father Alex Zenthoefer’s homily for the July 4 cluster Mass celebrated by Annunciation of the Lord and Holy Rosary parishes in Evansville. Annunciation’s Holy spirit Church hosted the Mass.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. This announcement of the Prophet Isaiah was undoubtedly the vision seen by our Founding Fathers as they sought to be liberated from tyranny and oppression. In many ways our nation is an expression of that human cry for freedom and it rises up in our hearts when we feel it being threatened or compromised.
The United States has been a place of hope, a place of promise and a place of new opportunities. We are abundantly blessed in this land by God and by those who have given their lives to defend it. And yet there are many who do not experience hope and promise and opportunity in our land. There are many who sleep under our spacious skies that feel only the burden of life and the pain of loneliness.
What good are those amber waves of grain if they do not become bread for those who hunger?
What good is the majesty of our purple mountains if shame and sorrow prevent our brothers and sisters from raising their eyes to see them?
What good are those fruited plains if our lives do not generate the same kind of nourishment for others?
What good is the freedom that we enjoy in this country if it does not strengthen in us a desire to dream of a world without hatred and division and violence? We are called to be the soul of this nation which would otherwise get lost in political pursuits and economic strategies. Our presence, a presence of joy and peace and hope, our presence reminds our fellow citizens and those who seek refuge here that the greatness of this nation lies in the fidelity of its people to the God who has filled us with such great gifts.
Our nation needs us. It may not want us. It may reject our ideals and resist our beliefs, but it needs us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us. This nation needs us to strive for the perfection of the Father. Let’s make this holiday and annual event for us to recommit ourselves to being the soul of our nation, bringing hope and peace to all those who live in this great country, and all those who desire to live here and make it their home.
This is not a day for us to celebrate the fact that we can do whatever we want. This is a day for us to celebrate that God has chosen us as his people. This nation needs us; it needs us to live well, and to be faithful to the people that God has called us to be.
Today, let’s celebrate especially our freedom from sin, and our freedom to love and worship God, and to give ourselves for the sake of our brothers and sisters.
