Independence Day, 2023

Lectionary: 378

They came and woke him, saying,
"Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"

Woke seems to mean different things to different parties, and depends much upon which party, if any, you endorse. When the Lord awoke his disciples apprised him of the dire situation, and he acted precipitously to alleve their distress. Do you suppose he was woke?  

Concerns about woke seem driven by fear of those who are aware of threats and dangers in our culture. But that would include everyone so everyone is suspect, and those who fear the awakened must live in continual dread. 

And fear arouses anger which leads to aggression and violence. As Saint Mark tells the story, the frightened disciples rudely demanded of Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Frightened Americans buy guns and support expensive security systems to defend against all enemies, real and imagined. Frightened Americans kill people, and call it stand your ground. 

The Lord chides us, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?" 

He reminds us that fear is a choice. While the initial reaction to danger may be fear, we need not stay in that helpless, mindless place. The Lord is with his faithful people and they move from fear to assurance. Nothing will happen today that the Lord cannot handle. 

Nor need they arm themselves, as the psalmist knew, 

Unless the LORD guard the city,

in vain does the guard keep watch. Psalm 127

The faithful speak often of the mighty works of God. The expression might have been used of Sarah's pregnancy with Isaac, but it became our common parlance after the rending of the Red Sea, the defeat of Pharaoh and his army, and the sojourn in the wilderness. The Lord provided mightily for his beloved people despite their continual fears and frequent complaints. 

Christians, witnesses of Jesus's triumph over sin and death, who attend the Mass often and receive the gifts of his own body and blood, continually remember the mighty works of God. Those preceding his miraculous birth of a virgin were completely eclipsed by his Resurrection and Ascension to God's right hand, and then by the constant witness of fearless saints and martyrs to this very day. 

Immersed in these memories, we confidently face the future. Our waking is not fearful; it is clear-eyed, realistic, and compassionate. We understand fear and are not its servants. 

I recently learned the story of Father Emil Kapaun, and I recommend it to anyone. An army chaplain during the Korean conflict, he was captured and accompanied his fellow soldiers to the POW camp. He continued to offer the sacraments to his Catholic comrades and courage to his fellow prisoners. Despite his own needs, he shared his sparse rations with the hungry and dying. He maintained a joyful spirit throughout his long ordeal, and finally succumbed to starvation in the camp. Seventy years later, his remains were discovered and returned to his home in Kansas. 

Independence Day reminds us that courageous people participate with ballots, while the craven prefer bullets. We have seen Mighty Works more spectacular than this evening's fireworks, and infinitely more reassuring.