July 4, 2008 Friday: Independence Day (A)
If I were to ask you to describe what Independence Day is about in less than two words, what would they be? I would say freedom and independence. The question is freedom and independence from what? If we are freed or made independent from something, what are we now free to embrace? To make sense of these heady concepts, I’m going to use a high school graduate?a freshman in college--who just moved into LSU dormitory as an analogy. This freshman while he was in high school was under his parents’ house rules: curfew at 10 PM, no alcohol, achieve at least B+ grade point average, call parents and let them know where you are. Does this mean that this new LSU freshman is freed from all these rules and regulations? There are two ways to see this. These rules may be viewed as oppressive and unnecessary. Then the day you arrived at LSU was the Independence Day from parents and their rules. But another perspective is that these rules were tools to form you, to help you discipline yourself to be the best person that you can be; they are like training wheels on a bicycle. So the day you no longer need the training wheels, is the day that you have made these rules part of who you are. In the six years of my seminary formation, I was disciplined to pray at least two hours, to attend daily mass, to study scripture and theology, and to serve others. Would you want a newly ordained priest to do away with all these self-disciplines once he graduates the seminary? No. You want to see a priest who freely embraces prayer, study of the scripture, and holiness.
Likewise, if we have graduated from our high school religion classes or our confirmation class, it does not mean that we do away with all the spiritual disciplines we were taught in those classes. Whether we just got confirmed or were confirmed 20 years ago, our responsibilities remain the same. In the Book of Revelation we hear angels and saints sing the following song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9) St. Paul tells the Corinthians, “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:20). Our freedom and independence were won at a great price. On our Declaration of Independence--that is our day of baptism--we have declared that we would live a holy life worthy of newly born sons and daughters of God the Father.
Likewise, if we have graduated from our high school religion classes or our confirmation class, it does not mean that we do away with all the spiritual disciplines we were taught in those classes. Whether we just got confirmed or were confirmed 20 years ago, our responsibilities remain the same. In the Book of Revelation we hear angels and saints sing the following song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9) St. Paul tells the Corinthians, “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:20). Our freedom and independence were won at a great price. On our Declaration of Independence--that is our day of baptism--we have declared that we would live a holy life worthy of newly born sons and daughters of God the Father.
