Happy 4th of July!
Yes, happy 4th of July! According to the calendar of the Church, July 4th’s real significance is that it is the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (1271-1336), a patron Saint of peacemakers.
The sad fact, however, is that if you were to attend Mass on this day, the chances of your priest mentioning this feast are slim to none. Instead, you are likely to participate in a Eucharist which has been transformed into a syncretistic ritual of american civil religion. Thank God that, despite the sectarian tendencies of the american Church, the transnational Church calls us Catholics to be a peculiar people who mark time differently than the rest of the world, and the rest of our nation.
St. Elizabeth, pray for us, that we american Catholics may truly take our place in the one, transnational Body of Christ that resists the dismemberment caused by our tendency to cling to national allegiances. And on the day that the rest of the united states celebrates its foundational myth of violence and the sacrifices of soldiering which parody the Cross, let us be ever more formed by the words of Jesus in the Gospel reading for July 4th: “Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Note: It’s amusing to me how the commenters at Vox Nova prove the things I say about american Catholics through the defensive comments they make about this post there. And they can’t even see it.
Let me also take this opportunity to challenge priests in america to make Friday’s liturgy a celebration of St. Elizabeth rather than of St. Thomas Jefferson. Trash that canned patriotic homily and preach peace. I lovingly dare you.
Hi and God Bless. It may seem apropos of nothing, but I fully agree with you regarding the State, War, and I’m an anarcho-communist too….What may strike you is that I’m also what you might call a ‘Feeneyite’ traditional Roman Catholic as well. I can’t help it, I see Fr. Leonard Feeney and Dorothy Day as Saints and as threats to the American Establishment of their day. Anyway I like your work even if I only agree maybe 85%, maybe more :) Happy st. Elizabeth of portugal day!
Heh. When you post things like this, its fun to see the response (although sad as well). Like poking a nest of …. flys? with a stick. Certainly some flying insect without stingers. God bless the world and God help us to realize which blessings are from him, and which “blessings” we assume are from God, but really of our own violent making.
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, greetings.
I read the Vox Nova comments, and it greatly saddened me.
I am a marine corps vet (1977-1981) and a Conscientious Objector.
As a Mennonite I do not generally follow the saints, but living and working in Texas, I am exposed to them daily through my interactions with the mexican population.
Another saint that is sadly ignored is St Martin of Tours (anglo), or San Martin de Caballero (mexican). His day is, ironically is November 11. He is more remembered for his work in Tours (anglo) or for helping the poor (mexican), not his refusal to bear arms for the roman empire.
Vaya con Dios,
Micheal