United We Stand
As the events in Egypt continue to unfold, I am reminded of the motto “United We Stand.”
This phrase was attributed originally to Aesop and then to 18th century American politician John Dickinson in his Revolutionary War tune, “The Liberty Song.” It was also used by orator and founding father Patrick Henry in his last public speech. The concept is simple: standing together in unity, a community (or in the case of Egypt, a nation) is more likely to withstand opposition or oppression. In other words, standing together is powerful!
I think of the times we stand together: when someone of rank walks in the room as a sign of respect, when singing the National Anthem as a sign of unity, at the end of a performance as a sign of joy and to express our approval.
I reflect on the times we stand together at Mass: at the opening song to gather our voices into one, at the proclamation of the Gospel as a sign of respect and joy in the good news, during the creed to proclaim what we believe, at the distribution of communion to mark our solidarity with one another, and at the end to be sent forth with God’s blessing.
If you’ve ever traveled abroad, you have discovered that many churches do not have kneelers, giving credence to the words in the Eucharistic Prayer: “We thank you for counting us worthy to STAND in your presence and serve you.” Standing during the liturgy has traditionally been a sign of joy in the resurrection. In fact, in the early Church it was forbidden to kneel during the 50 days of Easter, so overwhelming was the joy that the God-Man Jesus died and came back to life.
O Lord, may the joy and hope of the resurrection keep us standing in solidarity with all those oppressed and suffering here and abroad. AMEN.
