Of Flags and Crosses

This evening I was at an 8th grade celebration (apparently 8th grade is not important enough for a 'graduation' but still needs a celebration) and it opened with one of the students singing the National Anthem. As one the audience rose, hats were removed, hands were placed over hearts, and all eyes turned to the Flag on the back wall.

As I watched this, I thought back to something I recently heard from Jimmy Akin, that when society does away with religion, they replace it with something secular. In this case, the flag replaces the cross.

The church I attend does not have kneelers (originally the building was only a Neumann center and after it became a church it was still used for multiple purposes and thus does not have pews) and so most of the parishioners do not kneel. It is not that they are unable to kneel (the parish is mostly younger), but through various means it has become standard not to kneel, but rather bow whenever the priest genuflects.

What saddens me is that the audience at the celebration was showing more reverence to the American flag then most of my fellow parishioners show to the Body and Blood of our Lord. In 1146 St. Bernard preached a sermon in France so empassioned that everyone was chanting "The Cross! The Cross!" If one could have such passion for the Cross, imagine the passion for our Blessed Savior.

Imagine a single parish that had the passion that the average American has for the flag, and that parish could change the world. Will change the world.