"Let my people go"
This quote from the book of Exodus was often used within the Civil Rights movement and is even within the lyrics of the song "Go Down Moses" (sung by Louie Armstrong and many others.) The quotation gives a sense of God wanting us to have freedom from opression in order that we might do whatsoever we want.
But the quote is incomplete. It actually reads:
"Let my people go so that
they can worship me."
Exodus 8:1, 9:1 & 9:13
Understanding this in context, we see that the very essense of freedom is our ability to worship. In the case of those whom Moses led out of Egypt, God then explained that the way in which God was to be worshiped was in following the Ten Commandments and the ways we relate to one another.
Today the ways that we worship God certainly includes Mass and Adoration and prayer. It also includes the "Liturgy of Charity" that begins at the end of Mass as the deacon (or priest) announces,
"Go in peace, glorifying
the Lord by your life."
It is within this Liturgy of Charity that our faith demands that we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned. That worship extends to how we treat all of those around us. Matthew 25:31-46
President Obama's administration has put out a mandate that would forbid organizations from following the Catholic faith if they worship God by, for example, feeding the hungry and caring for the sick.
Friday there is a Rally for Religious Freedom from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the U.S. District Court, 111 S. 18th Plaza in Omaha. You can park at St. Peter Church and which will shuttle people between the church and the rally from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
We thank everyone who participate in the last rally.
If you tweet about the rally, be sure
to use the hashtag: #Standuprally.
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