9-11 ten years later

Not only was the 10th anniversary of the tragedies of 9-11-2001 an historic place in time, but the fact that it was on a Sunday was important.  Falling on a weekend meant that more people were free to observe this anniversary without having to take time off from work or school.  And being the 'Lord's Day' meant that more people would gather in their places of worship to commemorate this date.  As a pastor, it gave me an opportunity to lead a greater number of people in reflecting on where we've been, where we are today, and perhaps where we should be heading.

My homily yesterday shared my thoughts that the reading our church selected for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, to be read at Catholic Mass everywhere in the world, were the perfect readings for such a remembrance.  They spoke about forgiveness, the need to forgive, and the healing that comes from unconditional forgiveness, the same forgiveness we receive from Jesus himself.  When we allow feelings of anger and hatred to fester, we perpetuate the very behavior we are lashing out against.  And years turn into decades which turn into centuries, and nothing positive is accomplished.  In fact, even after the initial events are long forgotten, the feelings are still passed on from generation to generation. 

I look to many of the countries in the Middle East, whose anger and hatred for neighbors goes back to stories in the Old Testament.  I remember watching, a few years back, a newscast in which a young father and his son were caught in a crossfire in his hometown, somewhere in the Middle East.  As we watched, the son was hit by several bullets and died in his father's arms.    And I suddenly understood how many centuries of such incidents coud lead to the current unrest we know in that part of the world.  If that were my son, would I be able to forgive?  It's easy for me to answer from where I sit right now.  But, what would I do if I were not here at my computer, but rather on that street, holding my dead son?

And yet, someone has to take the first step.  Otherwise peace will never become a reality.

Last evening I participated in 'Southington Remembers 9-11'.  People of many different faiths came together to remember those who lost their lives ten years ago, and those who still try to put their lives together having lost someone near and dear in 2001.  It was a wonderful feeling to be shoulder to shoulder with clergy from other Christian churches, siekhs, rabbis and others to unite our voices in prayer to the same God, asking for the same thing - peace in our hearts, in our community, in our world.  May we never stop working to achieve that end, especially in the everyday events of our individual lives.