Our parishioners traveled to NYC yesterday to visit the 911 Museum. Today, the discussions upon their return have been touching and sad. We can and should never forget this horrific tragedy.
Life goes on and many of the children of those who died on September 11, 2001 are adults now. Some widows and widowers from this devastating day are remarried. Many deep wounds are healed and some are still in need of healing. First responders and others in the City that day are now experiencing serious health issues from breathing in the heavy air filled with dust, ashes and debris at the site. Though life goes on, we can never forget the cost and the anguish of this day.
We said we will never forget. Many of us had our Flag on our cars, in our home windows and on our lapels. The upside of this day was that we were united in our grief and shock. We were united in patriotism and anger that such an evil deed could be thrust upon us. We said that we would never let this happen again.
Are we still as united today? Or are we distracted by some of the "issues" that are far less important? I don't have an answer for this, but I think it may be good for us to revisit the gifts that we have been given, personally and as a nation. We can take so much for granted and we can find so much wrong in a country that has so much right in it.
We are saturated with political talks and commentaries by political parties as we anticipate the 2016 Presidential Election. I am trying to find substance in what the various parties present to us. What does it mean to "make America great again"? How are we called to alleviate poverty in and beyond our own country? How will we do this is a purely just way? Have we lost our sense of respect for each other? Do we realize that we are more and more becoming a violent nation? Why do we elect representatives that do not address these and other issues? Are we proud that some are trying to eliminate God from our land? Has money become the only value to govern our decisions? We all raise these and other questions in our circles of family and friends, but do we take the next step?
If the souls of those who died on 9/11/11 could speak to us today, they might remind us of the great nation we do have. They also might challenge us to honor them with our efforts to change the things that make us weak, selfish and Godless. Remember how so many of them made calls to loved ones as they knew their death was so near? Remember how they taught us how precious people are in our lives and how we should not let a day go by without letting people know what they mean to us?
Remember when we said that we will always remember these lessons?
Todd Beamer's cry of "Let's Roll!" should be our cry now. Let's do something, no matter what the cost to ourselves. Let's demand that our TV and Hollywood movies eliminate violence and immorality in their programming. Let's reinstate philosophy in our schools and colleges so our children grow up with the ability to discern right from wrong and can identify and reject the dangerous ideologies that threaten the noble ways of living which our country has always held sacred. Let's regulate the ways we reward those who educate our young or care for our sick. Does it not seem incongruous when a sports hero or movie star earns a mega-million salary and out teachers and nurses continue to be overworked and underpaid? We cannot have it both ways. We either choose values, or we let our country continue to slide.
If we truly remember 9/11, then yes, "Let's Roll!"
Life goes on and many of the children of those who died on September 11, 2001 are adults now. Some widows and widowers from this devastating day are remarried. Many deep wounds are healed and some are still in need of healing. First responders and others in the City that day are now experiencing serious health issues from breathing in the heavy air filled with dust, ashes and debris at the site. Though life goes on, we can never forget the cost and the anguish of this day.
We said we will never forget. Many of us had our Flag on our cars, in our home windows and on our lapels. The upside of this day was that we were united in our grief and shock. We were united in patriotism and anger that such an evil deed could be thrust upon us. We said that we would never let this happen again.
Are we still as united today? Or are we distracted by some of the "issues" that are far less important? I don't have an answer for this, but I think it may be good for us to revisit the gifts that we have been given, personally and as a nation. We can take so much for granted and we can find so much wrong in a country that has so much right in it.
We are saturated with political talks and commentaries by political parties as we anticipate the 2016 Presidential Election. I am trying to find substance in what the various parties present to us. What does it mean to "make America great again"? How are we called to alleviate poverty in and beyond our own country? How will we do this is a purely just way? Have we lost our sense of respect for each other? Do we realize that we are more and more becoming a violent nation? Why do we elect representatives that do not address these and other issues? Are we proud that some are trying to eliminate God from our land? Has money become the only value to govern our decisions? We all raise these and other questions in our circles of family and friends, but do we take the next step?
If the souls of those who died on 9/11/11 could speak to us today, they might remind us of the great nation we do have. They also might challenge us to honor them with our efforts to change the things that make us weak, selfish and Godless. Remember how so many of them made calls to loved ones as they knew their death was so near? Remember how they taught us how precious people are in our lives and how we should not let a day go by without letting people know what they mean to us?
Remember when we said that we will always remember these lessons?
Todd Beamer's cry of "Let's Roll!" should be our cry now. Let's do something, no matter what the cost to ourselves. Let's demand that our TV and Hollywood movies eliminate violence and immorality in their programming. Let's reinstate philosophy in our schools and colleges so our children grow up with the ability to discern right from wrong and can identify and reject the dangerous ideologies that threaten the noble ways of living which our country has always held sacred. Let's regulate the ways we reward those who educate our young or care for our sick. Does it not seem incongruous when a sports hero or movie star earns a mega-million salary and out teachers and nurses continue to be overworked and underpaid? We cannot have it both ways. We either choose values, or we let our country continue to slide.
If we truly remember 9/11, then yes, "Let's Roll!"
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