The 10th year anniversary of 9-11-01 is about over. Tonight I am passing on the matchup of the Jets and Cowboys to watch documentaries related to that fateful day. It is sometimes very hard to watch and it is always very sad to hear survivors and loved ones share their pain and loss with us through the lens of a camera. I watched what I could this morning of the memorial from New York. Despite the foolish ban of clergy from the memorial I was happy to hear President Obama recite Psalm 46 and President Bush reading from Abraham Lincoln about faith and prayer.
In churches all across America today there were prayers and rememberances. In our church, as in all churches across the Archdiocese of New Orleans we rang bells and observed 2 minutes of silence. Poignant yes; but it just did not seem like enough.
Of course the Church and the good Lord have a way of working things out as we listened to that beautiful Gospel about forgiveness. This is a hard yet necessary lesson and Jesus reminds us to forgive always and expect his Heavenly Father's forgiveness if we indeed practice forgiveness. Many of us; especially those who are closer to the tragedy, may understandably struggle with forgiveness for those who hate us so. The terrorists hate us so that with great joy and detailed planning, and in their perverted way of thinking, in the name of their god, they truly wanted to injure and kill us. Yet Jesus reminds us to forgive. Many have; and others are working on forgiveness.
May today's Gospel be a poignant reminder for us; and may I suggest, our prayerful reflection in the week ahead to help us with our strugggles with forgiveness.
As we move on from 9-11-11 to 9-12-11 may we continue to pray for one another, may we live as God challenges us to live in word and deed and may we be aware of our own efforts to practice charity: forgiveness and mercy!
And may God continue to bless America and may we, Americans of good faith, remember to bless God!
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