“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”
- C. S. Lewis
As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, we gather as a nation and faith community here at St. Joseph on this unforgettable day to pray for God’s mercy, healing and forgiveness. There will be a prayer service of meditation and song on Sunday night at 7:00 PM in the church. We welcome everyone to this special event.
The Benedictines, Genevieve Glen and Tobias Colgan, wrote a beautiful poem, “Christ in the Rubble," about September 11:
O Christ, beneath the fallen stones
Nailed fast to twisted bars of steel,
And slain in flesh and blood and bones,
Pierced by the fear all mortals feel;
Arise from ash and dust and death,
And breathe into crushed hearts new Breath.
O Christ, within a world at war,
Where love and hate fight for the soul,
And all sights trained on death see far,
But only love can see the whole;
Arise from unforgiving pain,
And teach us how to love again.
I vividly remember that the day before this attack, September 10, my brother Dan, his wife Kelly and I were departing from LaGuardia Airport in New York City for Martha’s Vineyard. We were the only passengers on that USAirways flight so the pilot allowed us to stand up to see the Twin Towers. We could almost touch them with our hands. How mystified we were to see the next day these mammoth skyscrapers of the Big Apple reduced to a mere plume of smoke. Our days on that vacation were spent watching the coverage and untold reports of this dark day in our history. It was as if we were in exile or held hostage, since all flights for our return were in gridlock.
Our faith comes to our rescue in such times as our hearts cry out for God’s mercy. Our entire country was attacked on this day, and according to World News Report, 15,000 people are still feeling the effects in their physical health from the damage they suffered on that day.
We are grateful to St. Joseph parishioners, Lou and Sharon Cisar, who obtained the “9-11 Flag of Honor” bearing the names of all the victims who died in the Pentagon, Twin Towers and Shanksville. (Total number of victims: 2,977 — 246 on planes, 2,606 in the towers and ground, and 125 at the Pentagon.) This flag will be on display at our prayer service tonight.
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) said that the greatest error of the modern world was its loss of the sense of sin. And without a sense that we are sinners, why would we need a savior and redeemer? Therefore the Church finds herself needing to preach the “bad news” that we are sinners who do dark and evil deeds before people can understand the “Good News” that Christ has redeemed and saved us. Jesus calls us to work at fostering unity, peace and reconciliation in the world. When we obey God’s law of love, we take our part in God’s work of reconciling all humanity to God Himself. For over 2000 years of Church history and Church teaching, the foundation of Christianity has been to know that God loves us unconditionally -- Jesus died for our sins -- the Holy Spirit lives in us -- and Jesus is coming back to establish His Kingdom forever. Jesus is calling us to be agents of reconciliation by repairing the rifts in our own lives. No matter how difficult the task may seem, His grace is in superabundant supply.
Recently, on August 31, I was called to the emergency room at Ohio Valley General Hospital to see a 51 year old man, Thomas Bayer, who had a cardiac arrest. His wife of 30 years, Vicki, and their two daughters Jessica and Valerie, along with Tom’s siblings were there. His wife said, “When you say goodbye to your loved one in the morning, you never think it will be the last time.” On that day of sudden darkness and sadness, Vicki gleaned light from heaven recalling that just four days earlier, she and her husband went to the sacrament of reconciliation at Holy Trinity in Robinson. She said, “I know he was forgiven and ready to meet the Lord.” Tom had a career as a master chef for Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray and Quick Silver Golf Club in Washington, PA, and worked as a general manager at King’s Family Restaurant in Crafton. Tom and Vicki were well-known to me as they attended an Alpha Evangelization program when I served at St. Malachy’s in Kennedy Township.
In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review obituary, his wife was quoted, “Tom always had a knack for cooking. ... He considered it a privilege to serve his customers in both times of joy and sorrow. He was there to guide a family, whether they were planning a wedding or preparing for a funeral luncheon.“ Tom was a humble, holy and happy companion on the journey. How fitting that he had a candle in his hands in the casket as a sign of his Christian Baptism which enabled him to carry the light for the dawning of eternal life.
As the summer comes to a close, the Church encourages us to pursue the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, the traditional ways Christians express love and compassion:
Corporal Works of Mercy
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Visit the imprisoned
5. Shelter the homeless
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead
Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Counsel the doubtful
2. Instruct the ignorant
3. Admonish sinners
4. Comfort the afflicted
5. Forgive offenses
6. Bear wrongs patiently
7. Pray for the living and dead
