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Our
readings challenge us to reflect deeply today upon how we respond to
the presence of evil in our world, and in particular, God’s call to
extend to others the same forgiveness and mercy that God has
extended to all of us.
Ten years ago, the horrific scenes on 9/11 led most of us to
contemplate the power of evil, human suffering, and senseless murder
of a magnitude that most of us had never previously witnessed. That
caused some of us to wonder where God was in the midst of such
devastation and destruction?
Yet, if we reflect deeply and carefully upon that question, it revealed in
retrospect a certain blindness, for the question caused many of us
to overlook—even
if only momentarily—the
presence of God that was revealed in the ability of ordinary human beings
like you and me to
manifest heroic love and the height of human sacrifice that so many
people—I’m
thinking of
the
first responders, in particular—willingly made on behalf of others,
most of whom they had never met. I’d supposed all of them quite
likely would say today if they could, “I was just doing my job.” Yet, the
simple truth for people of faith is that these women and men were
revealing something else about their character, of who they really
were, and what really motivated them: their love of God expressed through their love of neighbor.
They didn’t
“think about” or “calculate the positives and negatives”; no, they
responded immediately from their hearts.
Let us also not
forget, as a friend reminded me in an email,
all
of the police, fire, and ordinary citizens from all over the country
who also responded from their hearts to the attack upon the World
Trade Centers by traveling to Ground Zero to offer whatever
assistance they could. Volunteers, family members of those
lost, fire, and police from all over the country and two guys from
Texas who arrived the evening of 9/13. They drove a refrigerated
tractor trailer towing a huge barbecue pit and began grilling steaks
for all the rescue workers. There were so many people
volunteering from all over the country that it became a logistical
challenge to organize everyone and the resources.
The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, the
Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the carnage in Shanksville,
Pennsylvania, were not just attacks on our nation, our Judaeo-Christian
heritage, our capitalist economy, or Western civilization. I think
Pope John Paul II put it just right when he labeled the 9/11 attacks
“crimes against humanity.”
Ten years later and despite what Jesus teaches in today’s gospel and
the clear teaching of the Church as well, many people continue to be
caught up in anger and outrage in reaction to the violent crimes
they witnessed on 9/11. Their gut-level emotions still cry out for
vengeance. But, Jesus reminds those who are caught up in these
feelings that they must develop two new attitudes—to
“change their minds,” metanoia—if they are to be disciples,
that is,
citizens of the City of God.
The first attitude is how we define the word “enemy.”
In the war
against terror, it is extremely difficult to define precisely who
the enemy is and, as Catholics, we must carefully avoid
allowing our nation’s “war against terrorism”—what
is an
ideology—to
become a “war against others”—human
beings who don’t share that ideology but happen to live where those who do
share that ideology control the local government.
Why?
A society whose members live in fear and mistrust of others will
never be a peaceful society, but one whose citizens eventually will
be overpowered by their fears. We know this from our own
experience: what we fear oftentimes becomes and, then, defines our reality.
Our
objective as Catholics is to live not in fear but in peace both with
ourselves and others. We achieve this objective as we
destroy the power of the idea of terror as a principal means to
advance the objective of peace. That requires some very
creative, if not divinely inspired thinking.
The second attitude is how we define the word “victory.”
In the war
against terror, victory will be achieved when the rule of law and
peaceful co-existence are re-established. Our nation has a long,
proud, and remarkable history in this regard. Think of all those
who at one time were our nation’s most bitter of “enemies” but today
are our nation’s “friends” and “closest allies”: the British, the
Germans, and the Japanese. May our prayer be that this vision one
day will also be true of the people of Viet Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan,
and yes, Iran.
Defining “victory” as the rule of law and peaceful
co-existence reminds us, as Catholics, that our important role in the “war against
terror” involves fostering forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation
among those who are estranged, building up relationships of mutual
trust, and breaking down the barriers that divide people.
It’s so very easy to talk about the effects of terrorism, the destruction it
has caused, and those who have perpetrated it. But, as
Catholics, all of that talk is not sufficient because we do a
disservice to those who died on 9/11 and in the ensuing war on
terror if we fail to search out the causes. From a spiritual
perspective, the single, common denominator uniting all of the
political, economic, social, religious, and cultural factors that
bred 9/11 is hate, a hate that transcends any people, country,
region, or hemisphere. It is the hatred of humanity. But,
what we
oftentimes overlook is the lesson of history in this regard: the
hatred of humanity ultimately destroys the one as well as those who hate.
During Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Ground Zero three years ago, he
prayed:
O God
of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We
ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.
We
ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those who,
because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our
hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God
of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
Peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God
of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.
On
the first anniversary of 9/11, Pope John Paul II said: “No situation
of injustice, no feeling of frustration, no philosophy or religion
can justify such an aberration. Every person has the right to
respect for life itself and dignity, which are inviolable goods. God
says it, international law sanctions it, the human conscience
proclaims it, civil co-existence requires it.”
As
we commemorate this tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks
in New York, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, it is a
time for remembrance, resolve and renewal.
As
Catholics, we remember those who have died as a result of the
ideology of terrorism, both in the homeland and abroad.
As
Catholics, our
resolve includes refraining from blaming the actions of the few on
the many. It also includes insisting that our legitimate security
needs be reconciled with our immigrant heritage without compromising
either one.
As
Catholics, we are renewed in hope as we contemplate the love of God and
neighbor that was demonstrated by those first responders as well as
by all of those
men
and women who served in our nation’s Armed Forces and their families
who
have sacrificed so much to take up the war against the ideology of
terrorism.
On
this tenth anniversary of 9/11, let our resolve, as Catholics, be the spirit of
today’s
gospel:
to
bring
a responsible and just end to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
May our love of God and neighbor help us to live in peace both with
ourselves and others, especially those who today are our enemies.
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HOMILY
