MULLING THINGS OVER 9/10/17

Our Gospel reading today reflects on reconciliation and prayer. It is a familiar Gospel passage that reminds us that we cannot simply write off another person because of one action. It tells us to take our friend aside and talk privately with them. If they are not sorry and willing to seek forgiveness then take two or three who might encourage that person. Have the Church pray for a conversion of heart. If all else fails, remember where two or three are gathered God is there with you. Monday is September 11th. It has been sixteen years since that attack on the Pentagon and the twin towers in New York City and the crash in Pennsylvania. Time goes by us quickly and so often we forget. There are many living today who cannot relate to this tragic event in the same way that we who were living on September 11, 2001. Most of us can remember exactly where we were when we heard the news of the first plane crash. We can remember finding a television screen to watch or a radio to listen to. With growing fear and many questions, we remained captivated by the happenings of that day. Even now certain feelings tingle through us when we retell the story. Something strange also happened that day there was a connectedness that we rarely experience in America. There was a surge of nationalism. There was a strengthening of the bonds binding us as Americans. We felt the need to look out for one another to protect one another and to help out however that could be done. As the days following the event dawned upon us, we were angry, felt the need to right a wrong (even if it involved violence). We prayed a lot! Somehow, it felt good to be together even though we were not sure if we were accomplishing anything. Flags unfurled, police, firefighters, medical personnel traveled to assist the first responders in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania. There was a certain pride felt when you said, “I was there, I saw it, I helped out.” The years have passed us by. A War in the Middle East continues. Many have died and violence has flourished. Terrorism is alive and well in our world of 2017. The terrorist is committed to undermining and unsettling the order of society in America. It is not done in a dramatic and heartstopping way like September 11th; it is subtle, violent, and moves around the world. Terrorism forces everyone to live in fear. Is my hometown next? Should I make this trip? Can I trust those responsible for my safety? Who can I rely on? Undermining all societies seem to be the goal of each terrorist group. And, we still thrive! We still live in the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world. We still are generous when natural or terroristic situations occur. We knock on the door and let our friends know we are there for them, what can we do? There is a spirit that unites us in time of tragedy and allows us to do the best we can in spite of overwhelming odds. The postSeptember 11th world may be suspicious, angry and doubting but we are not a people without a heart. Heeding the words of today’s Scripture, we try to identify the wrong, face it, correct it and move on. We may not have all the answers and we may not find everyone a friend; but, we do become agents of reconciliation and we remain people of prayer. It has been sixteen years and we still preach that we all are brothers and sisters in the human race. We acknowledge that we are children of a common God, who creates, nurtures, guides, and punishes. For many of us, we say that vindication comes from the Lord and not from us. And so, we pray. As we commemorate another September 11th, let us not only think back and remember. Let us not simply say it was so andso’s fault. Let us not become lost in questioning who is to blame so that we don’t take on our responsibility to make this world a better world. That is the ultimate goal of those who are serving us as First Responders or in the military. We need to face tragedy, deal with tragedy, and see that working together we can make this a better world for everyone. Parents and Grandparents think of their future generations and realize that we need to create a world that will survive in the decades to come. We realize that children’s and grandchildren’s destinies are in our hands. We all need to pray and do so in such a way that we are not simply asking God to miraculously change the course of human history; but, that he will make us instruments of that change and open to doing His Will. Americans have always dreamed of a bright destiny. We still do so. It may be a scarred world in which we live but, it is our world it has a destiny we all help create with the help of God!