SUBJECT: LIFE -- Lest We Forget . . .
Where were you, September 11th, 2001?
Blessings,
Papa Z.
I was on an airplane, headed for the East Coast. I had been sent to Baltimore on a recruiting trip for the Marquette University Graduate School. The flight was routed from Milwaukee to Baltimore via Cincinnati, and it was while we were getting off the plane in Cincinnati that it was announced that there had been a hijacking in New York, and that we would be "temporarily delayed". Needless to say, I stayed in Cincinnati -- and there was no recruiting trip. I saw one of the Towers fall from a lounge in the Cincinnati airport.
I offer the following prayer. It was the prayer given by Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his visit to Ground Zero last year.
Blessings,
Papa Z.
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.
Labels: Christian Unity, Politics, Tragedy
posted by David Zampino | 9:05 AM
2 Comments:
I was up nursing our daughter, while my son and husband slept the morning away. I happened to be watching the news (there weren't too many options at that time without cable), so I think it was Regis and whoever it was that day. Suddenly they start talking about one of the towers being hit, and then start showing the scene, when another plane hit the other building. So I got to see it live on tv. Of course I woke my husband up (who had worked late the night before), and told him we were under attack. I've never seen him jump out of bed quite so quickly. We just stared at the tv for the rest of the day until he had to go to work, and it was a very memorable day. I also remember being very worried about you, Fr. Dave, knowing that you were somewhere in that vicinity at the time, and wondering if you were going to make it back alright, or if you'd been caught up in it somehow.
Hi Shana,
It was a bit nerve-wracking for me! I was scheduled to change planes in Cincinnati anyhow, and when we got off the plane, we were told that there would be a brief delay. Then, all flights were delayed "an hour". Then all flights were postponed indefinitely. Then, the airport personnel started unloading luggage -- everywhere. It took me an hour to find my bag. I also found the airport chaplain, and offered my help in any way. Then, it was literally a run for the hotel courtesy phones. I wound up in the Raddison (I'm sure Marquette enjoyed paying for that -- but that was my option!)
I was able to get out via AmTrak two days later (at midnight!) The train ride was very long and oft delayed -- and they ran out of food and coffee!
I remember when we originally thought that the death toll would be upwards of 20,000 people. The fact that so many were actually able to get out of the building was, to my mind, a miracle, in and of itself.
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