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Sts. Joseph & Paul Catholic Church |
Homily Archives | |
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Peace Service It has been 1,826 days since September 11, 2001, and the world has changed forever. From the Word Trade Center site in New York City, to the Pentagon in Washington D.C., to a country field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, we remember the lives that have been lost. In our call for peace, we remember a war and the loss of lives that began in Afghanistan and spread to Iraq. In these days, our vocabulary expanded to include such terms as “terrorist cells,” “homeland security,” “terrorist threat levels,” “homemade bombs,” and “security checkpoints.” Over these days, more lives have been lost as people vacationed and commuted in Britain, Spain and India. The need
for peace has grown in these many days to include the countries of
Lebanon, Israel and Iran, where we see conflict and polarizing tension.
These many days have also seen armed conflict in North Korea, Darfur in
Africa, Haiti, and a struggle that continues with guerilla warfare and
government extremists in Central America. Listen to these words spoken by some great peacemakers: · “If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed – but hate these things inside yourself, not in another.” – Gandhi · “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” – St. Francis of Assisi · “First keep peace within yourself; then you can also bring peace to others.” – Thomas `a Kempis · “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Jesus The early preacher and evangelist, Paul, knew the horror of conflict and the need for peace between people, and he diligently worked to continue the mission of Jesus, to be a peacemaker. St. Paul helped the Ephesians see that if they were going to call themselves Christians, they must abandon certain vices. He called them to put down all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, and malice. Instead he said, “take up being kind to one another, compassionate and forgiving one another.” Emphatically, he said, “do not worry about grieving the Holy Spirit on the day of your redemption if you do not put down and take up these things.” As Christians, we are called to take up these virtues of kindness, compassion and forgiveness, which Jesus left us. The more we practice putting down our vices and picking our virtues, the stronger our ability to keep peace within ourselves will become. In time, this practice will also help us grow into the ability to stand more confidently with Jesus to bring peace and forgiveness to others; in time, this practice will make us peacemakers. One such peacemaker was found on the morning of September 11, 2001. Monique Ferrer was at home, getting ready to take her daughter to the doctor that morning. At 9:04 a.m. the phone rang; it was her divorced husband, Michael Trinidad, calling. Michael Trinidad worked on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center, the North Tower. She and Michael met when they were 14 years old. They went to school, in the same class together. They married at the age of 19. They were both kids, who didn’t know what the future held for them. They divorced, and, in time, Monique remarried. Monique’s marriage to Michael produced two girls, and, recently, Michael had confided a secret to his daughters -- he still loved their mom. When Michael called that morning, the first thing he said was, “I am calling to say good-bye.” Monique responded by saying, “Where are you going? On vacation or something?” “I am on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center, and a plane just hit the building. I want to tell you that I love the children and that I will always love you.” “I know,” she said, tearing up, “the kids told me.” Monique asked her husband to get on the phone. She thought he could talk Michael into finding an exit to get out of the building. When her husband got on the phone, Michael asked him to be his children’s father. Monique’s husband told Michael, “You are going to come home. You are going to be your children’s dad. You are going to be OK.” Monique’s daughter, kept at home because she was sick, saw her mother become a bit hysterical. Monique remembers, “I did not know whether I should put her on the phone or not. I did not know how she would react. Michael thought she was at school. He did not know that she was at home sick.” “It just really breaks my heart that he is not here for them,” she said. The only thing on his mind that day was to tell the kids that he loved them. I tell the kids that every day. Every day I tell them, ‘your dad loved you.’” Monique concluded by saying, “my two kids look just like him. They talk like him. They joke like him. It is like he’s here – I see him every day. As much as he used to drive me crazy, he was my family and my best friend.” Many days have passed since that September day five years ago. Around the globe, many lives have been lost, many families and many communities have been changed forever. The only way our world will ever change for the good of every-living-being is by bringing God into our individual, everyday lives. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your mind and with all of your soul.” Then he said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” One person, one family, one church, one town, one millionaire, one nation, one government alone will never be able to make the difference that needs to be made in our world. We must make the difference together; we must make the difference as neighbors in the peace of Christ, by being at peace with ourselves and by being peacemakers.
sdrose@bellsouth.net |
