How To Save the World

I actually saw the title of this post in an online business magazine and must admit it got my attention. The author of the article, of course, doesn’t know what he’s taking about because neither you nor I can save the world. It’s already been saved by Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. Our task isn’t to save the world; rather, as St. Paul reminds us, it’s to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” [Phil 2:12]. And God doesn’t want us to be focused solely on our own salvation, for we are called to help others on their journey as well: “As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” [1 Peter 4:10]. Yes, indeed, God spreads His grace lavishly, but sometimes you and I need a wake-up call, a bit of encouragement from another, to respond to God’s gratuitous gift of grace [See Mk 2:3-5].

I expect these truths never crossed the author’s mind. I can’t be certain about this since I know nothing about him and really didn’t read the entire article but just glanced at some of the paragraph headings and caught a few of his thoughts. For example, among his world-saving ideas was the suggestion to “Call your local politician.” Why? Because “Most people won’t be able to save the world all by themselves. Politicians, on the other hand, can’t save the world without you. They need public support to drive home legislation that can make the world a better place.” As if legislation, too often the product of political compromise, lobbyist dollars, and ideological fervor, will lead to a better world. Not!

I’m sorry, but even with your help and my help, no politician can save the world. I’ve known more than a few politicians, some quite well, and only a tiny handful would have willingly sacrificed their political futures to “make the world a better place.” Not surprisingly, none of these considered politics a life-long career. The very fact that most politicians refer to their work as a “career in public service” tells us all we need to know. Most politicians are not unlike the heretics that have plagued the Church for 2,000 years. The heretic believes he is smarter and holier than the Church founded by Jesus Christ [See Mt 16:18-19]. In much the same way, the politician believes he is wiser and far more necessary than those who elected him to office. Of course, they are both wrong. St. Paul again reminds us that “if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” [Gal 6:3]. I hope, then, we can agree that our politicians cannot, with or without our assistance, save a world that’s already been redeemed. This knowledge is nothing new. As the Psalmist sings, reminding us:

Put not your faith in princes,

    in a son of man, in who, there is no help.

When his breath departs he returns to his earth;

    on that very day his plans perish [Ps 146:3-4].

I will, however, agree with the author that we can each do our part to “make the world a better place.” But for me that means to follow the Gospel, or as Jesus said when He began His public ministry, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel” [Mk 1:15]. We are called to repent of our sinfulness and called to faith. Salvation, you see, is God’s work, since only He can save. Each of us, though, has been placed in a tiny slice of God’s Creation — a place, a time, a community — in which we are called to evangelize. 

To me, this is the key. We must begin where we are, in our families, our community, our humanity. We are all children of a loving God, regardless of race or any other characteristic we humans decide separates us. We are all, every single one of us, in God’s family, children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. That’s the reason He became one of us, to show us the Father’s love for all whom He created. The humanity of Jesus should bring us together. We must all learn to rejoice in the very fact of our creation, to accept that God loves each of us in a remarkably personal way. 

Sadly, far too much of the world today acts as if there is no God. To deny God is to slide into despair and fear. What’s left? Nothing. The only human solution is to see yourself, or humanity, as a God replacement, and so, we create our own little gods that signify nothing. Soon enough we come to focus solely on our own convenience. This leads to hatred — hatred of others and, ultimately, self-hatred — a self-focused attitude that sees little need for the existence of others. We then easily accept the murder of the innocent child in the womb, the infanticide of the newborn but imperfect child, and the willingness to eliminate the seriously ill, the elderly, and any others whose lives just cost the rest of us too much.

You can recognize the haters because they always accuse others of their own sins. It began with Adam and Eve and hasn’t stopped. We are called to love others, even our enemies, but that doesn’t mean we have to like them. Loving another is not an emotion; it’s a decision, one in which we desire the good of another. We must want what God wants for the other since His will is the only will that truly counts. This, of course, demands that we must accept and repent of our own sinfulness, that which separates us from God and from each other.

The other day, on the feast of our parish patron, St. Vincent de Paul, I remarked that perhaps the central theme of the Gospel is John’s declaration:

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” [Jn 3:16].

Yes, God loves the world, all of the world, the world He created: “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good” [Gen 1:31]. From this, then, we realize that we must love our God in return, for how could we not love the God who created each one of us in a unique act of love. 

So that’s my thinking about making the world better. If we all accepted our role as evangelists, if we all accepted the commission that Jesus extended to every Christian, God would change the world in the most remarkable way. It was a pretty straightforward command, not a complicated thing:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” [Mt 28:19-20].

Homily: Saturday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Tim 6:13-16 • Psalm 100 • Luke 8:4-15

 ___________________________

Coincidentally, in our parish Bible Study, we happen to be studying Mark’s version of the "Parable of the Sower," a parable included in all three synoptic Gospels. Of course, it’s among the more widely known of Jesus’ parables – and has been the object of so many commentaries and homilies that I always wonder what I can possibly say about it that everyone hasn't already heard. Maybe the best thing is simply to tell you what runs through my mind whenever I hear or read this “Parable of the Sower.”

The first thing I find myself thinking is that it should be called it the “Parable of the Soil.” That’s certainly what I focus on as I meditate on Jesus’ words and try to identify which type of soil I most closely resemble. And I suppose many of you respond to this parable in pretty much the same way.

When you listen to this parable do you say to yourself, “Yep, I’m pretty thorny…or rocky…or maybe even rich today...” And then, just leave it at that. That’s the trouble when something is so familiar, like this parable. So often we fail to take the next step, the one Jesus invites us to take.

God’s Word, that seed, demands we do more than merely listen. We must also understand, and from that understanding, that awareness, we must act. We hear the parable, but we really don’t dig very deeply into our own soil to see what kind of shape it’s in, to see if it’s well-prepared. And if it’s not in good shape, to find out why, and then to do something about it.

I’m always telling young people that they can be greatly influenced by the people they hang out with. Well, it’s no different with us, is it? We, too, are easily influenced.

If we focus only on our work, how we earn a living, or for us retired folks, if we spend most of our time playing golf, or going out for dinner and drinks, or going to neighborhood activities, or just being a couch potato…all the while not thinking much about our spiritual life and well-being…well, our spiritual soil is probably lacking, not well-prepared.

How much richer would it be if we were all well connected with our parish, were actively involved in one or more ministries, doing God’s will in our little slice of His creation?

How about improving our “listening to God” skills by making an occasional weekend retreat?

Or spending an hour or two a week in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament?

Or praying together daily with a spouse or friend? We are called to community, and so it’s a good thing to pray together, especially in the family.

All of this grounds us in our Faith, tills our soil so it can receive God’s Word, which is Jesus Christ. That’s what’s special about the good soil; it’s been prepared, so it will be receptive to the seed. But the soil needs constant care, doesn’t it? How will you and I receive the Word tomorrow, next week, or the rest of the year?

Will it fall on the path, or will it have to deal with rocks and thorns; or will it find our soil well prepared, rich, and fertile?

By building up our soil through prayer, good works, good attitudes, good habits, we make ourselves fertile receptors of the Word.   

As we go our separate ways today, let’s remember what Jesus told us, that when we hear the Word, we must embrace it with a "generous and good heart," so it will "bear fruit through perseverance." [Lk 8:15]

Jesus always gives us a choice, but He also guides us. To help us choose correctly, He gives us His Church and her sacraments, her engines of grace. As we make our way through these challenging times, why not begin with the sacrament of reconciliation to breaking up all that hard soil. Then we can all enrich it with God’s own presence in the Eucharist.

Our loving God wants your life to be abundantly fruitful, for as St. Paul reminded us, "God...gives life to all things..." [1 Tim 6:13] But how we live that life is our gift to God. 

Generals, Admirals, Secretary’s and other Hacks

Today America had the opportunity to witness a beautiful example of the politicization of our military. I actually feel a little bit sorry — certainly not a lot — for General McKenzie, USMC, the Commander of Central Command. It would seem the General drew the short straw to be the media flak-catcher for a tragic error that led to the death of seven children and three adults, all innocents, in Kabul by an errant drone strike on August 29. Of course, the press conference should have included the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the ones who, along with the White House, waxed eloquently about how “righteous” the attack actually was. These comments were made even after there was some serious concern that perhaps a tragic mistake had been made. The whole truth would probably have remained forever trapped in that special classified file of blunders, if someone hadn’t tipped off the New York Times. The paper ran with the story and forced the brass to admit the truth. But the top dogs had been subject to enough bad press lately, so let’s toss CENTCOM to the ravenous puppy dogs of the mainstream media.

In my not-so-humble opinion, were General McKenzie a man of honor he would have resigned long ago rather than go along with President Biden’s idiotic plan-less withdrawal from Afghanistan. It’s not like the results couldn’t have been predicted. They were indeed eminently predictable. Once the president set a definite departure date as his primary goal, those of us who haven’t yet eased into senility knew it would lead to disaster. But like all the others at the highest levels in our modern military, McKenzie actually thinks he’s indispensable and his absence would really be missed. This, of course, is patently absurd. 

The key adult killed in the drone attack was a worker for an aid organization trying to help others by taking water to their homes. This was apparently misinterpreted as a delivery of explosives. The error was made by our illustrious over-the-horizon warriors who sit in their comfortable chairs, staring at their computer screens, making life and death decisions with a joystick — okay, it’s life and death for others, probably just a bunch of Afghans who likely supported terrorists anyway. The ramifications of these fatal decisions? Other than the death of innocents, nothing else will happen. No one will even know who actually screwed up. As General McKenzie said today, the report of the investigation will be highly classified so don’t expect anything useful. And, of course, there will be no disciplinary action because, well, too many people signed off on the attack, too many people up the entire chain of command. And, anyway, we just had to do something big in Kabul, since so many people were complaining that we could no nothing. As it turned out, we could do something, something horribly evil. And, yes, it was evil because it’s likely it was done under political pressure to create a success in Afghanistan’s capital city. And, yes, how wonderful are our over-the-horizon capabilities.I can hardly wait for what they give us in the future. The real problem, one we still don’t seem to understand, is that Islamist terrorism is not something that will be defeated by killing leaders with drone strikes. Jihadism Is much stronger than any individual and must be fought on the ground.

The release of the admission was well-orchestrated to be offered during a Friday afternoon press conference. That’s about the only clever thing they have done. Personally, I am sickened by the senior officers in our military. How many have resigned in protest during the past twenty years? I can’t think of a single one. Every one of these political hacks, promoted during the past decade, are not the kind of warriors we want in these critical positions. Sadly, I don’t see any change in the offing.

Aging Benchmarks

There comes a point in life when birthdays become somewhat less celebratory, and I think I might have reached that point. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy enough that I’ve lived this long, and will certainly welcome the typical low-key celebration Diane and I enjoy on each other’s birthdays. But with aging comes the realization that perhaps I haven’t used all these years as well as I should have. Yet, as I try to avoid dwelling on the past and it’s many errors, I find myself looking instead to the future, as brief as it might be, wondering how I can best use my remaining years. And then the Lord brings me back to reality as I recall His words:

“And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?…Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day” [Mt 6:27,34].

Yes, indeed, today, and every other today, bring enough, both good and ill, to keep me busy. 

As you have probably guessed, today is my birthday, specifically, my 77th. Having survived for so long might seem like quite a milestone, unless like me you live in The Villages, the world’s largest retirement community. The homes in our neighborhood, our particular village, for example, were built in early 2004 and Diane and I were among the youngest of those first settlers. As one of our friends said to me the other day, “77? You’re just a kid.” Yes, indeed, in The Villages age becomes a relative concept. Where else can someone my age be considered just a youngster? 

I suppose these thoughts will bounce around in my tired brain for a day or so until they are overwhelmed by what seem to be more pressing needs. In the meantime I’ll meet today with two of our Bible Study groups to celebrate God’s Word in our lives. And then this evening Diane and I will join another deacon and his wife at a local Greek/Italian restaurant where together we will thank God for allowing me to enjoy this gift of life for another year.

9/11 Twenty Years Later

On that Tuesday morning in September 2001, I was in my office in Hyannis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, engaged in a conference call with perhaps twenty other people from around the world. Suddenly, one of the callers, a woman in London, interrupted and said, “A plane just flew into the World Trade Center in New York. It’s on the telly.” I asked only one question: “Can you tell what the weather’s like in New York?” Her response, “Oh, yes, I can see blue sky, so it must be good weather.” I simply said, “Then it also must be a terrorist attack. Planes don’t fly into Manhattan skyscrapers when the weather is good.” 

With that I stopped the call, rescheduling it for another day, and went to our corporate dining room where I knew there was a large screen TV. Of course, when the second plane crashed into the south tower, everyone knew we’d suffered a terrorist attack. This began our 20-year journey to the present day and its confusions.

This Sunday morning our local newspaper devoted its entire first section to the vicious terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and it’s aftermath. This is a good thing, and I look forward to making my way through the series of articles as I try to relax this Sunday afternoon. But our newspaper’s primary, front-page headline made me cringe. The paper? The Villages Daily Sun, and the headline read:

After the towers fell, we were frightened and angry. We ached for security, and we’re willing to trade some civil liberties to get it. 

Now, unlike the so-called journalist who penned this headline, I can speak only for myself. So what’s wrong with the headline? Well, I certainly agree with part of his first sentence. I was angry. No doubt about that. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever been angrier. But of one thing I can be sure, I was not frightened. Only a coward, a fool, or  one of little faith would be frightened in the wake of a terrorist attack like 9/11. Sadly, we have many of each in our nation. I pray for them, that they will open their hearts to God’s gift of faith to obliterate their fears.

I also turned immediately to prayer, not through fear, but because I knew we must, as a people, turn to God. We must beg for His help and direction, for His grace in dealing with this horrendous attack on our nation, this act of war. And because of its source, this attack was actually an attack on Judeo-Christian society, on Western Civilization, or what’s left of it. 

As for the second sentence of today’s headline, I completely disagree. Back on that first September 11th, I did not, in any way, “ache for security.” No, as an old Navy pilot, as a retired Navy Captain, I wished I were about 20 years younger so I could have joined the fight-to-be. If I ached for anything, that was it. 

And so, after prayer, the first thought that ran through my angry mind was one of concern, for I knew that governments love to accumulate power and once they have it, they never relinquish it. What will our government do to enhance our security? At first, I dismissed those concerns and naively believed government agencies responsible for our security would take proper and wise steps to protect our nation from future attacks. Again, unlike the headline writer, I definitely was not willing to trade my constitutional rights, my civil liberties, for a bit more security. In fact, drastic security measures were about the last thing on my mind. I had hoped we would learn from the one democratic nation that had been the most successful in preventing terrorist hijackings, the nation of Israel. Israel’s approach was personal; that is, it focused on the person more than the stuff. They didn’t ignore the contents of baggage and personal belongings, but they turned their attention primarily to the person. They had discovered that terrorists often had obvious, predictable traits, that potential terrorists could be identified before they boarded an aircraft. But instead, President Bush created another pair of unwieldy bureaucracies, the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, and along with his successor and an agreeable Congress, resorted to extreme but not always the most effective means to increase security. In this effort we often use blatantly unconstitutional, and often quite foolish, approaches to security. Today the elites who burden the nation’s citizens with authoritarian rules avoid them by flying in government or private aircraft. I, too, avoid commercial air travel whenever possible, but since I lack the means, I must drive. I simply refuse to subject myself and Dear Diane to the folly of present day aviation security…like the time a TSA employee revealed that I was singled out for more intensive search because I wore a cross on my lapel.

And today, we look to Afghanistan, where all this began twenty years ago, and for reasons we can blame only on ourselves, nothing has changed.

Pray for our nation. 

 

Protecting Whom?

Our president is seemingly focused on getting everybody in the United States vaccinated against the COVID virus, an impossible and actually needless goal. It’s needless because so many Americans are now protected by a natural immunity which offers stronger protection than the vaccine. But if universal vaccination is really his administration’s aim, why on earth would he say what he said on September 10:

“We are going to protect the vaccinated workers from unvaccinated coworkers.”

What? This wasn’t just another of our president’s weird gaffes, another slip of the tongue, because he also tweeted these same words.

President Biden

@POTUS

United States government official

We are going to protect the vaccinated workers from unvaccinated coworkers.

9:40 AM · Sep 10, 2021

34.1K

See the latest COVID-19 information on Twitter

Uh, Mr. President, vaccinated workers are already protected; that’s why they got the shots. How does this comment possibly encourage the unvaccinated to do the same? It would seem to do exactly the opposite by telling the nation that vaccination offers no protection. But if we actually “follow the science,” we know the vaccines work. In other words, it’s the vaccine the vaccinated have already received that protects them from the unvaccinated. 

Those who resists vaccination, with the exception of those whose doctors advise against it for solid medical reasons and those who have natural immunity because they’ve already survived COVID, should get vaccinated. But their failure to do so does not threaten me and others who have been vaccinated. If the unvaccinated get the shots, that’s great for them, but it has absolutely no effect on me. When it comes to my health, I don’t worry about the unvaccinated. The only health about which I am concerned is theirs.

Oh, Yes, It’s Still All About Abortion

You might think that the key issue of our time centers on COVID, or Afghanistan, or China, or Russia, or immigration, or inflation, or taxation, or any of a dozen other issues…and you’d be wrong. There is really only one issue that definitively separates people politically, morally, and, yes, religiously: abortion. 

Not too many years ago, party politics was not divided on abortion. Many Democrats were openly pro-life, and consistently voted against legislation supporting abortion. And, yes, one also encountered Republicans who were openly “pro-choice” and voted accordingly. Things have certainly changed. Today’s Democrat Party universally supports abortion. To be a pro-life Democrat, an extremely rare breed of politician, is to be condemned by the party’s state and national leadership, to receive no party funding — really, to be cancelled by the party, to be purged. 

Last week the state of Texas banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, and the Supreme Court of the United States let it stand. The response from the left has been both predictable and horrendous. AOC was, of course, among the most predictable, as were the nation’s most prominent Catholic politicians, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. 

AOC — or as she’s sometimes called, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) -- was furious with those she labeled "Christian extremists." Her exact words: "Christian extremists are passing forced birth laws to intimidate and cut off abortion services – including for victims of rape, incest, and child abuse. While we fight back, know you still have options. Pills can be mailed to your home discreetly.” 

I guess “Christian extremists” is the new code word for faithful Catholics and pro-life Evangelicals, who actually represent a significant hunk of the nation’s population. In fact, I suspect they far outnumber the dwindling number of Americans who favor abortion under all circumstances. But for AOC everything is political; she has no moral foundation and seemingly is unable to discern either good or evil. 

Then we have the “devout Catholics” in powerful political positions. For example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was almost apoplectic in her anger at both Texas and the Supreme Court. Check out her tweets:

“SCOTUS’s failure to block SB8 [the Texas law] has delivered catastrophe to women in Texas. This radical law is an all out effort to erase the rights and protections of Roe v Wade.”

She then added: "every woman, everywhere has the constitutional and moral right to basic reproductive hearth care. We will fight SB8 and all immoral and dangerous attacks on women's health and freedoms with all our strength."

Note her description of abortion as a "moral right" and her claim that any attacks on abortion are "immoral and dangerous." How despicable a charge from someone who just loves to describe herself as a "devout Catholic." She clearly demonstrates a complete lack of moral understanding. Sadly, Pelosi isn't alone here, but is joined by every other Catholic Democrat politician in Washington, including our president. (If anyone knows of a pro-life Catholic Democrat in either house of Congress, please let me know.)

What did President Biden have to say on the subject? His comments are also as predictable and despicable as the others. For a man who just a few years ago openly proclaimed that human life begins at conception, Joe Biden has certainly changed his mind. He called the Texas law "an unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for almost fifty years." He went on to say, "The most pernicious thing about the Texas law, it sort of creates a vigilante system," and then added, "It just seems -- I know this sounds ridiculous -- it's almost un-American, what we're talking about." Yes, Mr. President, it does sound ridiculous, as does so much of what you say.

The president, the speaker, AOC, and all the rest have been joined, perhaps not surprisingly, by the Satanic Temple in the fight against the Texas Law. On September 5th the Temple spokesman, Lucien Greaves (photo below) released the following statement on the Temple's letter to the FDA asking for support of their "abortion rituals."

“I am sure Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who famously spends a good deal of his time composing press releases about Religious Liberty issues in other states — will be proud to see that Texas’s robust Religious Liberty laws, which he so vociferously champions, will prevent future Abortion Rituals from being interrupted by superfluous government restrictions meant only to shame and harass those seeking an abortion.

“The battle for abortion rights is largely a battle of competing religious viewpoints, and our viewpoint that the nonviable fetus is part of the impregnated host is fortunately protected under Religious Liberty laws.”

Isn’t it interesting how the Satanists call a woman, who is the mother of an unborn child, an “impregnated host.” In truth, it sounds like one of the latest euphemisms that have rolled out of the CDC. Personally, I have always believed abortion is Satan’s work, that which he devotes most of the limited time that remains for him and his legions of demons. He apparently has plenty of helpers to further his nefarious work.

Others on the left describe the horrors that will surely afflict us because of the Texas law. In a Newsweek Twitter thread, one pro-abortion reader feared the consequences of the likely survival of so many disabled babies: "You can't screen for Down syndrome before about 10 weeks, and something like 80% of Down syndrome fetuses are aborted. If red states ban abortion, we could see a world where they have five times as many children with Down syndrome, and similar numbers for other disabilities." He went on to fret the reaction of the world's progressive nations if we don't kill these unwanted children in the womb. Can you just imagine how embarrassing that will be?

Beautiful Down Syndrome Twins

Of course, this man might have been influenced by those who blazed that horrendous trail decades ago. As Princeton Professor Robert P. George reminds us, "Sometimes it's worth remembering that what became known as the Holocaust did not begin with the murder of Jews, or Slavs, or Romani. It began with the killing of the disabled and cognitively impaired. They were regarded as 'useless eaters' and declared 'Lebensunwertes Leben' [lives unworthy of life]." Of course, millions of Jews came later.

And they call us pro-lifers, “fascists.” Remarkable isn’t? But the left always accuses its enemies of its own greatest sins.

In addition to the Texas legislature and governor, an archbishop has also stepped out in courage. In an Washington Post op-ed, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone supported the Texas law and publicly chastised President Biden and Nancy Pelosi by declaring that Catholics cannot support abortion. In Archbishop  Cordileone's words: "You cannot be a good Catholic and support expanding a government-approved right to kill innocent human beings...This is hardly inappropriate for a pastor to say. If anything, Catholic political leaders' response to the situation in Texas highlights the need for us to say it all the louder." He went on to suggest that excommunication of Catholic leaders who publicly support abortion must be considered.

Brothers and sisters, pray for our country. We need the saving, merciful power of God.

Homily: Saturday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time (20th Anniversary of 9/11)

A few years ago, on one of my days as on-call hospital chaplain, I visited a patient who began the conversation by saying he belonged to no church, that he believed in God, but was pretty sure God didn’t care much about him.

That’s not the sort of thing you usually hear when visiting patients, so I asked him why he thought that. His answer was just as surprising…

“I’m 83 years old and I’ve done just about every bad thing you can imagine. And now they tell me I’m dying. I don’t know if there’s a heaven or a hell, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to heaven.”

I smiled at him and asked, “Oh, so you’re a sinner?”

His response? “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Well, welcome to the club,” I told him. “a very exclusive club, one that includes us all.”

It was then I thought of what St. Paul wrote to Timothy, words from today's first reading:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these, I am the foremost” [1 Tim 1:15].

Sharing this with him, I told him he reminded me of St. Paul, a man who realized his sinfulness, but then came to understand that Jesus Christ entered the world, that He suffered and died to save him and every other sinner.

The two of us shared a lot that morning, including the fact that we each had a friend who died on 9/11.

Yes, we shared a lot, about sin, and repentance, and forgiveness, and redemption. And I think it changed us both. As we heard in our psalm:

“He raises up the lowly from the dust…” [Ps 113:7]

That’s how we all feel sometimes, isn't it? As if we’re enveloped in a cloud of dust, struggling to break through, hoping to see the light and find the truth.

But we can’t do it on our own. Only God can raise us up, out of the world’s dust. Like my hospital patient, sometimes it can take a lifetime to understand and accept that.

As I hope he discovered, it’s never too late to rebuild our house on the solid foundation of God’s mercy, God's love, and God's Word.

I thought of him, too, today as we call to mind tragic events of 20 years ago. And there’s so much to remember, isn’t there?

We pray for those who lost their lives, and for those they left behind.

We also pray for and thank those who gave their lives, who didn’t hesitate to enter selflessly into that cauldron, those scenes of destruction, to help -- those first responders who gave everything, and the 40 men and women on flight 93 who sacrificed their lives to save others.

Yes, indeed, although so many died in those clouds of dust in Manhattan, the Pentagon, and in a field in rural Pennsylvania, we believe they were raised up by the Lord.

In the first of His brief parables in today’s Gospel passage from Luke, Jesus tells the disciples:

“Every tree is known by its fruit…” [Lk 6:44]

There was certainly enough “rotten fruit” on that September 11, acts carried out by those whose hearts were filled with hatred.

But there was so much more “good fruit,” thanks to the goodness the world witnessed that day. How did Jesus put it?

“A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good…” [Lk 6:45]

There were so many hearts filled with goodness that day, so many who have given their lives in our defense since then, and so many today as well.

The other day, in an interview, a woman who lost her husband on 9/11 said, “And I pray, too, for the terrorists, because only God can change their hearts. We certainly haven't been able to do it with politics, diplomacy, or military might.”

Today, she, and I, and all of us look at our world and wonder if much has really changed in 20 years. Perhaps the answer lies in our hearts.

Do we honestly think we can bring about goodness in the world without God’s help?

No, only God can raise us up out of the dust. We can’t do it on our own.

Perhaps 3,000 years ago, the Psalmist said it well:

"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth, so that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God [Ps 146:3-5].

Do we place our hope in the Lord, our God? Are we like those whom the Lord praised?

"I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them” [Lk 6:47].

 God love you and God bless our nation.

Take Away Our Pride

I include here a poem, really a prayer and best known as a hymn. These are timeless and particularly appropriate lines by the great G. K. Chesterton. These words were written in 1906, but could have been penned yesterday.

O God of Earth and Altar

O God of earth and altar, 

Bow down and hear our cry, 

Our earthly rulers falter, 

Our people drift and die; 

The walls of gold entomb us, 

The swords of scorn divide, 

Take not thy thunder from us, 

But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,

From lies of tongue and pen,

From all the easy speeches

That comfort cruel men,

From sale and profanation

Of honour and the sword,

From sleep and from damnation,

Deliver us, good Lord.

Tie in a living tether

The prince and priest and thrall.

Bind all our lives together,

Smite us and save us all;

In ire and exultation

Aflame with faith and free,

Lift up a living nation,

A single sword to thee.