Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it” (Lk 6:9)?

On this day we remember those who lost their lives on 9/11. We recognize those who gave their lives to save lives and the many who chose good over evil. To honor each of them we are called to be people of forgiveness, forgiving even those attackers who committed the unconscionable acts of terror, to choose good rather than evil. As Matt Malone, S.J. wrote: “The Gospel is clear: If we believe that we will escape this vicious cycle of violence without radical acts of love and forgiveness to which the Gospel testifies and Christ commands us, then we are simply fooling ourselves” (3).

If we are to heal, we must forgive, otherwise we contribute to perpetuating the violence inflicted upon us and spread it through our realm of influence. We also need to resist the temptation of judging a people and a faith tradition based on the acts of terrorists. To treat Muslims and people of Arab descent as anything other than our brothers and sisters only fuels the terrorist’s agenda. We begin to counter the cycle of violence by addressing the wounds of fear, unforgiveness, hate, prejudice, and racism present within us. We also need to recognize the destructive force that our own words inflict, seek forgiveness for the evil we have loosed, and choose instead to invoke words that soothe, empower, and encourage. Each step of the way we need to seek the aid of Jesus for we cannot forgive on our own merit or will alone.

If we struggle with unforgiveness, we can be honest with Jesus and say that we need him to forgive for us, as he himself said on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). Over time, if we are willing, he will lead us to a place where we too may forgive. As we seek healing and forgiveness, we also need to be willing to reach out beyond our own comfort zones, our own nationality, race, ethnicity, and religion or no faith, to engage with others that we may see as different. Our starting point of interaction needs to be to recognize each other as human beings. Then we are better able to take steps to being open to learn and come to understand another’s belief, culture, and practice. There is so much more we can do together, so much farther we can grow when we embrace the diversity within our communities, instead of walling ourselves off from each other.

Today we pray for, remember, and honor our fallen on 9/11 by seeking healing and forgiveness. I invite you to join with me in praying for those families and friends who have lost loved ones and are still in need of healing. May we also join in prayers of forgiveness for the attackers of 9/11, and for the many who still contemplate, participate, and perpetuate violence in our country and world, that we may come to a place of healing and forgiveness and instead channel our energies toward working for justice with charity and reconciliation. May we seek each day to resist evil and choose good, to resist destroying life and instead commit to saving life with our words, faces, and actions. Lord forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091117.cfm

Malone, S.J., Matt. Remembering 9/11. America, Aug 21, 2017.

Photo credit: Marley White, NYCgo.com