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In just a couple of weeks, we as a nation will mourn again the men and women who perished in the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001. In our Archdiocese, we will perhaps mourn even more deeply than most, because so many of us from this local Church of Newark perished, were left without husband, wife, or child, or were injured either physically or emotionally. Throughout the past year we have held memorials – some public, some private – to recall those we loved, those we knew well, those we may not have known at all, and to search among ourselves for answers. Shortly after the attack, I wrote to you through The Catholic Advocate to address some of the questions we were all asking ourselves: questions about our anger and loss, about God’s place in this tragedy, about how we as Christians can and must act “to plant seeds of comfort that will help wounded hearts grow confident once again in the conviction of God's love and care for His people.” And, of course, over the past year, I have met so many of you who shared your own experiences – your loss, your fear, your determination. What have I learned in this year about you? About our Church? About how we have met our crisis? I have seen how in your parishes, through your volunteering and your donations, and through your personal commitment to peace and justice in this world, that you do indeed live the teaching of the Word of God incarnate in Jesus, affirming that God is “Emmanuel,” that He is “with us” in a sacred bond that can never be broken. This affirmation makes us able to choose life, and to see the promise that Our Lord made for us, in spite of the pain, in spite of the obstacles, maybe even because of them. While some of us have found it difficult to pray, I have seen so many more of us eagerly seek prayer to comfort ourselves, and to help comfort others. And I have seen the intense desire to remain strong for ourselves and for others because it is in the strength of our love for others – the second great Commandment -- that our future as a people of God is based. We will mourn again this September 11. In our parishes and schools, at our places of work, in our public spaces, and people throughout the world will see that we still feel pain. It is right for us to do this. But they will also see, as I have seen, and know that you yourselves have seen, that we have reached out to Our Lord Jesus for the strength He so willingly gives. We now know full well that there will always be a sense of vulnerability, but have gained a renewed hope of our renewed commitment to God’s love.
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