This weekend we observe the twentieth anniversary of  9/11. For anyone over about 35 years old those numbers evoke great emotion and a flood of memories. Much like Pearl Harbor and the Kennedy Assassination were burned into the memories of those who lived through those tragic events, the terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville Pennsylvania that occurred on September 11, 2001, still stand as a defining moment of our lives. I was a newly ordained priest serving in Paterson, New Jersey when the attacks happened. The Friday after I was with a group of other Salesian priests counseling young people at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey, who were still waiting to get word of relatives and friends who were missing after the collapse of the Twin Towers. That evening I was with a friend in downtown Newark as small groups huddled together to observe a moment of silence for those lost. The quiet was only broken by the sound of patrolling fighter jets making a pass above us.

    It was a time of uncertainty. Our peace as a nation had been shattered. People did return to church in the weeks after. Many pastors reported an increase in both Mass attendance and people coming for confessions. This revival was short lived, though. As time went on, and the danger seemed to subside, many people went back to their former ways.

    As I look back, I take way two lessons. First is that we should keep our history alive. For many in their 20’s today, the 9/11 attacks are either a faint memory, or not a memory at all. If we don’t remember this day, or the attack on Pearl Harbor and the sacrifices made by so many men and women to protect our freedom, we can begin to take that freedom for granted. We can forget just how unique our nation is. When that happens, we become complacent, and the real danger is that we will lose our freedoms, not because they were taken away, but because we were unwilling to hold on to them.

    The second is that we need to keep God at the center of our lives always, not just when times get hard. God wants to be invited into our hearts, to dwell with us and guide us. God does not promise us peace and tranquility in this life. What he does promise that we will persevere in faith no matter the challenge if we stay close to him. The society that turns its back on God can not endure for long. Let this remembrance of 9/11 led us to understand the importance of God in our lives, not only as individuals, but as a community and a nation. The future of our souls and our country depends on it.

    God bless you!