“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh”
Homily, given on 9/11/02 - Scripture: Luke 6:20-26
When you encounter grief, misfortune, or tragic loss, how do you respond? With fear or with faith? With passive surrender or with patient hope and trust in God? We know from experience that no one can escape all of the trials of life—pain, suffering, sickness, and death. When Jesus began to teach his disciples, he gave them a “way of happiness” that transcends every difficulty and trouble that can weigh us down with grief and despair. Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount by addressing the issue of where true happiness can be found. The word "beatitude" literally means happiness or blessedness. Jesus’ way of happiness, however, demands a transformation from within—a conversion of heart and mind which can only come about through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit.
How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? If we want to be filled with the joy and happiness of heaven, then we must empty ourselves of all that would shut God out of our hearts. Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God alone as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God’s word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and oppression. Jesus promises his disciples that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships they can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas once said, “No person can live without joy.”
On a cold and windy day in March of 2002, a father and his toddler daughter stepped out of the limousine into the biting wind for the funeral. James Smith never took his tear-filled eyes off the flag-draped coffin of his wife, Moira, as it was carried into Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Queens Village. But 2 ½ year-old Patricia stared only at a bagpiper who played “Amazing Grace.” It was a final farewell to Police Officer Moira Smith more than six months after she died helping others escape the hell of the World Trade Center. Her body was finally recovered and was now placed in the hands of the Lord. Moira Smith was a 38 year-old cop – the only woman from the NYPD to die on that tragic day – September 11, 2001.
Today, our great nation, from sea to shining sea, joins together one more time in sadness and in memory of the senseless acts of violence that took place a year ago in New York, in Washington, D.C. and in Pennsylvania. A year ago, the spirit of the American people was put to a test. I would like to take a few minutes and talk about that “Spirit” of America.
First, 'The American Spirit of Patriotism': Will this crisis tear Americans apart or bring them closer together as a nation? Some people almost failed this test when soon after the attack they doubled and tripled the price of gasoline, but the American public soon rose to the challenge and the heroism, generosity and self-sacrifice shown in the rescue efforts that followed, showing that this crisis had not broken, but had rather strengthened the American Spirit of Patriotism...of togetherness. Yes, my brothers and sisters, we have indeed passed the first test.
Second, ‘The American Spirit of Justice and Fairness': This test is still ongoing. Will America be able to find and bring to justice all the perpetrators of this crime? From what we have seen so far, there is little doubt that the long arms of justice, especially that of American Justice, will soon catch up with all those responsible for this mayhem. The question is, will people continue to hold their anger in check until all the right culprits are identified or will they go on a witch hunt and take out their anger and frustration on any person or group of persons who may look like the suspects, or come from their countries of origin or who may belong to their religion? While justice demands that guilty people be made to pay for their misdeeds, fairness demands that no innocent persons be held responsible for what they did not do. Yes, my brothers and sisters, terrorists have killed thousands of innocent Americans, but if Americans respond by killing other innocent people, how then can Americans show that they are more civilized than the terrorists themselves? Yes, we have seen both sides of the coin on this one. Americans will have passed the second test only when they are able to render justice to whom justice is due, and fairness to whom fairness is due. This test is yet to be passed.
Third, ‘The American Spirit as “One Nation Under God"’: Before this crisis, before that tragic Tuesday a year ago, America was fast sliding into the depths of religious indifference and separation. To expose the crucifix in the classroom was a crime...to display the Ten Commandments and say prayer in a public place was politically incorrect, but all this suddenly changed since disaster struck. America has been changed. Or has it? On the Friday after the attacks, this wounded country picked itself up, and, as One Nation Under God, from sea to shining sea, we got down on our knees, raised our voices to our Heavenly Father in praise and thanksgiving and asked for courage, strength and wisdom. Someone once said that God whispers to us in our well-being and shouts to us in disaster. Well, if God is shouting to us in this terrible disaster, what else could God be saying except calling America back to the Christian principles of her founding fathers? And yet, less than a year after this Nation got on its knees and prayed to our Heavenly Father, we have today, in our Nation, in our own State, some counties up North who have decided to remove the Ten Commandants from all Public Buildings and Courthouses. We have people who now claim that reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” is politically incorrect and unconstitutional. O America…. When will we ever learn? This is probably the ultimate test that this crisis presents to America.
After all the culprits have been identified and brought to justice, after the tears have dried and time has healed all wounded hearts, after the dust has finally settled, after America gets back on her feet...and get back on her feet she will...maybe the test that will remain is how Americans respond to their Christian heritage. Yes, this was and still is truly a spiritual and moral wake-up call for all of America.
Displayed in the sanctuary and in the Gathering Space of the Church are two books listing over three thousand names of those who lost their lives because of this tragedy and yes, among them you will find Moira Smith. Out of the whole list, why did I pick Moira Smith’s name? I did so because this Mass is being offered in her memory by some of her caring friends and relatives...a befitting memory to one so brave.
In a few minutes, as we come to this table to receive the Lord and to be one with Him, let us ask Him to increase our hunger for Him and to show us the way that leads to everlasting happiness and peace. Let us ask him to guide our thoughts and our actions.
Our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with those who died and their family members and friends. We stand in support of the families of those whose location will never be known but to God. We pray too for family members like James and Patricia, for those who were injured, and for the many heroes who came to their aid and continue to be part of the healing process.
James and Patricia, “Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.”
May God continue to bless and strengthen you and those you love, and may God…Bless America!!