Remembering September 11: 25 Years Later
This September marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. For those of us who lived through that day, the memories remain vivid: the images of the planes, the towers, the Pentagon, the field in Pennsylvania, and the countless first responders rushing toward danger while others were fleeing.
Twenty-five years later, we remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day. We remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and ordinary citizens who made extraordinary sacrifices. We remember the families who lost husbands, wives, parents, children, brothers, sisters, and friends. And we remember the many people whose lives were forever changed by what happened.
As Catholics, our remembrance must lead us to prayer.
We pray for those who died, asking God to receive them into His eternal peace. We pray for those who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones. We pray for the first responders and service members who carried the burdens of that day and its aftermath. We pray for those who continue to bear physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds.
But Christian remembrance also calls us to something more. Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Twenty-five years after September 11, we should not allow the memory of evil to produce hatred in our hearts. We can remember the terrible reality of that day while still praying for peace and seeking to build a world in which human life is respected and protected.
The anniversary of September 11 also reminds us of the importance of courage and self-sacrifice. On that morning, many people ran toward danger to save others. Their example points us toward the Christian call to place the good of others before ourselves. Christ Himself tells us, “There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
As we mark this 25th anniversary, may we pause to remember, to pray, and to give thanks for those who sacrificed themselves for others. May God grant eternal rest to all who died, comfort to those who mourn, strength to those who continue to suffer, and peace to our nation and our world.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly