I used to love to watch planes take off and land at Logan Airport in Boston. Indeed, sometimes I would relax by going to Logan, and with a cup of coffee on a clear day, just watch the air traffic that often stretched miles over the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Yet all that ended on September 11th 2001. More so, because two of the four flights that were used as weapons against our country came from our airport.
The hijackers literally walked through the same terminal I used many times before and since. They might have flown right over my previous Parish, St. Rose in Chelsea, MA. They flew into the powerful symbols of our nations economic, engineering and military abilities. They brought down two towers that were gargantuan compared to the other buildings in New York City. The other buildings themselves are amazingly huge. They also for just a time put the nation in shock and stopped laughter, literally, in our country. They killed almost 3000 people.
Yet, something happened the following day that reminded us that there are bigger forces out there than terrorists. It was as powerful a symbol as those given to Noah at the end of the flood, the opening of the Red Sea for the Jews led by Moses, the feeding of the five thousand by Jesus in Jerusalem. What happened? The sun rose. The Lord had not abandoned us.
Yes, there was great sadness in our cities. Yes, there was shock. Indeed, the time the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was most full was September 12th 2001 there was a mass in prayer for our pain.
We were shown the vulnerability of our race. Hatred, anger, sin and evil brought great destruction on our land. However, hope in God and in his eternal promise are greater than all the hate and anger around us.
The apostle John reminds us that we who are believers have conquered the world. Indeed, we have. Those who have faith in the one whom he has sent, realize as Saint Paul says there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. When we root ourselves in that love we, as the bible says, become like a tree planted near running water. We always have a source of strength, power and inspiration that reminds us that we are part of his Kingdom and his kingdom never ends.
In the midst of the months of excavation workers found nothing of the massive twin towers but a stone upon a stone, except, for two iron girders that formed a cross. One person later said that this was like the parable of house built on sand. The buildings, which represented worldly power, had fallen, but this one symbol of Christ remained intact. Those who put their faith in Christ will always stand. For we can live with the knowledge that no force is too strong against us, that nothing can separate us from his love. Finally, we know that in Christ we are part of a kingdom that is eternal even if everything else is not.
Fr. Robert J. Carr
Parochial Vicar
Cathedral of the Holy Cross
Boston, MA
Fr. Carr is the editor of Catholicism Anew and the Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. He also writes for Can
