What is Old Becomes New
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All of us who lived through the horror of the events of September 11, 2001 will never forget what we saw,and heard, and felt on that awful day. We all remember those events in a special way each September 11, as we think back and relive where we were when we first heard the news.
I remember staring in shock at the TV screen, completely immobilized for twenty minutes after the second tower fell. I can’t remember even having a thought. And then I woke from the daze with fear, as I realized family members were in lower Manhattan that day. And I recall just how long it took to reach them, as communications were paralyzed and spotty too.
I was not alone in my fear. Everyone I knew at the time had a story of missing persons and close calls. That flight could have been mine, but I was scheduled to fly the next Tuesday. My friend worked at that restaurant, but it was his day off. I’m shivering again just thinking about it.
Every anniversary, I stop, as we all do, to thank God again for the people who were saved, and to pray for the souls of those who did not. I pray especially for those I saw on the national news, trapped in the towers. I will never forget those faces.
What can we do now to honor their memories? Listen again to the stories of the people, all of whom were living ordinary lives just like ours. Listen to the tales of sorrow, of heroism beyond imagination. Remember them, and do our part to ensure this never happens again.
We live again in a world of heightened terror threats and full scale wars. It seems beyond the grasp of ordinary people to avert the disasters. What we can do is pray. Pray for grace, pray for healing, pray for peace. Pray for those who were lost, pray for the survivors. Pray for those who perpetrated the evil. Pray for those who are contemplating and planning acts of terror, that the grace of God may touch their hearts and change them.
We have the Prince of Peace in heaven that hears all our prayers, and answers them. Miracles can happen, people can be changed. Let us all pray today that hearts and minds will change, and that we will live in the peace and harmony of Christ.
Carol Ann Chybowski has a Masters in English from California State University, Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), where she published her young adult fantasy, The Seven Oases as her Master’s Thesis. Her work can also be found in A Community Of Voices: Hot Dog! and A Community of Voices: When We Were Young, Young Adulthood., and Spiritual Awakenings: Stories of Praise and Redemption.Carol Ann is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild.
