by Fr. Justin Fulton
9/11’s first recorded victim was Father Mychal Judge, OFM, a Catholic priest who also served as a chaplain to the FDNY. He came that morning so that others may have Eternal Life.
Light always burns brighter in darkness.
All of us who lived through that horrific day were influenced by September 11, 2001. All of us know exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news. I remember it vividly.
I was a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and it was probably the only day I woke up before 6 a.m. in all of my undergrad career. I woke up early that day to work out and then hit the road down Nebraska highway 2 to go to Nebraska City, where my sister Lindsey was getting her “senior pictures” taken for her last year of high school. We were going to get one of those “brother/sister” pictures that day.
As I left on the road about 7:30 a.m. from 14th and R streets in Lincoln, I heard something on the radio about a bombing in New York City. By the time I had hit 70th and Highway 2 in Lincoln it was on every radio station. By the time I hit Syracuse they announced all flights were to be grounded. It was surreal. It was scary. It is when I think all of us started turning to God.
In the two decades that have passed since 9/11 it is good to pause and look at ourselves and ask why were so many people moved that day? Why did this shake us to our core? Why would a group of volunteer firefighters from Auburn, Nebraska decide to stop their lives and get out to New York City to help in the recovery and clean-up? Why do we pause and spend so much time and effort to maybe find a piece of someone’s body? Why... the answer is simple. Naturally, all of us have a respect for the dignity of human life. God has written it in our hearts. All of us, whether we know it or not, are pro-life. Naturally, we seek to defend, nurture, and honor human life.
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska understands this. We exist because we understand that God is Life... and we are called as Catholic Christians to love God in our neighbor. We support, defend, protect, nurture, and honor human life. We live the Gospel with our actions as it is our baptismal calling to do so.
As our nation pauses to remember the events of 9/11, let us remember the fallen human lives, their families, and our loving God. May we all honor God by honoring human life. May we pray to our Lord Jesus to be living apostles in a world He has brought us to. And may we spend our lives helping Him build up His Kingdom and the culture of life.
May God bless you and yours always!
