Daily Thoughts: “There is
nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not
even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that
sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the
extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other
person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no
way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us
preserve -- even in pain -- the authentic relationship. Furthermore, the more
beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But
gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was
lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden
treasure of which one can always be certain.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer says above there
is nothing that can be said or done that replaces the loss of someone dear to
us. But hopefully Bonhoeffer’s words can help to give comfort to all who lost
loved ones thirteen years ago in Lower Manhattan, Washington, DC and
Pennsylvania.
Perhaps, Bonhoeffer’s words can help all
of us deal with what we as a city, a country and a world lost thirteen years
ago. May his words give us pause to be grateful for the silent joy that all who
gave their lives continue to give us. May those who lost their lives continue
to be a hidden treasure for all of us, a treasure that we can always count on.
“In normal life we hardly realize how
much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such
gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements
compared with what we owe to the help of others.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
To the people who gave their lives, to
the families who gave their loved ones we say thank you!
Daily Prayer:
God of all peace and conciliation,
For those who went into danger, we give
thanks.
For those who remained behind with the
infirm and injured, we give thanks.
For those who thought of others first,
we give thanks.
For those who offered comfort to others,
we give thanks.
For moments of unknown, grant us
courage.
In times of fear, grant us courage.
When called upon to stand for the rights
of others, grant us courage.
When others call for our destruction,
grant us courage.
When the enemies of freedom lash out,
bless us with your peace
When the darkness of hatred descends,
bless us with your peace
When we feel the urge to trample and
destroy, bless us with your peace
When we look to the future of your
universe, bless us with your peace
Through the living of life, let us be
your peace
Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by Rabbi Matt Friedman)
A Runner’s Thoughts: “I run because
if I didn’t, I’d be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I
run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I
run…to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a
little more intense. I like that.” (Dean
Karnazes)
On this day when so many lost their
lives some of whom were runners let us run to breathe fresh air. Let us run to
explore. Let’s us run to experience more than the ordinary. Let us run to savor
the trip along the way. Let us run to remember and in remembering make our run
a prayer for peace. Let us run to bring God’s presence to the world!
Daily Blessings: Thursday
blessings to all! May we pause this morning to remember what happened that
Tuesday thirteen years ago and how it changed our lives. Perhaps you will think
about where you were and what you felt as the tragic events of that day
unfolded. Yet, here we are thirteen years later still searching for peace!
My thoughts and prayers today go out to
all affected by the events of that day especially to the children who lost
mothers and fathers. Nothing can fill the void of their loss. May what remains
unfilled always keep them connected to the gift of the person, the treasure
they lost!
I cannot help but reflect upon where we
find ourselves today with the reality of so many wars, so many violence acts,
so much anger, so little tolerance, so much need to blame, so much finger
pointing, so much yelling, so much hate, so much condemnation, so much arrogance,
so much self-centeredness, so little compassion, so little caring, so little
chance for peace it seems – so my prayer of blessing for all of you all today is - to ask God’s blessing upon you,
may it be a solemn blessing rich in peace, strong in courage and graced by
love. And may it be a blessing that you will bring it to those you love and to the
piece of the world that you will touch today. May God bless you with the
insight to see the gift, the treasure that you are and that you will share it
with the world! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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