Today is the 21st anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City where over 3,000 people lost their lives and countless others suffered greatly both physically, psychologically, and spiritually. We remember all those who suffered because of this great tragedy that God will be merciful to those who lost their lives and give comfort and strength to all who remain. Such sad events are so very senseless and are not part of God’s plan for us and our world. So why do these things happen and why does God allow them to happen? That is the questions of the ages and can only be answered with faith and love for God Himself. When God made us, He gave us a free will and He rarely interferes with how we use this gift. He has gone to great lengths to teach us how to best use this gift of free will by revealing Himself and His love for us in His Word and most importantly in His Word made Flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He gives us all we need to use our free will in the best possible way, but we do not always listen to Him and so events like this happen and do great harm to so many of His children. What are we supposed to do when others use their free will to perpetrate such evil? That is when we need God the most. God is always there to comfort and strengthen us in all the situations we encounter in this life. Without Him and His love we can become very bitter and angry people. We need God to see us through all the terrible things that happen in our world and in our own life. As we reflect and pray on the events of 21 years ago, we need to turn again to God, our Father, because He will still comfort us and give us the strength to continue to live in the beautiful world He has given us. We can still do much good as we strive to love one another even when bad things happen to good people. Let us pray for one another and for ourselves and to do the good that God calls us to do every day.
FOR YOUR VIEWING: There are a couple of suggestions I would like to make for your viewing which I found very interesting and informative. These videos can really give us a lot to think about for our lives right here and now and for our life to come.
The first suggestion is a production by EWTN entitled, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Part 1, Saul Alinsky. This is an exposé of the lies and deception spun by 60’s radical, Saul Alinsky. His political tactics and theories espoused social justice but carried an agenda that threatened core beliefs of Christianity and the Church. Also, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Part 2, The Gender Agenda, a documentary that sheds light on the liberal and progressive influences shaping society’s attitudes on gender and human sexuality and how this phenomenon threatens our biblical understanding of marriage and family. To view this series, go to https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/wolf-in-sheeps-clothing. It is sad to say what could be taught in our public schools, but there is an agenda out there and we must be armed with the truth.
My second suggestion is a movie I came across on Amazon Prime entitled Purgatory which examines the fate of the soul once it leaves the body after death. Drawing from the accounts of approved mystics such as Fulla Horak, St. Faustina Kowalska, and St. Padre Pio, Purgatory tells the story of immortal souls living both in human bodies and those that have left this world. In watching this video, I found it to be very informative concerning the Church’s teaching on purgatory. This is not, of course, meant to be scary in any way, but it does help us to understand some basic teachings concerning purgatory. It also teaches what we can do for the souls in purgatory through Mass, prayers, and sacrifices offered on their behalf. The Mass is the most powerful prayer we can offer for the poor souls in purgatory. The Church prays for the dead at every Mass that is offered and has been doing so since the very beginning of the Church. When we are at Mass and the dead are being prayed for during the Eucharistic Prayer, we should be praying for our loved ones who have died, and we should do so by name. This is the greatest help we can offer to all those who have died, especially those who have no one to pray for them. There are many souls who are abandoned by the living when they die because many people do not believe in praying for the dead, Christians and non-Christians alike. Another powerful prayer is the Rosary. When I pray the Rosary before each mystery I say, “Have mercy on the poor souls in purgatory especially those most abandoned.” We can also offer other prayers as well as make sacrifices on behalf of the poor souls like the little bumps and inconveniences we encounter in everyday life. The bottom line is that we make time to help the poor souls and they will help us and will not forget us when we are in purgatory ourselves.
ROCK THE RECTORY: I am very grateful to the Predictibles for the great concert and for “Rockin the Rectory” last Friday. The music was great, the weather was great, and everyone had a good time. So, thank you Chris Serger, Joe McNeill, and Josh Watson for sharing your talents with us. May God bless you and your families for all your good work. Hope we can do it again soon!
