On September 11, 2001—a clear, sunny, late summer day—al Qaeda terrorists aboard three hijacked passenger planes carried out coordinated suicide attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing everyone on board the aircraft and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. Coordinated as we would later learn, those of us of an age that remember these events, down to the very date that was numbers dialed from the cellphones of victims of this cruel attack along with many last heartfelt goodbyes left on answering machines. Many of the people who died in this event knew they would die.
It is one of the most frightening days in my memory, with more personal implications than I have time to describe here except to say that my hometown of Binghamton, NY. It is a town situated to NYC like Floresville is to San Antonio. 14 people from my hometown perished that day. They either worked at the World Trade Center or were First Responders.
When the Spiritual Care Team expressed a desire to have a prayer service dedicated to the people who responded to 9/11, honoring those who were lost, and the valor of our service members who pursued our attackers, delivered justice to Osama bin Laden, and degraded al-Qa’ida, my heart became so full I do not have words for it. I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to remember, honor, and pray today.
On September 10, 2021, President Joesph Biden declared 9/11 as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, writing, “On Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we honor every life taken too soon. Today, on this Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we move forward as one Nation, united by our shared goal of liberty and justice for all. We remember those killed on September 11, 2001, and honor them through acts of service. I encourage all Americans to seek opportunities to serve others on this day and to demonstrate that the ideals we hold, which many have tried to attack and destroy, are the very bonds that hold us together — even tighter in times of peril.”
Vita Wilkie was a psychiatric nurse I worked with during 9/11. When I told her my desire to cancel a scheduled trip home to N.Y. in October after what happened, she urged me, “NO! If you change your plans, you let the terrorists win!” Much to my husband’s dismay, I did not change my plans.
My cousins, aunts and uncles were in a profound state of grief when I arrived in my hometown. The whole purpose of the trip was to introduce my baby boy to my extended family, but he seemed almost invisible. Of course, we hugged, and I listened to them express their pain, and at some point, I expressed my pain to my great Auntie.
She was suddenly determined not to let terror win as well. Before I knew exactly what was happening, I called all Viscontis and La Rosas far and wide as she contacted a hotel to arrange an enormous catered family reunion. I can clearly remember her saying, “Tell your cousins to dress nicely, dolly. If I see one of them looking like a bum, I will send them home to change.”
I was baffled at first by this incredible act. We had a great time, my son was fussed over, and there were Oooohs and Ahhhs and my great big Italian family being sooooo Italian - and the timing seemed weird at first, with people in so much pain.
With time, I came to see what she did as an act of not letting the terrorists win either. How incredibly wise.
In NY, every home was adorned in one way or another with American flags, the trees in complete fall colorful splendor, every home, people of every political leaning and way of life, had a flag hanging from it, city block after city block. Strangers hugged strangers; people checked in on one another. There were so many lost, yet no one lost a system of support.
We experienced harmonious relationships and were unified in purpose, which is what is most important to remember today. On this Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, let us do everything in our power to recapture that unified spirit despite our differences and leanings. In that way, our enemies will never, ever win.
I thank you for listening.
Prayer is an act of service, so let us serve on this day of Service and Remembrance now through prayer. I invite you to take up your normal posture of prayer and bring to mind the God of your understanding or virtue you have faith in. Let us pray:
Infinite Ground of our Being:
Let all of us remember with love and compassion this day.
Let us grieve with those who still mourn and share memories with those who cannot forget.
Let us draw strength from those who bravely responded and gave their lives to save others.
Let us thank and praise those in the armed forces who delivered justice to Osama bin Laden and degraded al-Qa’ida.
Let us stand with strangers who became neighbors that day and remember their generosity and hospitality.
Let us continue to work for a world free from every form of hatred, violence, and ignorance.
May live Grace-filled love when hate seems to reign.
May we bear witness to the cause of peace in your holy name.
In gratitude, we uphold these intentions reverently, AMEN.
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