Where were you when the world stopped turning?

September 11, 2001, started off just like any other day.  I was 15 years old, on my way out the door to go meet my carpool to go to Pius, when I hear on the TV that a plane had hit one of the twin towers.  I didn't think much of it, thinking it must have been cloudy in NYC, and some tiny prop plane must have gotten turned around, and hit one of the towers.  It wasn't until I got to school, and we heard on the radio that a second plane had hit tower two, that we realized that something bigger was going on.  Walking through the hallways, people were almost in a state of shock, wondering what was going on.  Rumors were flying, but when the school day started at 8 AM, and Fr. McKenna, our chaplain, came on the PA and told us that we were in the midst of a great tragedy in our nation, we knew that something big was happening.  I remember how hard it was to concentrate that day, seeing the images on TV in Mr. Torres' English Class, trying to concentrate in classes where teachers were still attempting to teach, but not being able to because of the fear that was setting in over what might happen next- the eerie quietness over the city because all air traffic was grounded, save for the fighters taking off from the Air Force Base.

What has happened that day changed our lives forever.  Looking back, it's hard to believe it's been 10 years since that day, and it's hard to believe how many lives have been changed- not just here, but in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's interesting to me that the readings for Mass yesterday, the 10th Anniversary, speak of forgiveness.  This wasn't something that the Church cleverly designed, or planned for.  In the normal rotation of readings, This particular set for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, just happened to land on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.  I wonder if God is trying to tell us something?