Bishop Gomez's homily during Memorial Mass
for victims of terrorist attacks

September 11 , 2001

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

First Reading: Phil 4:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11
Gospel: Jn 14:23-29

As children we learn that Scripture is the Word of God. As adults we believe that God is present in Scripture almost as tangibly as He is in the Eucharist. But the readings today seem to contradict the events of the last 10 hours.

It's hard to talk about peace when innocent people lie buried in the rubble of the World Trade Center. It's hard to believe Gospel words like, "Do not be distressed or fearful," when murderers crash a plane carrying children into a skyscraper.

Today is a crossroad in each of our lives. For the rest of our lives, we will remember today and the questions it raises:

How do we reconcile a God of love with a world where people consumed by hatred punish the innocent? How do we trust Psalm 145 that "the Lord is compassionate to all His creatures," when hundreds of His creatures, made in His image and now terribly wounded, suffer in the hospitals of New York?

We ask these questions -- and we fear that God is silent. We fear that He isn't there at all. Maybe the world does run on violence. Somewhere mixed in with the grief and anger in each of us tonight is the worry that all the pious slogans we've learned are powerless to protect anyone from the real evil we witnessed today.

We question God because we're human. And the noise and confusion in our hearts prevent us from listening. But God is not silent. He answers us with another question: Why would a God of love allow His own son to be misunderstood and murdered -- and then invite us to pick up the same cross, and follow the same path?

In the Gospel today Jesus says, "My peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace." And in the First Reading, St. Paul tells the Philippians, "Live according to what you have learned and accepted, what you have heard me say and seen me do. Then will the God of peace be with you."

When the towers of the World Trade Center caved in today, what collapsed with them was any illusion that we can create our own gods out of money or technology, or find safety in our own power and ingenuity.

The message of all Scripture is this: There is only one God, and only in Him will we find security, meaning and peace. What happened today is the way of the world -- the way of violence and hatred. What happened today is the way of the world -- the delusion that we can serve a higher good through terrorism and vengeance.

The world can't give us peace, and will never give us peace, because the world is at war with itself -- divided in its own heart by sin, and in need of redemption.

All day long, whenever I've closed my eyes, I've seen the face of a man I met in Rifle back in July who had just lost his daughter in [Rifle's] terrible shooting tragedy. He told me, "Bishop. I'm suffering -- but I'm not angry at God." In the middle of his sorrow, he still trusted in God. That's the kind of strength we're called to this evening.

In the Gospel today, Jesus says, "Anyone who loves me will be true to my word." Do we believe Him or not? Because we need to decide that tonight, and then we need to act on what we choose. Tonight is a crossroad in each of our lives. Our only security is God; the way to God is Jesus Christ; and the only way to follow Jesus Christ is to share in His work of redemption, which means sharing the cross, turning away from vengeance and anger, and loving others no matter what the cost.

St. Paul asks us to "live according to what you have learned and accepted." Living as disciples, living as people of love rather than hate, is the only road to peace -- real peace, the peace that frees us from fear.

This past weekend I visited Santa Fe on a pilgrimage. I had the chance to pray before an image of Mary that's hundreds of years old. It probably came with the first missionaries, and it's known as Our Lady of Peace. Mary was the first disciple and the living example of what real peace means. We should turn to her now to intercede for our country, our families and ourselves.

Through her prayers, may God grant that as individuals and as a nation, we'll be guided by a hunger for real peace, God's peace, in the days ahead.