Am I Required to Forgive Osama Bin Laden as a Catholic?
As someone who lost two dear friends on that dreaded day of September 11, 2001, I know how incredibly painful it must be for anyone…
september 11th
Being the “Other” on September 11, 2001
At 13, I walked the halls of my middle school proudly as the smart Egyptian girl who brought in stuffed grape leaves for lunch and…
‘Safe With Him’: What We Can Learn from Father Mychal Judge
The first picture I ever saw of Father Mychal Judge was a photo of his dead body. In the days following 9/11, I was haunted by the image of four men carrying the New York City fire department chaplain away from the Twin Towers. With the firefighters he served, Judge answered the calls for help, only to lose his life at Ground Zero. He was the first registered death of 9/11.
At first, I saw him as a tragic figure, a searing example of this country’s wounds. Since learning about his life, though, my perspective has shifted. Now I see him as a symbol of compassion, a vivid example of what it means to heal and be healed.
The Garden of Last Days
After the attacks of September 11th, it seemed like everyone was asking the same question: Why do they (the terrorists) hate us (Americans)? Some offered…