God Is With Us

Sep 9

Tower of Strength artwork by Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS

Twenty-five years ago, I was a young priest beginning my second year as campus minister at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE, when the terrorist attacks happened around the country on 9/11/01. Younger people who only know that day from history lessons and television scenes may think it was pure chaos and confusion. This was certainly true for most of the day. A fear that the attacks might continue, the uncertainty of the loss of life, and the threat of the unknown were powerful and palpable. Internet and phone outages throughout the day only added to the anxiety.

However, by evening there seemed to be an awareness that the worst was over. The reality of that terrible day was settling in, but so was a sense of unity, a witness of faith, and a strong hope for peace.

“Let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke, in an uproar - do not fear, for God is with us. ”

— St. Francis de Sales

That Tuesday night, a hundred students and their families gathered on the steps of the school to be together, to stand united, and to pray for those who had lost their lives. We found comfort in the words of St. Francis de Sales: "Let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke, in an uproar - do not fear, for God is with us." This advice, given almost four hundred years ago, seemed to be speaking to our whole world that very night.

We ended our service with the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. In the midst of anger and hatred, we asked to be made instruments of peace, sowers of love, bearers of light, and agents of forgiveness. Our school continued to hear and to pray the words of the two famous saints named Francis throughout the academic year.

Twenty-five years later, the memories may have faded a bit, but the prayers remain relevant. We are still working for peace and reconciliation. New horrors and hostilities have occurred since that September morning. The darkness of the day has disappeared; the smoke has cleared, but the world still seems to be upside down.

Following 9/11, many people questioned God's presence and power. They experienced doubts, struggled with faith, and questioned their religion. At the same time, others found comfort imagining God walking through the World Trade Center, grasping the hands of victims, and whispering words of hope in the final moments of so many lives.

These same emotions and questions continue to this day. The answers may seem hidden to some and obvious to others. The words of DeSales echo the Christian belief that "God so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten Son (John 3:16)." God so loved the world that he sent his only Son... into the darkness, into the smoke, into the planes, into the stairwells. God was with us; God is with us. God will deliver us from every evil and grant us peace... one day.