Many horrors of Sept. 11, 2001, offer inspiration for Respect Life Month

Posted Sept. 26, 2002

As we prepare to celebrate Respect Life Month-2002, especially in the wake of the horrors of last year's Sept. 11, attack on our country, our prayers and reflections must assume some very concrete images. In this regard, the theme for this year's observance has been borrowed from the words of Pope John Paul to young people in Kazakhstan last year. "You are a thought of God. You are a heartbeat of God. To say this is like saying that you have a value....that is infinite, that you matter to God in your complete individuality."

In the variety of sufferings of Sept. 11, 2001, plenty of examples of human testimony supporting the Holy Father's statement about the dignity of the human being occurred. Many appeared over and over again on national, state and local media coverage. To cite just a few examples, the collection of stories of heroism are graphically recounted in the New York Times' "Portraits of Grief."

As the flier published as part of this year's Respect Life manual and kit states, "Never forget the examples of ordinary men and women who have borne heroic witness to the sanctity and dignity of human life."

Among the heroes were a firefighter who was unable to abandon a paraplegic trapped in the burning tower - and finally died alongside the victim struggling to escape. A chaplain, Father Mychal Judge, died while ministering to victim unable to escape the fires of a twin tower. Moreover, several female members of emergency care units remained on the scene of tragedies and perished along with other victims.

Considered along with these ordinary heroes were thousands of victims, who never saw the light of day following the explosions in the twin towers, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania countryside.

Our Respect Life Month flier has some wise advice for all who are taking time to thank the Lord for the gift of life, and for heroes who demonstrate its intrinsic value. A final word from the flier offers these thoughts:

"Compare this disdain for life with the attitude of rescue personnel and employees who struggled to help others evacuate the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and those brave passengers who forced a plane to crash in Pennsylvania thereby saving countless lives. Their acts of heroism expressed a conviction that every human life - even the lives of strangers - is precious."

What an inspirational guide is found for Respect Life Month 2002 through the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001. The Lord is continuing his working of good from evil!