These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

FRIDAY, WEEK XXIII, ORDINARY TIME—19th Anniversary of September 11, 2001

Responsorial Psalm         (Psalm 84)
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I remember this day 19 years ago when I was on retreat at Saint Meinrad Seminary. After my session with my spiritual director, he told me that something had happened and that I should go directly to the television in the faculty lounge. It was terrible to watch in real time as reporters and the whole country tried to figure out exactly what was taking place. But the seminary had no problem . . . we knew just what to do. We all gathered in the chapel to pray. As the psalmist says: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!