Ordinary Time, 24th Sunday (B) Actions speak louder than words. God says he loves us. But we see it for ourselves when the Word becomes flesh and dies on the cross for us. Where was God on September 11, 2001? Tom Colucci was a New York firefighter working at ground zero. He saw God in the way that people came together and helped one another. He saw God giving him strength to attend all the funerals and get through those 9 months.

Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, Jr., was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven years. He saw God when he was being tortured to the limit of his endurance. The moment he prayed and gave it to God was when he experienced both physical comfort and serenity of mind.

I was running last week when I felt exhausted. I said a prayer and handed it over to God. At that moment it was like God right there receiving my sacrifice. It reminded me of a time on retreat when I felt the closeness of God as if my words didn't have to travel any distance at all. How would your prayer be different if you realized that it went from from your lips to God's ear? How would your sufferings be different if you remember that Jesus was with you and was wanting to help carry your burden?

(12 Sep 2021)

Going Deeper: The image for this post was taken by Anne Bybee. Read the story A Picture of Hope from 9/11. And also watch the short YouTube video Why This 9/11 Firefighter Became a Priest.

The Pilgrim Priest podcast is available again on Stitcher. You can find us on a dozen or so podcast platforms. Leave a comment about your favorite podcast platform or send me an email and suggest a new platform.