BISHOP MURPHY'S HOMILY FROM THE MASS FOR VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11th
September 10, 2003


"In the Torah, Moses enjoins on the followers of the Law this solemn injunction: “Today I offer you the choice of life and good, or death and evil…Choose life and then you and your descendants will live…”
(Dt 30: 11,20) Two years ago a small group of evil minded men chose death and chose to inflict death and evil on the innocent, young and old from every strata of our society here in New York and Washington as they hijacked four planes to wreak their havoc and destruction. Each of us here tonight, across this island and country, indeed around the world, has been affected by this brutal act of terrorism. Neither tonight nor in the years to come will we ever be able adequately to plumb the depths of the suffering or give speech to the feelings that dwell in broken hearts too well acquainted with the pain of loss.. But gathering as we do tonight, our being together is a true and meaningful counteract to terrorism and to evil. For what we say tonight and everyday of our lives is that we reject death and evil. We choose life and good. And while we carry this sorrow in our hearts, this pain deep into the very bowels of our being, we will never follow the men of evil. We will always choose life. We will always seek what is good."