“You do what God has called you to do. You get on that rig, you go out and do the job”

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FDNY Father Mychal Judge

Excerpts from the Last Homily of Father Mychal Judge FDNY Chaplain, at Mass for Firefighters: Sept. 10, 2001:

You do what God has called you to do. You get on that rig, you go out and do the job. No matter how big the call, no matter how small, you have no idea of what God is calling you to do, but God needs you. He needs me. He needs all of us.

God needs us to keep supporting each other, to be kind to each other, to love each other…

We love this job, we all do. What a blessing it is! It’s a difficult, difficult job, but God calls you to do it, and indeed, He gives you a love for it so that a difficult job will be well done.

Isn’t God wonderful?!

Isn’t He good to you, to each one of you, and to me?

Turn to God each day — put your faith, your trust, your hope and your life in His hands.

He’ll take care of you, and you’ll have a good life.

And this firehouse will be a great blessing to this neighborhood and to this city. Amen.

See full text of Mychal’s Last Homily here

Blessed John Paul II offered the day after the events of September 11th, 2001, at his weekly audience of Sept. 12, 2001:

“Yesterday was a dark day in the history of humanity, a terrible affront to human dignity. After receiving the news, I followed with intense concern the developing situation, with heartfelt prayers to the Lord. How is it possible to commit acts of such savage cruelty? The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people. But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail. Christ’s word is the only one that can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.”

Reflections of 9|11

Like so many of us, the events of 9|11 have transcended time in a way that makes the events of that day, and the weeks and months that have now turned into years still feel like yesterday in so many ways.

As this, the 16^th anniversary of 9|11 arises and transcends into the remembrance, recollections and reminders of what that day and place in time was in the years that have passed and still is today and as it will beÂthe future of our nation’s history and heritage. Each of us has stories, recollections and emotions related to 9|11. Many were directly involved to a degree that all of us certainly desired and to so many who never wished for it. The streaming consciousness of recollections and emotions never seemed to be too far below the surface or recessed in the back of your mind; but have now become discernible with palpable presence.

Each of us in the fire and emergency services carry with us direct or indirect reminders of 9|11; its history, legacy and the accounts and events that manifest themselves into what our place in time; at that time was and are.

Whether we were at Ground Zero physically on 9|11 or there in the ensuing months after or emotionally connected in some way; on this day we each have our remembrances that have made us who we are today and that will stay with us forever.

To many of our brothers, the survivors of 9|11; who worked relentlessly at Ground Zero for months that seamlessly flowed into one another, they endured the effects of those days of days well into the ensuing years and the present.

The effects of 9|11 continue to impact the fire service, the firehouses and the families and loved ones. We have recognized the extent of the continuing sacrifices made that continue to impact the survivors, the rescuers and all those that were affected by the events of that period of time. I began to think of so many personal friends; of those who would be called brothers in the tradition of our fire service –all victims of 9|11.

These were firefighters that I had the privilege and honor of knowing over many, many years, of working with directly in various capacities on state and national level projects, tasks forces or committees, of having the opportunity to run alarms in the various boroughs of New York City back in the day while taking in tours and ride-alongs with their company and the house. There are certainly lots of tremendous memories of those simple days pre- 9|11 and certainly in the recollections and in the tears of the post 9|11 days, certainly up to today.

Each of us has had a journey in our lives in the passing years since that day of September 11^th, 2001.

We all share a common bond that is defined by who we as firefighters.

We are also defined by our families and loved ones and by the paths these passing years have given us; and where they may lead us in the years ahead.

September 11, 2002 ~ September 10, 2011

As Father Mychal Judge stated; You do what God has called you to do. You get on that rig, you go out and do the job. No matter how big the call, no matter how small, you have no idea of what God is calling you to do, but God needs you. He needs me. He needs all of us. God needs us to keep supporting each other, to be kind to each other, to love each other…

We love this job, we all do. What a blessing it is! It’s a difficult, difficult job, but God calls you to do it, and indeed, He gives you a love for it so that a difficult job will be well done.

The First Step of Our Journey ( first written and published in September, 2001) HERE
http://www.firegroundleadership.com/2011/09/10/911-honor-and-remembrance-ten-year-anniversary
Better Angels: the Firefighters of 9/11 is 343 individual oil paintings of the firefighters who died on 9/11, created to honor the lives they lived and the people they loved. See the 343 http://betterangels911.com/

We are brothers; we share a rich tradition, of duty, honor, courage, fortitude and family. Let us take pause today and each and every day hence to truly honor the sacrifices made on this day in 2001 and to honor the memories of those we knew and those that were part of the bond of the firefighting brotherhood that defines the American Fire Service.

It’s not something you do, It’s something you are…