By Jeffrey W. Daley • Director of Religious Education at St. Philip Neri, Pennsburg • Posted September 14, 2011

Over the past few days we have seen coverage from every angle of Sept. 11, 2001. We, as a community of believers, came together to remember and heal. We need to remember, that even in the face of evil  those four planes caused, good still triumphed.

We get to hear the thousands of stories that have emerged from the ashes of chaos, of those who were Christ to one another. Whether it was in the stairwells of the World Trade Center; those running to rescue victims at the Pentagon; or being empowered with the wisdom and strength to make a decision in the face of death on Flight 93.

Each one of us experienced Sept. 11 in our own way. We each have a story. What defines us a person is how we remember, reflect and respond to that experience.

Are we still in the healing process or we at peace? The only way to be truly at peace is to be healed. The only way to be healed is how we choose to remember our own experience. Over the past 10 years we have heard ordinary people called to do extraordinary things.

No matter your religious belief, we came together 10 years later to remember that God was truly apart of that day and without faith, hope and love evil would have won.

Every faith and nationality was touched in some way by this event. What the terrorist wanted was to divide and weaken yet it only united and strengthened.

We also need to remember those who are serving in the Armed Forces both hear and abroad; those who have died and those who have been injured to protect our freedom by directly confronting evil.

I walk out of my house everyday and look at my flag of the United States that flies 24/7 and say “I am proud to be an American!”

We can truly say “God Bless America!” He already has in so many ways.