Gerald Kleczka: “It was one year ago that we first shared that sense of inimitable sadness upon learning that thousands of our fellow…”

“It was one year ago that we first shared that sense of inimitable sadness upon learning that thousands of our fellow Americans were suddenly and unexpectedly lost to us forever. They met their ends in the fields of western Pennsylvania; at our national military headquarters in Washington, DC; in two of the world's tallest office buildings in New York City. Some were sitting down for work, or simply taking a plane trip when the unthinkable occurred. Hundreds of others, heroes, were taken from us as they selflessly struggled to bring others to safety. We came together today to honor their memory. In churches, synagogues, mosques, schools, homes, and workplaces across the land and around the world people will observe moments of silence in solemn remembrance. We pray for those left behind, whose lives are scarred forever with the loss of loved ones. We ask God for healing for them and for our country. We also gather as a nation to lift our voices in song. While uniting us across the miles, our shared music today not only pays homage to the lives lost, but reaches out to embrace the grieving. The songs give us a shared strength by allowing us to publicly reaffirm the triumphs of our humanity over terror, of community over hatred, of rebuilding over destruction. May today's remembrances bring honor to the memory of those who died one year ago, healing to the wounded of body and spirit, and the blessings of courage and strength for all who remember.”