DeJak
The End of the Soldier
Chesterton famously commented, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” In this pithy statement, Chesterton encapsulates the end or purpose of a soldier. We saw this honored with the posthumous awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Army Chaplain…
Holy Saturday and The Blessing of the Easter Food
My grandfather’s sister, my great-Aunt Ann, was a formidable old Slovenian spinster. A woman who suffered greatly, she had no natural children of her own and lost her husband when his airplane crashed in the Pacific during World War II. She was a force to be reckoned with during her whole life and when she…
The Plan of this Pontificate: The Standard of Christ
It is fitting that the Holy Father’s Mass of Inauguration will be offered on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, as the Holy Father has indicated his great devotion to St. Joseph. Indeed, the first days of his Pontificate have also shown his tender and devoted love for Our Blessed Lady,…
For the Conclave: Sub tuum praesidium
It is no surprise that the Catholic and non-Catholic media are buzzing at a fevered pitch concerning the upcoming Conclave. The situation is truly unprecedented for the Church and I must admit to a certain unease about the whole thing. Not only about the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, but also about the stories of…
The Confidence of Campion
In the Preface to the American edition of his 1946 biography of the Jesuit saint and martyr, Edmund Campion, Evelyn Waugh wrote: We have seen the Church driven underground in one country after another. The martyrdom of Fr. Pro in Mexico re-enacted Campion’s. In fragments and whispers we get news of the other saints in…
Defending the Sanctity of Human Life with Fr. Ciszek
This month commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision of the United States Supreme Court which held that an unborn child is not a person and therefore not deserving of protection of the laws of the United States. One of the first signs of a totalitarian government is the mastery of words…
In the Light of Reality
For all of the iPhones, iPads and modern comforts and conveniences, we all still seem to want the basics. We want something real. A good hot cup of coffee brewed on a frosty Minnesota winter morning is one of the great gifts of the earth and its Creator (couple it with bacon and eggs, and…
Feast of the Epiphany–The Annual House Blessing
(picture courtesy of Fr. John Trigilio’s blog) *Many local parishes will provide the faithful with blessed chalk and incense. If your parish does not offer this, approach your priest (pester him if you have to!) and ask him to bless a piece of chalk for this traditional house blessing and devotion. The family gathers…
Today is St. John’s Feast Day–Did You Have Your Wine Blessed?
If not, grab a couple of bottles and run over to your parish and have Father bless the wine! When uncorking the bottles, don’t forget to raise the glass of blessed wine to one another (including the children, as is the custom) and toast: “Drink to the love of St. John the Divine.” Prayer at…
