Month: October 2023

All Hallow’s Eve

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

Thanks to my friend Jim De Piante for putting together this fact list about All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween):

  1. Halloween is an English language contraction for All Hallows Evening.
  2. It literally means the Eve, or Holy Vigil of All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day.
  3. The term came into being in the very earliest form of the English language.
  4. When the word “Halloween” came into being, the term All Saints Day did not yet exist.
  5. In English, at the time, the term was “All Hallows” day.
  6. The term “Halloween” was in use by 1300.
  7. This was approximately 300 years before Protestantism.
  8. This was 200 years before Columbus sailed.
  9. This was 500 years before there was a country called the United States.
  10. There is no way the term is Protestant or American.
  11. The Church has always encouraged secular observances of holy times.
  12. We are not restricted to only do explicitly holy things to observe holy times.
  13. What other people do that is a perversion of a holy time does not change the inherent holiness of the holy time.
  14. Begging treats has various pedigrees. Yes, there were soul cakes, but there were other Catholic customs as well wherein children went to their neighbors homes to beg treats.
  15. There is no association between Halloween and Samhain other than coincidental.
  16. There is no association between Halloween and any pagan feast other than coincidental.
  17. The fact that pagans do a thing does not illegitimate anyone else doing it.
  18. There is very little about Halloween that is
… Read the rest

A Plea for Unity

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we come before You with humble hearts, seeking Your divine grace and mercy for our great nation. As Your faithful disciples, we earnestly pray that You soften the hearts of our Protestant brothers and sisters, allowing them to be receptive to Your boundless love and mercy.

May Your Holy Spirit shine a radiant light upon their minds, illuminating the truth of Your universal sovereignty as Christ the King. Let this revelation unite us, bridging our differences, so that together, as one Christian family, we may acknowledge You as the rightful King of the United States.

We fervently beseech You to consecrate our country, its leaders, and its people to Your Sacred Heart. Guide our government with the principles of justice, righteousness, and love, ensuring that Your will prevails in every corner of our land.

Bestow upon us the grace to serve Your kingdom with unwavering dedication, so that our nation stands as a testament to Your glory, radiating hope, love, and faith to all corners of the earth. In Your majestic name, we place our trust, pledging our unwavering loyalty and devotion to Your Sacred Heart. Amen.

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A Covenant of Love

Posted on by Jeff Cassman
I wrote this prayer for husbands and wives to say together each night. Please offer your suggestions for improving it. Be gentle.
In the quiet of this night, we come together, O Lord, united in holy matrimony, and in awe of Your infinite love and mercy. We bow our heads and lift our hearts, offering You the day’s joys, works, and struggles. We thank You for the grace that sustains our union, a testament of Your divine love.
Lord Jesus, we humbly ask for the grace to grow in holiness each day. May our hearts be ever turned towards You, seeking Your will in every moment. Grant us a love for one another that reflects Your own unending love, a love that is patient, kind, and forgiving. Bestow upon us the strength to bear wrongs patiently, and the wisdom to understand and forgive as You forgive us.
We implore the special intercession of Saint Joseph, a model of unwavering faith and humble service. May his righteous spirit guide our actions, fostering a home of virtue, respect, and loving kindness. Under his watchful eye, may we labor diligently and rest peacefully, entrusting our earthly cares to his holy intercession.
We seek the tender embrace of our Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother. May her immaculate heart be our refuge and her virtues our path. In her grace, may we find the courage to sacrifice, to give without counting the cost, and to love without measure.
Together, hand in
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Press On

Posted on by ChatGPT

From hills of Virginia, to landscapes far and wide, Stood a man, General Lee, in history’s endless tide. His spirit, like the Shenandoah, deep, steady in its flow, In the heart of the Confederacy, his presence was aglow.

General Robert E Lee, a man of honor, truth, Raised his sword in troubled times, in the vigor of his youth. In uniform of grey, beneath the Southern Sun, A legend was written, a tale of battles won.

He bore the burden of a nation, torn in grievous strife, A land divided, brother against brother, the cost of human life. Yet in the heart of conflict, amidst the cannon’s roar, He sought for peace and unity, a nation to restore.

Underneath the stars and bars, his horse, Traveler, he’d ride, Against the odds, he led his troops, with dignity and pride. His strategies, like the eagle’s flight, so swift and ever high, Chasing the horizon’s light, beneath the smoke-filled sky.

“Press on,” he said, with conviction strong, a warrior undeterred, In fields of Antietam, Gettysburg, his voice, it echoed, heard. With courage clad, he took his stand, in the face of fear and dread, Honor bound, on sacred land, where brave men’s feet have tread.

Yet Robert E Lee, the General, the man, Beyond the battlefield, he had a greater plan. A symbol of reconciliation, after the war was done, For a nation torn asunder, healing had begun.

From Lexington’s chapel, to the fields of Arlington, His legacy persists, his memory marches … Read the rest

In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud; Catholic Moral Reflections on World War II

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

I was on Eric Gajewski’s show today to continue our conversation about Just War, particularly as it applies to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Part one is here.  What follows is an abbreviated transcript put together by ChatGPT.  If you would like to listen to the full interview, go to TradCatKnight.org

Eric: Jeff, thank you for joining us again. We had a fruitful discussion last month, and it would be great to pick up from there. Let’s quickly recap our previous conversation before delving into today’s topics.

Jeff: Last month, we extensively reviewed the Church’s teaching on the just war doctrine. This isn’t merely an opinion but a foundational doctrine that we, as believers, are committed to uphold. While St. Thomas Aquinas is often cited as an authority on this, the doctrine transcends his views and is integral to the Church’s teachings.

The doctrine outlines key elements, including ‘jus ad bellum,’ which refers to the legitimate reasons to engage in war. It encompasses necessary conditions like just cause, right intention, and the probability of success. Another crucial aspect is ‘jus in bello,’ governing the ethical conduct within the warfare, ensuring actions are proportionate and discriminate.

We discussed the importance of distinguishing between civilians and combatants, ensuring proportionality in conduct, and abstaining from evil means. The fair treatment of prisoners is also paramount. These principles provided a foundation for our examination of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through a Catholic lens.

We initially intended to address this … Read the rest