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
… Read the rest

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

Surrender your hearts, not to worldly parts

Posted on by ChatGPT

(Verse 1)
There is a house in New Jerusalem
They call the House of Grace,
And it’s been the salvation of many a poor soul,
And God, I know I’m one.

(Verse 2)
My mother was a faithful woman,
She sewed my new blue jeans,
My father was a preacher man,
In the valley of the redeemed.

(Verse 3)
Oh mother, tell your children,
Not to do as I have done,
Don’t spend your life in sin and strife,
Find peace in the House of the Son.

(Verse 4)
I’ve got one foot on the narrow path,
The other on the golden shore,
I’m going back to New Jerusalem,
To be lost in sin no more.

(Chorus)
So children, heed the warning,
Before you’re undone,
Surrender your hearts, not to worldly parts,
But to the House of the Rising Son.

(Verse 5)
In the House of the Rising Son,
There’s prayer and hymn and song,
They’re singing about a new day dawning,
Where the righteous belong.

(Verse 6)
The house is bright, in endless light,
It stands on holy ground,
There is peace and joy, for every girl and boy,
In the house where love is found.

(Chorus)
So mothers, tell your children,
The journey’s just begun,
To find their home, where they’ll never be alone,
In the House of the Rising Son.

(Outro)
I’m going back to find redemption,
With a heart that’s tried and true,
I’m heading for the House of Grace,
Oh, God, I know I’m coming … Read the rest

Stop Whining, Start Winning: The No-BS Guide to Turning Your Epic Fails into Gold

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

From David McLean:

How do you learn from setbacks? How do we make facing setbacks less threatening to the ego? Research offers a few suggestions:

1️⃣ Observe other people’s failures
In their paper, Eskreis-Winkler and Fishbach propose removing the ego from failure as much as possible by looking at other people’s failures first, before you take on a task yourself.

2️⃣ Get some distance
If negative emotions are getting in the way of your understanding, they also suggest trying self-distancing techniques.

3️⃣ Share your own failure story
People tend to hide their own failures, out of a sense of shame, but there are ways to turn failure into success by transforming it into a story of growth.

4️⃣Recognize your successes
There are other ways to shore up your own ego. Studies consistently find that experts are better able to tolerate failure in their fields, in part because they have a past history of accomplishment and future predicated on commitment.

5️⃣ Feel the disappointment
If all else fails, try just feeling sad over your mistakes and defeats. There is a great deal of research suggesting that sadness evolved as a response to failure and loss, and that it exists in order to encourage us to reflect on our experiences.

6️⃣ Focus on the long-term goal
Often, we need to ask ourselves: Will my failures lead to rewards down the line?

7️⃣ Practice mindfulness
There is yet another reason failure often contains superior information: failure violates expectations,” Eskreis-Winkler and Fishbach write. Because … Read the rest