We hear the phrase “Church Militant” often right now. Rightly so. We are in a war. War on the spiritual, angelic level rages around us constantly. The world, the flesh and the Devil war upon us as we struggle along in this vale of tears towards our patria, our heavenly fatherland.
Heck, we are even being warred upon by higher ups in the Church herself!
On this Feast of All Saints, I want to share something with you that moved me this morning as I read it.
Yesterday, Pres. Trump presented the Medal of Honor to Master Sgt. Matthew O. Williams, for his actions in Afghanistan. As I watched the blurb on the news I caught a view of his awards and decorations. He had already won a Silver Star and Bronze Star. “Who is this guy?”, quoth I.
I read about the action he was in and the citation.
Read about him and Operation Commando Wrath and what happened on 6 April 2008 in the Shok Valley of Afghanistan. HERE
He said in the interview I saw on the news that he expects to return to his unit at Fort Bragg tomorrow and get back to work.
Friends, if you need something to inspire you on a hard day, if you need encouragement in living your vocation well, pick any MOH recipient and read the citation. If you are not moved thereafter to try to do some task today with zeal, focus and excellence, then you are not paying attention to the clock ticking on your time among us.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
Ephesians 6:12 DRA
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I love this, thank you. A soapbox I like to get on sometimes is “who are our heroes”, as a society? You can learn a lot about a culture by looking at who they venerate. The celebrities of the coastal elite aren’t role models. You don’t look to them to emulate anything other than decadence and affluence. Decadence has it’s root in the word “decay”, meaning literally “to fall apart”. Affluence is more straightforward, meaning “flowing abundantly”. Modern celebrities are falling apart from their excess, and it shows.
How many Medal of Honor recipients can we name? I can only name one: Sgt. Daly, whose famous quote is rendered “Come on, you apes, you want to live forever?” It’s a good reflection for the Church Militant, too.
That’s one of the reasons I appreciate reverence for Saints. They are heroes we can emulate. They are just like us, only moreso. Medal of Honor recipients have heroic virtue too, and they are great examples to live by. This is a great reflection for All Saints Day. Thank you!
The CMH was created during the American Civil War, and, during that war, was awarded to two non-Catholic chaplains for their bravery. Since the Civil War, five chaplains have received the CMH, every one a Catholic priest:
1. Fr. Joseph Timothy O’Callahan, Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve (World War II — the only chaplain out of 464 recipients during that war).
2. Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun, Captain, U.S. Army (Korea, awarded posthumously).
3. Fr. Angelo J. Liteky, Captain, U.S. Army (Vietnam).
4. Fr. Charles Joseph Watters, Major, U.S. Army (Vietnam, awarded posthumously).
5. Servant of God Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy (Vietnam, awarded posthumously).
The first American chaplain to be killed in action was Fr. Emmeran Bliemel, OSB of the Confederate 10th Tennessee Regiment, who died in the battle of Jonesboro while giving last rites to a dying officer in the field. The Sons of Confederate Veterans later awarded him the Confederate Medal of Honor.
Virtus tentamine gaudet
Christus vincit