Our Lord’s connected to unsung Heroes of Truth, Justice, and Valor. Today, in my preemptive corner of a West Texas Mac D’s your Spirit has drawn attention to a Maryknoll missionary named Fr. Vincent R. Capodanno; a devout minister turned Marine during the Vietnam War.

Let’s discern a small Script from a Homily given in combat. “Our minds groan among the tragedies and complexities of life; with hesitation folks except no glib answer—how would Jesus grow a Seed-of-Faith in a combat zone where grunts are seemingly guilty of Disobedience and Murder?”[1] God offers no facile replies to intricate Threads-of-Calamity.

Ponder the Life, Love, and Courage of Christ when surrounded by Wayward Souls and Assassins He asked God to forgive them for they knew not what they did. Jesus grew Faith and Followers out of Human-Despair and is linked to all History, Religion and Culture.

“In the one hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander Epiphanes, son of Antiochus, came up and took Ptolemais. They accepted him as king and he began to reign there. When King Demetrius heard of it, he mustered a very large army and marched out to engage him in battle. Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan written in peaceful terms, to exalt him; for he said: “Let us be the first to make peace with him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us, since he will remember all the wrongs we have done to him, his brothers, and his nation.”

So Demetrius authorized him to gather an army and procure arms as his ally; and he ordered that the hostages in the citadel be released to him. Accordingly Jonathan went to Jerusalem and read the letter to all the people and to those who were in the citadel. They were struck with fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather an army. Those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he gave them back to their parents. Thereafter Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build and restore the city.” (1 Maccabees 10:1-10 NABRE)

Every Culture is Hostage to Sin, some ask Forgiveness and the Spirit-of-Christ is rejoins them to their Father-in-Heaven. What are some of the wrongs Society has incurred over time? God offers Restitution, restores Faith and seeks Justice through silent Champions-of-Faith like Fr. Vincent who died in Vietnam, “manifesting Courage and Sacrifice in the Line-of-Duty.”

[1] Mode, Daniel L. “The Grunt Padre.” CMJ Marian Publishers. Oak Lawn Ill., 1992 p. 106,172.