Dear TIA,

I am a medical officer in the U.S. Navy currently assigned to a Marine infantry unit that is set to deploy to an extremely hostile region of Afghanistan to engage in combat operations.

I read with great benefit the TIA article "The Military Virtues that Each Catholic Must Have". I would like to hear more.

Would you kindly suggest the most efficacious prayers, meditations, medals, spiritual devotions, etc. to help me persevere, especially given the fact that I will not have access to a Catholic priest while in the combat theatre?

Thank you.

     In Christ,

     R.L, M.D.



TIA responds:

Dear Dr. R.L.,

We are rewarded to know that our efforts are producing some good fruits, such as the benefits you report.

Regarding other articles that may help you to persevere, we recommend you to select some of the following commentaries by Prof. Plinio on Our Lady Help of Christians, who assisted Catholic warriors in the Battle of Lepanto, and Our Lady of Covadonga, who helped the Spaniard warriors to start the Reconquista; the life of Popes St. Pius V, Inquisitor and the great supporter of Lepanto, as well as Blessed Urban II, who convened the First Crusade; St. Bernard the inspirer of the Military Order of the Templar Knights and the preacher of the Second Crusade.

Among the Saints who were Crusaders you can find commentaries on these: King St. Louis, Blessed Pedro Rodrigues, commander of the Order of St. James of the Sword, St. Gerard Mecatti.

Military Saints fighting against the Muslims include St. Callistus of Huesca, St. Emilan of Autun, St. John Capistrano.

Among the Warrior Saints we have Emperor St. Henry II, St. Steven King of Hungary, St. Wenceslas King of Bohemia, St. Oswald King of Northumbria, St. Elesbaan King of Ethiopia, Blessed Nuno Alvares Pereira the Constable of Portugal, St. Elzear, St. Valeriano, St. Victor of Marseille, St. Artemius.

Not to mention St. Michael Archangel head of the celestial armies, Elias the Prophet the Prince of the Prophets of the Old Testament, and St. Joan of Arc, who saved France, leading troops against a long and unjust occupation.

We hope you will find inspiration from some of the edifying deeds of these great models for Catholics.

As for devotions and practices, we believe the most important are the prayer of the daily Rosary, to carry the Miraculous Medal and the Carmelite scapular, which holds a promise of eternal salvation for those who die wearing it.

You can count on our prayers for the same end, and we will include your perseverance in the intentions for the Mass that is regularly said for our donors, friends, supporters and readers.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Dear TIA,

I am disgusted by the display of flesh in your "photo of the week", August 15th.

I cannot understand how such a display could have been tolerated in a Catholic church. How far have our standards fallen! These young "ladies" are gross occasions of sin and should have no place in the House of God.

How different it all was less than 50 years ago, when a girl would be punished in school for having her hem just an inch shorter than the regulation length! As an additional humiliation brown paper would have been pinned to her skirt for the remainder of the day.

In the institution where I worked, girls wore a "modesty robe," a very long and loose garment, which allowed them to wash and dress while remaining fully covered. So great was our understanding of the dangers of the flesh in those days.

I am not sure how we can teach modesty to such girls as featured in your photograph. I suspect a few swishes of the rod to the exposed flesh might well have the desired affect.

     Yours sincerely,

     C.P., Ireland

TIA,

Just inquiring on how do I go about requesting Gregorian Masses to be said for a deceased person? I am a Parish Secretary at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church and I suggest to people about Gregorian Masses said for loved ones.

Is there a pamplet to give them in which they can send you their intentions for their deceased family and friends?

Thank you very much and may the dear Lord bless you.

     D.R.



TIA responds:

D.R.,

You may check here where to ask for Gregorian Masses.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

The article 'Converting Jews - What a difference' was spot on.

The capacity to deceive and be deceived seems at times to be without limits, yet it is not really so. There were few who knew that the Zionists had plans to get the land away from the Palestinians in World War I in order to establish a homeland for a people without a home or land. Thanks to the Balfour Declaration, that happened. World War II was started to arouse world sympathy for a Jewish State, which came about in 1948 thanks to American and British leaders.

Adolph Hitler can be said to have done more to establish the state of Israel than anyone else. In 1933, maybe even sooner, the leaders of the 3rd Reich collaborated with the Zionists to get Jews not only out of Germany but Europe as well, because they were not leaving Europe as fast or as numerous as the Zionists wanted for Palestine. The Reich was rewarded by the Zionists for each settler they sent to Palestine and this bargin was called the Transfer Agreement.

The so-called Holocaust of the Jews, something that for more years some want to think about, has been the subject of much reappraisal, actually starting formally in the late 40's, but with doubters as early as when the wars ended. Certainly without the widespread belief the holocaust happened just the way we have been told it did happen, the modern state of Israel may not exist.

World War II ended in 1945 but not for the Palestinians, and since the land where Jesus died has been turned over to his crucifiers, there has been and will continue to be hell to pay. When a war ends, the first books written on it is often done so by the winners.

     Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us.

     S.M.

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