Discovering a new Catholic blog

I discovered a new blog today, kept by a young man named Nathaniel, who, it seems, could really use our prayers these days.

He is a Catholic
conscientious objector
Army Ranger
who's a student at West Point.

See what I mean about praying?

Yesterday he blogged:

Again, God proves to me that the obstacles I forsee are the ones he has already taken care of. The flip side to it, the one that keeps me from celebrating, is knowing that he has also laid out for me his hidden disciplines. Through such assured future suffering, I have a golden opportunity to come closer to Him.

What a miracle life is!

It is reminiscent to me of a lot of deserter and conscientious objector Catholic saints all the way back to St. Maximilian the Great Martyr.

Another Catholic conscientious objector, the martyr Franz Jagerstatter, wrote to his wife and daughters not long before his execution:

Through His bitter suffering and death, Christ freed us only from eternal death, not from temporal suffering and mortal death. But Christ, too, demands a public confession of our faith, just as the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler does from his followers. ...... I am convinced that it is still best that I speak the truth, even if it costs me my life....... I cannot and may not take an oath in favor of a government that is fighting an unjust war. ..... I thank my dear Jesus, too, that I am privileged to suffer and even die for Him ..... the heart of Jesus, the heart of Mary, and my own heart are one, united for time and eternity. Mary with Child so dear, give us all your blessings!

So, stop sometime today and pray for Nathaniel, and any other of our brothers and sisters who may be in a similar situation. And pay his blog "Eclipsoul" a visit or three, it looks like it will become quite fruitful.
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