“Alright, boys, let’s go on in there and set up these guns for firing … We have a job to do!” Those were the final words ever spoken by Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone on Feb. 19, 1945, on the first day of the Battle of Iwo Jima. In May, we, as a nation, will observe Memorial Day, honoring the solemn sacrifice made by all those in uniform who perished defending our freedom. For Catholics, in particular, Memorial Day renders a unique opportunity to reflect upon the deeper meaning of sacrifice as it applies to both our daily lives and to...

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June is known as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus most simply because the solemnity of the Sacred Heart is celebrated during this month. This year, the solemnity falls on June 16. The date changes each year because it is celebrated on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, or the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost. However, other reasons exist as to why June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The feast dates back to 1673, when a French nun who belonged to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France began to receive v...

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