One of the most touching things for me in the films of the Hindenburg disaster is that moment when the U.S. Navy sailors stop running away from the burning wreck, stand for a moment, and then start running TOWARD the burning ship to save survivors. It seems like what Father Mike was talking about.

Dan, Milan:

Thank you both. Once my confessor Father Mike and I were discussing the Hindenburg. I mentioned to him, Captain Pruss’s actions of re-entering the ship despite of his own serious burns to rescue survivors and doing so until restrained by rescuers. Father Mike replied that the man had exhibited great charity. I have never understood charity towards neighbor in those terms until Father Mike had made that remark. Can I ever pray the second Joyful mystery on my Rosary, “The Visitation”, while asking for the Virtue of Charity Towards Neighbor with the same perspective?

Amen and God Bless.

Great point as always, Dagmara. Amen and God Bless

Privet, Dagmara! Yup, Patrick’s blog is a masterpiece; I really hope that we’ll get it in print one day – I’d pay big bucks for it.

A good while back, I was on Patrick Russel’s blog, Faces of the Hindenburg and read his article on Chief Radio Officer Willy Speck. The moment I read this: “. . . he [Speck] lay trapped in or near the control car. Captain Max Pruss, who had initially escaped the wreck with comparatively minor burns, ran back into the flames to rescue his old friend . . .” I thought that if I have only one friend in my life and that this friend did something like that for me, I would be far more fortunate than many people. Then somewhere from within me came this question “Can I be that friend? If not, why not?” What have we really done for any of our friends?