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Former Navy SEAL Team Six / Development Group (DEVGRU) Operator Dom Raso knows something about battle—both physical and spiritual.
As one of the most elite soldiers in the United States military, Raso’s name is revered across the country for his service as well as his contributions to research and development of military techniques. But perhaps more significant than his unparalleled military accomplishments is the way he has sustained a will to fight—both for American freedom and for the glory of God.
Dom has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and has been a guest on prolific podcasts with millions of subscribers, but he isn’t looking for fame. Raso summarizes himself in his Instagram biography as: “Veteran Navy SEAL, Catholic, Husband, and Father of 5.”
In conversation with Word on Fire, Raso shares stories from his life. Through combat, grief, and loss, Dom has chosen what is good, true, and beautiful. But as is the case for all, it hasn’t been without extreme discipline, profound suffering, and divine mercy.
[...] What’s striking, however, is how despite Raso’s SEAL past carrying earthly weapons of war, he admits that the most powerful weapon he carries is the Rosary.
Dom’s first Rosary was something he always cherished, even through his SEAL Team days. “It was the one thing I can look back on where I had a feeling of deep connection.” At the time he couldn’t have pinpointed why the item seemed so valuable to him. “Now I know why.”
As his faith has evolved and grown, Raso is drawn deeper into the beauty of the prayer. “The meditations and the actual praying of the Rosary has changed my life. It’s deepened my sense of Christ walking every part of his journey on earth. It’s deepened my sense of my love for him. It’s deepened my [awareness of the] humility of Mary and her role in God’s perfect plan, of being espoused to the Holy Spirit.” For the last five months and counting, Raso and his teenage son have committed to praying their daily Rosary together—no exceptions. It’s been a catalyst for deep conversations and authentic bonding, and they both attribute it all to Our Lady.
With a history as one of the most technically skilled soldiers in the United States, Raso knows how to wield a weapon. But everyday, he asks himself, “Is my trust in God higher than my ability to carry a blade and trust in my skills?” Beads in hand, Raso stated, “This is my reminder in my physical sense that I trust God more than anything else physically in this world.”
“It’s something that I would never be without at this point. It’s absolutely something that’s made a profound change in so many different areas of my life, it’s undeniable.”