It’s rather unusual for me to be quoting Ben Franklin, but I happen to be watching a TV special John Wayne put together called Swing Out, Sweet Land, and it had this quote from Franklin… a quote that is found barely anywhere on the Internet. This is the attitude we who are old enough to… Read More »
It’s not unusual to see a “best films list” these days. So, why not do one myself? I’m thinking here of films that have a message that is worth paying attention to. Although some of these are fairly big movies, they are not Casablanca or Lawrence of Arabia. I am trying to look at movies… Read More »
It was down for a while there, but it’s back. At this time, I would just like to quote from an Angelus address of St. John Paul II: Mary, in fact, when considered in the fullness of the Church’s mystery and mission, not only expresses its independent personality, at the apex and at the beginning… Read More »
I’ve decided to highlight a few Catholic documentaries I’ve seen recently. Some can be watched completely online, and some must be purchased. One that is quite touching is La Mama: An American Nun’s Life in a Mexican Prison. Here a clip from the beginning of the documentary: The story is quite amazing. Antonia Brenner (1926-2013)… Read More »
Years ago I did a paper (somewhat legendary in the length of time it took for me to finish) on St. Anselm’s Mariology. Now that I’m teaching a Mariology class, I’ve dug out the old paper. It’s not bad! Well, it did take years to write. Fr. Johann G. Roten, S.M. wrote some thoughts on… Read More »
Yes, Pope Francis is scheduled to canonize the founder of the Marians on June 5 in St. Peter’s Square. Yes, the Marians can finally say we have a saint–the founder of the congregation! I hope to be there, although I’m going to have to travel all the way from California. For further information about our… Read More »
Yes, you can find the Latin text online for free, but you can also get an English translation! Tau Publishing has a translation available for sale. I’m using the text for a Mariology class. There are some profound thoughts about the Blessed Virgin here.
It doesn’t hurt to ask… Well, here’s the prayer to ask for the intercession of Charles Untz, a teenager who died in 2000 and some consider to have been a rather holy young man. A very simple website testifies to him: My Lady’s Knight. A prayer asking his intercession: Oh, Jesus, in these most difficult… Read More »
If you’ve seen the CGI movie The Greatest Miracle, then you know Dos Corazones films. The CGI in that movie was somewhat primative, but they have boosted their efforts for their next movie: Max and Me. This will interweave a modern story with the story of St. Maximillian Kolbe. Although there is not a trailer… Read More »
I found a rather useful doctoral dissertation concerning the commentary of Cornelius a Lapide and Mariology. The dissertation is entitled Cornelius a Lapide’s biblical methodology used in Marian texts and its comparison with a contemporary approach. It was written by the Very Rev. James Presta. It contains a number of translations into English from the… Read More »
Her story is filled with intensity. I don’t think it would make a good movie. It would have to be a miniseries. A radio drama was made about her, but it only gives a small taste of her life, and alters some of the facts. It can be found as an episode of the Ave… Read More »
This is a time when religious liberty is clearly under attack in the United States. Let’s pray for the triumph of God’s will. Holy Hours, novenas, and Mass intentions are in order. May freedom of religion be maintained in our land.
With the passing of St. Patrick’s day, I am reminded of a famous Irish-American who just might be called “Saint” one day. Yes, the cause for Ven. Fulton J. Sheen is basically on hold, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about him. A biographer of his wrote a final chapter concerning the sanctity of… Read More »
Vicki Thorn has an article at Catholic Pulse that explains that, after all these years, the dangers and problems of chemical contraception (which is supposed to be, of course, very safe) are finally coming out in books and even a planned documentary. I quote from her article below: It seems to me that there is… Read More »
We are now up to 36 Doctors of the Latin Church, and this doctor is an Armenian monk who lived from about A.D. 950 to 1003. Pope Francis declared him a Doctor on February 23. His famous book of Lamentations, also called “Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart,” contains 95 prayers. They… Read More »