February 5th, 2011

Good Friday morning everyone.

  

Yesterday, as we were celebrating the feast of St. Blasé and the blessing of throats in the church, the sun was pouring through the windows and it felt as if spring was just around the corner.  A little while later navigating up University Ave., I found myself muttering prayers for being so stupid in not getting winter tires for my car as I waltzed around the street with a bus and a few other cars in the remnants of the latest winter storm.   This is the time of the year for indoor activities and with all of the award shows taking up so much air time, a good time to catch up on movies.  Last weekend, the number one movie in Canada and the US was "The Rite" which is about the Jesuits and exorcism.  I saw the trailer a few weeks ago and it looks like Anthony Hopkins plays a jaded and soon to be bedeviled exorcist and teacher and needs help from a skeptical young priest named Mike. 

 

There is a very interesting review of the film in the latest issue of America by Raymond Schroth, S.J., who is an associate editor for the magazine.  He has some interesting information on the background to the film and does a good job of walking the reader through the difficulties of adapting true stories in a business that is interested only in being the number one movie for a week or two.  When movies like "The Rite" make some communities nervous, this is the sort of review that is both educational, informative and helpful.            

 

http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&entry_id=3860

 

On a more serious note, there is a fine piece by Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington in the archdiocesan newspaper the Catholic Standard, that looks at the issue of how we speak to each other when we disagree.  "Civil Discourse: Speaking the Truth with Respect" is his  most prominent intervention to date on an issue that he has returned to many times since he became archbishop.   This issue is as real for us here in Canada as it is in the US and this fine piece has much to offer.   

http://www.cathstan.org/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=79&ArticleID=4355&TM=71933.63

 

 

Have a good week.

 

Con