|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * The Malachi File A standard part of any job application process in the journalism business is to write a critique of the publication. The right thing to do is to hold nothing back, blasting away, and showing off your knowledge of the publishing business. But I always put a note in saying that I’ve been around long enough to know the exigencies of the work and that I understand that there are usually reasons why things are not always perfect. You never know how the person on the other end is going to react to an especially zealous critique. We received one such critique recently and quite honestly it landed like a thud in my e–mail box. You see we put in a lot of work on Communio and because of our personal limitations – for example, we frequently start our writing or editing after 9 p.m. – the resulting effort is less than perfect. But, we reason it is better to do something imperfectly than not at all. Over the years, also, we have made countless overtures seeking more writers for Communio. There are book discussion groups, numerous talks and presentations, all kinds of activities, and yet we see precious little of it written up for Communio. One thing that did catch on is the movie reviews. They’re intended to be a small part of the overall package, but because of the lack of other material, their numbers tend to be somewhat disproportionate. So it was with a considerable lack of enthusiasm that I read Fr. Tony’s criticisms of the movie reviews. Not that he’s wrong. I’m sure he calculated his percentages very precisely, and much of what else he said is technically right. I often think that we should be discussing the spiritual and moral aspects of the movies more than we do, but for the most part, I’m just grateful that we have anything at all to run. I especially liked his comments about a couple of the movies and I wish he had presented them in the form of a movie review and joined in the "Padre Franco" dialog. But he chose not to. As with all material submitted from people in the Community, we are running it, but for my part, it runs with a strong sense of discouragement. I fear that such criticisms will frighten off other writers with less–than–perfect things to say, and frankly, I don’t feel like writing much else for this issue. I had written two movie reviews before receiving Fr. Tony’s article. I deleted one and wrote no others. There will be no online primer this issue. Despite the many well–written words, I found the commentary strangely non–communicative and certainly counterproductive. And with the many other matters weighing on St. Malachi’s these days, the question occurred to me, why did he choose to write about the movie reviews? And that’s about all I have to say this time, except to thank everyone who has ever summoned up the courage to send their thoughts in to Communio. I know it isn’t easy and critiques like this will make it all the harder. The next issue is scheduled for March 10 with a deadline of Feb. 24. — Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * * * * A Response To "Where Goes the Neighborhood?" Frank Schiros’ article entitled "Where Goes the Neighborhood?" raises some good and necessary questions for St. Malachi’s long term vision (see Communio, 1/13/02). It also indirectly sheds insight into the complexity and "moral double–edgedness" that such social change produces. Yes, gentrification of the neighborhood can squeeze out the poor, (though it does not have to, as downtown Seattle, Washington, has shown). But those who choose to reinvest in Cleveland – let alone actually live in Cleveland – are helping to prevent "urban sprawl." Urban sprawl has caused millions of dollars to be spent creating new infrastructure such as roads, schools, utility lines/pipes, and strip malls, and also "destroyed" (certainly a loaded term!) lots of pastoral land in Medina, Lorain, Summit, Geauga, and Lake counties. Meanwhile, the same types of infrastructure have been crumbling in Cleveland. The Malachi neighborhood is a very complex and paradoxical issue. "Urban sprawl" has become a more visible issue in just the last few years. Ironically (relative to Frank’s insights), the first voice I heard to attack urban sprawl strongly was Bishop Pilla’s, about 10–12 years ago, well before urban sprawl became a "trendy" issue. As Bishop Pilla noted back then, such duplication of public expenditures results in less money being available in the region for necessary social services to those in need. I am not criticizing Frank’s article at all; his insights are quite valid. I simply want to note that the possible gentrification of the Malachi neighborhood is a very complex and paradoxical issue. — Dan Smith (Dan is a member of the Community of St. Malachi. Please note that
the article Dan cites can be read online at
www.stmalachi.org.) * * * * * * * * * * * Tithing I enjoyed reading John Lucic’s piece titled "Money" in the December Communio. I think it’s great that money is being discussed in the Communio. I’d like to give my perspective on contributing money to the community, specifically contributing a fixed percentage of one’s gross income. Some of us here do tithe, and my husband and I recommend it to those of you who are able. Not just because the community is falling short of its budget, but also because of the spiritual fruits involved. Since my husband and I started tithing, I have felt that money has not had so much of a hold over our lives. When my first baby was born last spring, I was loath to quit my high–paying job to stay home with him. My husband and I have major school loans and haven’t even bought a house yet. We struggled with the decision for some time, but I think that the fact that we tithe helped us to have a "let’s trust in the Lord" kind of attitude about the whole thing. Tithing is not easy for me, and my point is not to lay a guilt trip on anyone. I just want to give witness to the gifts that God has given in return for our financial sacrifice. Some days I feel like we’re nuts – not only about me staying home but also about coughing up 10% of my husband’s paycheck every week. But I must say that a kind of peace about finances has descended upon us that was not there before. I agree with John: the idea of tithing makes me squirm, too. Tithing is not easy for me, and my point is not to lay a guilt trip on anyone. I just want to give witness to the gifts that God has given in return for our financial sacrifice. — Stephanie A. Sarwal (Stephanie is a member of the Community of St. Malachi. John Lucic’s article, "Money," can be read online at www.stmalachi.org* * * * * * * * * * * Standing Strong (Mary Englert sent this to us with these remarks: "This poem was shared by Mary Piar, proud grandmother of its 13–year–old author, Lisa Anne Piar, who wrote it for her school class following the September 11th tragedy." Thank you all!)
* * * * * * * * * * * About The Liturgy (In an effort to enhance awareness in the Community the liturgy committee will begin to contribute educational segments to Communio. Many that you will read in the next several months are responses to questions asked by Community members in previous surveys. The answer to this month’s question comes to us with the help of Fr. Steve Rogers, a teacher at Toledo Central Catholic High School and godparent to Joe and Pam Pulizzi’s beautiful baby boy, Joshua.) Question: Why don’t we say Alleluia during the season of lent? According to the Dictionary of the Liturgy: Alleluia is from the Hebrew "hallelujah" (meaning praise the Lord) a very ancient liturgical acclamation of jubilation used in the Psalms, and now at the Mass. It is a joyful response to a chant used on festival occasions. The Alleluia was understood to be a foretaste of the elect’s eternal gladness, not only a statement of the praise of God. The Western Church suppresses the Alleluia during the Lenten season, due to its penitential nature. Then it is joyfully repeated again in the vigil of Easter in what is sometimes termed the great Alleluia. As St. Augustine said, "We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our cry." During the penitential season of the Church, the Gloria and the Alleluia are not said or sung. The Gloria is sung only at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, usually with great ceremony, organ, and sometimes trumpets, and often with the ringing of bells. After the singing of the Gloria, musical instruments are to be silent until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday night after sundown). The Western Church suppresses the Alleluia during the Lenten season, due to its penitential nature. In the Middle Ages and throughout the 16th Century, the "burying" of the Alleluia was a solemn ritual on Septuagesima Sunday. A procession of children carrying a wooden plaque, bearing the word Alleluia, laid it at the feet of the statue of the Blessed Virgin, covering it with a purple cloth. It remained there until Easter at the Gospel procession, when the plaque was carried as the priest intoned the three Alleluias before the Easter Gospel. In Paris, a straw figure inscribed with the word Alleluia was carried out of the choir at the end of the service and burned in the churchyard. Although the practice of literally removing the Alleluia from the Church may have disappeared, even today in some parish celebrations of the Easter Vigil an Alleluia card is carried in procession and placed in front of the altar during the singing of the first Alleluias before the Gospel for Easter. In the next issue of Communio: What is the meaning of the song / psalm proclaimed between the first and second reading? If you know the answer or would like to contribute something please e–mail it to pam_pulizzi@yahoo.com. Your response could be included in next months Communio. —The Liturgy Committee * * * * * * * * * * * The Jesus Tree (Here’s some useful information about the "Jesus Tree" from Karen Duffy. Thanks, Karen!) The banner that has been hanging in the front of the church since the beginning of January is known as the "Jesus Tree." It is part of the Table of the Lord program used to prepare our 2nd graders to receive the Eucharist for the first time. The names of those preparing for First Eucharist are written on the leaves of the tree. Each Sunday a family will add to the tree a symbol that corresponds with the lesson they are learning each week. Each lesson features a scripture story and highlights a part of the Mass: The Wedding at Cana – Introductory Rite The Daughter of Jairus – General Intercessions Please pray for the following children as they journey toward the Table of the Lord: Jay Andreani, Megan Conahan, Grace Galvin, Bobby Johansen, Colleen McLinden, Shannon Rednour, Danny Smith, Sarah Turgeon, and Sean White — Karen Duffy * * * * * * * * * * * (Karen is the Director of Religious Education for the Community of St. Malachi.) A Lenten Reflection (This came to us from Ginny Schiros. Ginny says, "I don’t know if these more personal articles appeal to you but they come more easily to me than the more intellectual articles that get a lot of play in Communio." Ginny, we welcome your thoughtful reflection with open arms and hearts. Thank you for sending it in!) The season of Lent is approaching and as I do every year, I ask myself – just as many others do – how can I make this Lenten season more meaningful this year? How can my faith become, as Annie Dillard wrote so eloquently in her book "Holy the Firm," like the moth drawn to the flame and consumed by love? Are there others, like myself, who have prayed to be His instrument during the Mass, only to walk out into the bright sunlight after church and face the hard impracticalities of my daring offer? And yet it seems being of service to God out of our love for Christ is the only offering that gives meaning to an otherwise consumer driven culture. We long for meaning and purpose because deep down we know our own mortality and that as good as the things of this world can be, they can never satisfy us. I am reminded of a recent issue of Time magazine that contended that we are in fact "programmed" for belief in God. Apparently our brain chemistry is organized to allow us moments of union and bliss that, whatever our culture, we associate with the Divine. Rather than seeing this as an argument to defraud spiritual experience and belief – as the article may have implied – I choose to see it as a wonderful verification of what keeps me awake some nights. Sleepless with a sense of "what is the meaning of it all" and praying hard to hear God return with an answer, I have been comforted by momentary whispers of joy that I accept as gifts. Is it brain chemistry or is it the Divine reaching back to me? I choose to believe the latter. So as Lent quickly approaches here, it seems important to make a daring offering of ourselves. Whatever we think our limitations may be, God knows what we have to offer and will call it forth from us. It will come in the small sacrifices and forgivenesses of every day life, and in that the world is saved every day. The challenge is believing that we can really please God with our seemingly insignificant offerings. When I was in college and deeply involved in a Catholic Worker community, I went to the priest at the Newman Center at Ohio State University to discuss my concern that I couldn’t handle the demands of a radical Christian life and still make my way through college. I felt compelled to literally house the homeless, feed the hungry, and clothe the poor while still trying to get to class on time everyday. It just wasn’t working. I felt I was failing at my practice of "true Christianity". "This is the key to doing God’s will: Do what you can – not what you can’t." The priest’s response was simple but true. He said, "This is the key to doing God’s will: Do what you can – not what you can’t." His words gave me a great sense of peace and still do. I have come to feel that we are not absolved from practicing our faith in concrete and sacrificial ways but neither are we required to prove ourselves or attempt to win God’s approval by the sacrifices we make. We can only offer ourselves, struggling and imperfect as we are, and do what we can to allow Christ to be in our hands and words and lives from moment to moment, day to day. We think we will decide what that will mean, but in truth He will decide what it is that we can do to make this a meaningful Lenten season. All we can do is make ourselves available. Praying is a good place to start. — Ginny Schiros (Ginny is a member of the Community of St. Malachi.) * * * * * * * * * * * All You Need Is Love (Ron Perger sent this to us with this note: "I recently had the pleasure of being one of the adults – I know what you’re thinking Steve DeJohn! – from St. Edward High School to serve as a team member of our Kairos retreat. I wanted to share this witness with you by one of our seniors, Pat Chrosniak, because we sometimes look at teenagers as kids with only a few things on their minds, none having to do with God. This young man is a senior at St. Ed’s and in addition to being insightful he also has spearheaded our Habitat for Humanity group and is involved with our SECOHR – St. Edward Council On Human Relations – group. He has received early acceptance to Hiram College along with a scholarship for philosophy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did." Thanks for thinking of us, Ron!) I have the distinct honor and privilege today of talking to you. The topic of my talk is pretty simple. Before this retreat we had a team meeting to decide who would give each talk. We all took turns and said what talk we wanted to give and why. After everyone had gone Father Tim pointed out that nobody chose this talk. He was right. Out of all of the talks this was the one that we all stayed away from. How did I get this talk? After Father Tim pointed that out I said "What the heck, I’ll do it." And everyone thought that it was a good idea for me to do it. I can’t speak for them on why they thought I should, but a few of the reasons that they cited were what I said about my relationship with God and the person that they know me to be. I really haven’t made up my mind whether or not it’s a good idea; we’ll see how it goes. One thing that I feel I need to say before I really get started is that this is my opinion of what being Christian is all about. This may not coincide completely with your beliefs or what you have been taught, and in no way do I intend to try to change your mind about what you believe. What I hope to accomplish by giving this talk is to offer up my beliefs so that you may look at yours and think about them, that’s what the purpose of this retreat is, to get you thinking. There’s a quote that goes something like this: there are as many different religions as there are people. If that is true, which I believe it to be, then how many versions of Christianity are out there? Everyone will tell you something different about being Christian. If you asked Ernest Angely he’d first tell you that "you are special," then say something like go to church everyday and send your donations to the Crystal Cathedral in Akron, Ohio. If you asked a Baptist minister he’d tell you one thing, a Protestant minister might tell you something else. A Christian Scientist could have something completely different to say than the Pope. Pope John Paul II might say something radically different than your parish priest. I’m sure that if I were to ask you all right now what it means to be a Christian you’d all have something different to say. Everything in life is always changing, so no wonder there are so many interpretations of what being a Christian is truly about. We all have different beliefs because we are all on a journey. We are on a life journey, and included in that must be a spiritual journey. We all have these different beliefs because we are all at different stages of our journeys. But if you think about it there really shouldn’t be all of these different beliefs. There was one Jesus, one message. There is only one way to be a Christian, it’s just that we all go about it in different and unique ways. There is only one way to be a Christian, it’s just that we all go about it in different and unique ways. If you look around everything is always growing and changing. We are in a constant state of flux. We are always growing; our cells are changing. Everything around us is also changing. Every day our ideals and our mind change and evolve. Nothing is static; nothing can afford to be. I am trying to explore my own faith and beliefs and I’ve tried to accomplish this by branching out and looking at other religions. For the past few months I have gone to a Unitarian–Universalist Church. And a few weeks ago I suggested to a friend of mine that he should check it out. He said, "No thanks, I’m happy where I’m at." That killed me. By him saying that he was happy where he’s at meant that to a degree he has stopped. He became comfortable where he is, which there’s nothing wrong with, but in conjunction with that he has closed his mind a bit and stunted his spiritual journey, in my opinion. We treat everything around and inside of us as though it is changing and growing. But too often we don’t treat our faith as a changing and evolving thing. Too often we find a dogma or tradition that satisfies us at the time and cling to it. The Buddhists have a saying "if you see the Buddha kill him." This means that if you are focusing or associating your faith on a person you run the chance of losing the true message. The focus of Christianity should and is something tangible, something we can grasp, the message of Jesus. I think that being a true Christian involves, above all things, following the message of Jesus. The focus of it should be the message. When Jesus came down to us he didn’t give his message to one group of people; he gave it to all people of all religions. We are all called to follow the message and all may obtain salvation through it. The whole of Jesus’ life was a message. Jesus’ entire life can be summed up in one single word and that one word is what being Christian is all about. That word is Love. When we were children we loved a little bit because that is what we were taught. We loved our mommy and daddy and brothers and sisters. As we grow up and make friends we learn to love a little bit more. By now we have formed close friendships which stretch that love even further. Some of us might be going out with someone and that takes love even further as well. When we grow up and form a family of our own we learn a new concept of love. Then we have no option but to live for others because we have a family to provide for and love. Mr. DeVenney wrote on my paper when I gave it to him to read that, "Fatherhood sucks every little bit right out of you." You give and give and give, that’s what parenthood is about and that is a great example of love’s selfless giving. When you guys go home look at your parents, really look at them. See the streaks of gray hair that they have and the bags under their eyes. They have gotten those things because they have worked for their family. They have given themselves to love, even though many times it doesn’t seem that way. Now just imagine what a person would look like if they gave their entire being to love. If they gave everything that they had and more to love. Wouldn’t they look like a battered and broken, bloody crucified Christ? Jesus never expected us to go out and sacrifice our lives for one another in the way that he did, but I think that the expectation was that we take what he did and do it, live it, in our own way. He saved us from our sins, but not in the way that we have been taught. He didn’t open some magical, mystical gate in the sky by his death; our sins weren’t erased by his death. The whole point of his passion and death was to give us the perfect example, a physical manifestation of his teaching and what we should do, how we should live. Jesus never expected us to go out and sacrifice our lives for one another in the way that he did, but I think that the expectation was that we take what he did and do it, live it, in our own way. He took his message to the extreme so that we would be able understand. He saved us by showing us the way, the way of love. That is the perfect sign of love because it was the perfect gift of love. He freely gave his life so that we might learn from it and live out that message that he tried to convey. He loved us till the end and even longer, even the ones who killed him. "For God so loved the world," and we must love one another because we are part of God. That is what being a Christian is. That is what being is. Have you ever heard of a book called The Bible? It’s a pretty good book, I haven’t gotten through the whole thing but some of the parts that I’ve read are excellent. My all time favorite passage is 1 John 4:7–21:
This passage epitomizes what Christianity is all about. The focus of Christianity should be on other people. We can’t begin to even love God until we love one another. And this whole obsession with God prohibits us in some cases from doing this. We can’t see God and there is absolutely no chance of us ever understanding Him so why try? God is perfect and we cannot understand perfection being as we are not perfect. God is eternal and infinite so what ever we understand about Him is less than a drop in the ocean. So truly what is the point of focusing on God? That is why the focus of Christianity should be other people, we are all part of God, we are creatures of God, God dwells within us, so by understanding and living for and loving each other we begin to understand and live for and love God. We are imperfect and because of that we are able to understand if we try imperfection. We can understand and connect with other people and through that understanding of others we can see and touch God. And that is what Christianity is all about. The focus of Christianity should be on other people. We can’t begin to even love God until we love one another. I’m going to name three people who I consider great Christians. They are great Christians in the sense of living not the religious sense because they never practiced the rituals, none of that stuff; they all practiced a different religion. First off, I think that we all can agree that Jesus was and is the epitome of what being a Christian should be. Jesus was a Jew. I think that Gandhi was a good Christian. He showed love to others and worked for peace and justice, he lived Christ’s message. He was a Hindu, actually a pluralist but that’s another talk. Someone who you may never have heard of is Thich Nhat Hanh. He also works for peace, justice, and love. He’s a Zen Buddhist monk, but I consider him to be a good Christian. They were and are all good Christians despite their religious affiliations. Christianity transcends religion and shouldn’t be considered one because it is so much more. Christianity is a lifestyle. The reason those three people are good Christians is because they realized and recognized the fact that there is more in this world than just themselves, there are other people and we depend on each other. To be a Christian, one with substance not just one in title, we need to follow that message. Jesus’ message is one of love for all people. The great commandment that he gave to us was one of simple love. I think that being Christian means putting this teaching into practice in our own lives. Whether or not it is put into action consciously because of a tradition or religion isn’t the important part. The important part is that it is put into action. There are many people in our world today who claim to be a Christian because they believe that Jesus was the Son of God but they don’t follow his message of love. They are considered Christians by many because of that belief. Why are they considered Christians when they don’t follow the teaching set forth by their proclaimed savior? There is so much more to being a Christian that just professing a belief. To be a true Christian, one with substance, not just in title, one needs to follow the teachings of love. I don’t know where I stand as being a Christian. People say that I live a good Christian life, and I try to most of the times, and that’s one of the reasons I’m giving this talk. When people say that to be a Christian you have to believe in the divinity of Christ and all that goes along with it, I take a blow because I’m not sure that I believe that. I am exploring my beliefs right now and am still in the fuzzy part of my journey. But I consider myself a Christian because I try to follow that message. I try to put it into practice in my daily life. I do it by trying to spread love to one other person each day. That may be through a handshake or a hug, through a nod of the head, a hello, a thank you, being honest. We can’t take on the bigger things until we do the little things. We can’t be willing to die for our brother if we won’t extend that love through a greeting. We can’t take on the bigger things until we do the little things. We can’t be willing to die for our brother if we won’t extend that love through a greeting. I encourage people to volunteer with me at Habitat for Humanity, that’s another way of spreading love. The community meal at St. Eds is one of my favorite things; it’s one of the last things that I did before I came here for the retreat. My mom yells at me because I come home every day exhausted because I do so much other stuff. The song that I’m using is from the musical "Rent" and there’s another song that the message is just amazingly Christian. The first line is "Today for you, tomorrow for me." That’s something that we should all try to do, to live each day for others. We can have tomorrow, let’s give today for others. Coming on these retreats is another way of showing love. We are all a community of lovers, that sounds kind of dirty, but it’s true. We have gathered here because of love. If you didn’t have love in your heart you wouldn’t have been motivated to come on Kairos to enhance your relationship with God and others. In every way that we put others before ourselves we are affirming our Christianity. We are saying to God that not only will we profess to believe it but we will also take it to the next level, the level that it needs to be at, and live it. We don’t need to be crucified to show our love, if we can spread love in our daily lives we don’t need that symbol of love because we will be able to see it more vividly around us. We can spread this love through the simple things, through volunteering, through the giving of our support, and through so many other ways. There is one message, one purpose; we all must find our own way to realize it. At the beginning of this retreat we were all asked why we’re here. I am here because I am obligated to be here, I have to be here. No one is forcing me, but I still need to be here. I am here because when I made my Kairos I loved it. It was a life–changing event and I took a lot with me from it. And I’m here to spread that love and support that I received. I am obligated by my beliefs to continue that chain of love that was given to me on Kairos, I want to continue that chain. This is one way that I can live my beliefs. We shouldn’t be willing to die for something we won’t live for. I feel somewhat obligated to put this little disclaimer at the end. Faith is a journey and we are all at different stages on that journey. What I’ve just said may make no sense, it might make a little sense, or it could make perfect sense to you. All I ask you is that you think about it. Faith is a never ending journey, never stop. We cannot comprehend the infinite if our journeys are finite and end. No one can take love away from you; it becomes a part of you: God in you. To use a quote from the movie "Moulin Rouge," "Love is like oxygen, love is a many splendid thing, love lifts you up where you belong, all you need is love." Love is all around us. In our lives we may only just barely touch love, we may fully immerse ourselves in it, we may be drowning in it. But no matter what we all experience it at one point in time. We cannot survive without love. That is why I believe so whole–heartedly in it. Christianity is only a fancy word. It is a mere title. There is so much more to being a Christian than just a title… There is love! — Pat Chrosniak * * * * * * * * * * * On Movie Reviews As even the most casual observer (much less regular reader) of Communio is aware, movie reviews have become a staple of each issue. One could argue that they have become the single most dominant feature of Communio, consuming a significant portion of each issue. (For the statistically minded, in the last six issues – January, 2002 to July, 2001 – movie reviews consumed approximately 26%, 32%, 23%, 12%, 25% and 29% of the respective issues, for an average of 24.5% – almost ¼ of each issue.) That is a lot of copy. My point is not to question whether or not movie reviews should be a part of Communio; that is a policy question. It seems to me that the stated editorial policy "all viewpoints of interest to our Community in the context of our journey of faith are welcome here" is broad and general enough to include movie reviews. This reflection about movie reviews in Communio concerns the words "in the context of our journey of faith." This reflection about movie reviews in Communio concerns the words "in the context of our journey of faith." In my experience, the movie reviews in Communio are just … movie reviews In my experience, the movie reviews in Communio are just … movie reviews. They tell about the movie – plot, acting, special effects, other interesting points – and provide opinion about how well it works and the overall quality/value of the effort. What I rarely see expressed is any connection with "our journey of faith." What spiritual themes are illustrated in the movie? What moral values are reflected? What does the movie say about the human condition? How does the movie depict religion/religious belief? Is there an overarching message or theme? To make this more concrete, let me provide some examples: In the review of Vanilla Sky (which I have not seen), I appreciated the observation that "Tom Cruise may have chosen this movie to imagine what it feels like to have his good looks, easy grace, wealth, stardom – and then losing it." This hints at an underlying message/meaning for the film and offers a suggestion as to why one might want to see it. In the reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (which I have not seen), I appreciated: the comments (in two separate reviews) noting the controversy about depicting magic or "witchcraft" and including the citation of Deuteronomy, the comment of Harry being depicted as a "messianic" figure and the comment about changing the stone’s name from "Philosopher’s" to "Sorcerers" in the title. I would have liked to see more reflection about these items. In the review of A Beautiful Mind (which I have seen), I would have hoped to see comment about how the movie depicts:
In the reviews of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (which I have seen), I would have hoped that the review noted the many points of contact the movie offers to our journey of faith, specifically:
There are many places where one can read movie reviews; there are few places where one can read a reflection on movies "in the context of our journey of faith." Such reflections could reveal a different dimension of one of the predominant expressions of American life and culture. And that could have real value. — Fr. Tony Schuerger * * * * * * * * * * * Padre Franco The Bell Ringer (Padre Franco derives the title for this column, and for his monastery, from the movie "Cinema Paradiso," where the village priest was the local censor. Whenever he found objectionable parts in a film, he would ring his bell and the projectionist would cut the scene out. While the Padre is a little like the priest in the movie, ringing a bell with his words, he takes some license with the concept in rating the films, using a scale of one to five bells – the more bells, the better he liked the picture. Brother Daniel and Brother Lou join the good Padre this month as does Abbe Brucius, with a few words about last month’s reviews of "Lord of the Rings." Abbe Brucius is new to the monastery and we hope you will welcome him with open arms. Padre Franco would like to remind everyone that the Monasterio de la Cinema Paradiso is open to anyone with a passion for movies who cares to share their reflections with the larger Community. Men, women, and teens are encouraged to join us. Popcorn will be provided.)
This movie almost cries for an essay on the long list of botched political and military involvements of the United States in other countries. Let’s see, there was China, Viet Nam, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Central America, Afghanistan and a host of other countries. Not only is this a 2 1/2 hour military recruiting commercial but this movie counts on riding on the coattails of America’s post–September 11 patriotism and in the guise of patriotism gives us a Technicolor version of yet another ill–fated botched portrayal of "war is Hell." It is probably the best propaganda war movie since World War II. The pandering, tactless filmmakers trivialize the misadventure as entertainment and about every jingoistic John Wayne cliché imaginable takes over. What’s most distasteful is that it’s being presented as an unflinching tribute to fallen heroes rather than a grim fable of arrogance, incompetence, and plain bad luck. There is no denying that bravery and camaraderie existed among the troops but try to sell wasted heroism to parents who didn’t raise their boys in order to be sent back in pieces with a medal. Instead parents might ask, "What were they doing in Somalia in the first place? What purpose did their bravery serve?" There are recent media reports of possibly another war in Iraq. Wonder what kind of a movie that could make? Black Hawk Down While the good Padre took a good swing at this film, it is my humble opinion that he missed it completely. Here is this poor monk’s take on a disturbing movie: During the Viet Nam War the horrors of war were broadcast right into your living room every day. The result of all that carnage during dinner was protest so widespread that the government was forced to disengage and bring the troops home. Another consequence was that the government learned to carefully control what of war was presented to the American public. For example, the images we were presented of the Gulf War were pretty darn sterile, very much like what you might see playing Nintendo. Now, if you want any sense of what war is like, you have to go to the movies and see films like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Black Hawk Down." Both are films everyone should see because they remind us what we are doing when we send our young people off to fight. Far from trivializing a failed policy, far from presenting as mere entertainment the heroic – from the point of view of the soldier – actions of our fighting men, this film gives you a visceral, palpable sense of what it’s like to war on other people. And it is sickening. In interviews, the filmmakers have claimed that their film is antiwar. In its brutal depiction of the maiming and killing, in the mournful music that comprises its soundtrack, it is. In interviews, the filmmakers have claimed that their film is antiwar. In its brutal depiction of the maiming and killing, in the mournful music that comprises its soundtrack, it is. When the movie was over and the house lights came back up, all I could think was "Sad, sad, sad." — Brother Lou
There is a reputable psychologist and counselor who practices in the area and often lectures at hospitals. He often remarks that there is a line of demarcation between dependent juveniles and independent adults. He believes when a juvenile is allowed to drift over the line and behave as an independent adult, then, predictably, in the foreseeable future, problems will occur. He readily admits that this is why his practice flourishes. Anyone who has observed middle school and high school students would probably acknowledge that there are a lot of young dependents who’ve drifted over the line of demarcation before they’re ready. This movie portrays that. American society is too often defined as an elder generation without real credibility and a younger generation that’s confident that it knows it all. In other contemporary societies throughout the world, the elder generation is respected for it’s accumulated knowledge and experience. And there are still other contemporary societies where the elder generations impose their experience and knowledge upon the younger generation. This film emphasizes one of the tragedies and consequences of growing up too soon. The director artfully catches the nuances of relationships between lovers, spouses, parents and children. The film confronts such profound, unpleasant realities such as jealousy, anguish and vengeance. There should be some Academy nominations in the offing for Spacek and Wilkinson in one of the best–acted films of the year. — Padre Franco The Royal Tenenbaums %%%The film tells the story of one Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) and their three genius children. The family throws Royal out due to his excessive philandering. The family is destroyed and the kids scatter to the far reaches of the globe. After some years, Royal is thrown out of his expensive hotel because he’s broke. He then expresses a desire to rekindle his relationship with his estranged family, declaring that he has only six months to live. At the same time the children coincidentally are fleeing from their own lives and also return to the family homestead. After an impromptu conference, Royal is allowed back along with his faithful Hindu servant. While they’re under the same roof, Royal makes transparent attempts at re–connecting with his family and all hell breaks loose. This becomes the catalyst for each family member to confront his or her apathy, uncertainty, hostility and/or mortality. The plot is a primer for raising a wildly dysfunctional family and the only high note ever reached is that redemption can happen at anytime in one’s life even if "you are a S.O.B." This comedy bears little resemblance to the real world and everything in the movie is one big joke. The movie has some elements of entertainment, comic highlights, and charming quirkiness, but it is Gene Hackman’s eccentricity that carries the action in this elegant freak show. — Padre Franco Ali %%The movie "Ali" does a disservice to two people: Mohammad Ali and Will Smith for his acting performance as the heavyweight champion boxer. It is an unfortunate mess of a movie, redeemed only by Smith, along with two supporting players, Jon Voight as the colorful broadcaster Howard Cosell and Jamie Foxx as Ali’s sideman Bundini Brown. Smith’s performance comes as a complete surprise. In his previous roles, he has mostly played different versions of his smart–aleck comic persona, but here he thoroughly immerses himself in the role of Ali. The boxing scenes he plays are credible enough, but he almost perfectly captures the bluster and self–promoting showmanship of Ali, along with his soft–spoken side. The highest praise I can give to a performance by a famous actor is that I didn’t recognize the actor for the character he was portraying. This is true of Smith in "Ali." (Warning to Smith’s young fans: stay away if you are hoping to see his usual shtick.) From there it is all downhill. Anyone unfamiliar with the Ali’s career and the people who influenced it will be thoroughly confused by this movie. For example, Malcolm X is onscreen for many minutes before the viewer finally identifies him. Other important characters come and go with scarcely a reference. Important points of dialog and exposition are glossed over. The assassination of Martin Luther King is portrayed with hardly a clue as to what happened and its significance. A city burns in the background of one scene without identification or comment. And, like so many movies today, it feels like to it is too long by about half (it is 157 minutes). A scene of Ali running through the streets of Zaire in preparation for the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" fight against George Foreman seems to go on forever. Anyone unfamiliar with the Ali’s career and the people who influenced it will be thoroughly confused by this movie. The movie would have done well to focus more on Ali’s anti–war stance. "Ali" succeeds fairly well in capturing the resolute morality of the man in his refusal to serve in the Viet Nam war. His famous line, "No Viet Cong ever called me nigger," is repeated, and it is made clear that this was a highly personal stand based on his Muslim convictions. It was made in spite of a sweetheart deal offered by the government if he would shut up and serve, and the disavowal by the Nation of Islam. It cost him three years of boxing in the prime of his career, and he was saved from jail time only by a unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. This is noteworthy at a time when we are at war with terrorists who claim their violent acts are part of their Islamic religion. I tend to think that Ali the pacifist had it more right than Osama bin Laden. Mohammad Ali was the greatest boxer of our time in the ring and outside of the ring, and no way does this movie do him justice. "I am the greatest!" Ali proclaimed over and over again, and he probably proclaims it to this day. And you know what? I think he is right. Mohammad Ali was the greatest boxer of our time in the ring and outside of the ring. He seemed to be bigger than life and he was bigger than sport. No way does this movie do him justice. — Brother Daniel Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring %%%%1/2Here are some thoughts on the previous reviews of "Lord of the Rings" (see the January, 2002 issue of Communio online at www.stmalachi.org) as submitted by Padre Franco and Brother Daniel, with a high–five to Brother Lou. I am convinced that almost all art requires the viewer (or listener) to willingly suspend his or her powers of disbelief. Fantasy takes us to the extreme end of that road. If one is not ready to stretch that far, it would be difficult to enjoy this part of our literature. Additionally, regard the book as an enjoyable read – a savoring of language and plot at a leisurely pace. It’s a pleasurable journey toward a conclusion one can almost catch sight of, but not grasp until the end and, most of all, a trust in the teller of the tale permits one to not grow impatient during the odyssey. The movie affected me in the same manner. I was thoroughly entranced with the entire film and managed to work my way through a prodigious amount of popcorn. (An aside to Padre Franco: I think the total film cost – and that’s for all three parts of the trilogy – was $270 million, not $450 million.) — Abbe Brucius
Choose How You Start Your Day Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don’t get it. You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. "Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life." "Yeah, right, it’s not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. Your bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well–being of my soon–to–be–born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. — Hart Dowd Only Love Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. — Martin Luther King * * * * * * * * * * *
Council Meeting Highlights (The meeting was convened at 7 p.m. at St. Malachi Center on January 6. Council members opened the meeting with several minutes of silent prayer.) Pastor’s Report: Vibrant Parish Life – a "kick–off" gathering to present resources for parishes will be held in 4 locations: Monday, Feb. 25 at St. Clarence, N. Olmsted at 7:30 PM; Tuesday, March 5 at St. Noel, Willoughby Hills at 7:30 PM; Saturday, March 9 at the Catholic Center downtown at 9 AM; Wednesday, March 13 at Our Lady of the Elms, Akron at 7:30 PM. Each parish is asked to attend one session with 4–6 staff and/or parish leaders, including some of those who will lead the parish’s implementation. Council members urged to attend. More education needed to communicate this program with parish and community. Bikepath proposal will happen – many opportunities for the community. Mike Pelegrino volunteered as head to check on the future of the proposal. Picture Directory Update: Membership committee is planning the membership directory – received positive feel from parish and community. Will be an alphabetical listing with Picture/Name, Parish/Community member. Also will include group shots by organization. No costs to families unless they want to buy additional pictures. Tentative date is May 18 – 26 (2 full weekends). Will need to make appointment in advance. Motion made to go ahead with directory passed. Leadership Development Update: Dave DeLambo to speak at St. Malachi Center, Saturday Jan. 26, 9am to 11am. All parish and community members invited. Next session will be April.Social Action Committee: Meeting took place with Joe Cimperman regarding possible partner outreach. Continuing discussion taking place between Cimperman’s office and St. Malachi Center. Spritual Growth Committee: Lenten Travel Guide to replace Lenten series. Small Christian community meeting to come on Jan. 28th. Hospitality Committee: Rosemary Gray resigns as Hospitality Chair. Need immediate person to oversee Coffee Hour. Mike Pelegrino to head up finding chairperson. Mary Carol Lucic to get donuts for January. — Joe Pulizzi (Joe is one of the co–chairs for the Communications Committee.)
Notes On Social Action Planning The Rejoice and Renew Reaching Out Subcommittee reorganized itself into the joint parish–community Outreach and Social Action Planning (OSAP) group with many of the same members: Marge Gibbons, Kay Vine, Eric Johnson, Cathy Saegel, Rebecca Rocco, Linda Kennard, Fred Leonard, Bill McLaughlin, Pam Pulizzi. This group works on the long range planning for Social Action for the parish and community committees that continue to meet jointly once a month. Our main project is a Neighborhood Educational Forum in the month of April at St. Malachi Hall, probably Saturday April 20 or 27. The churches of Shared Ministry have joined us as sponsors and the churches of the Central West District have been invited to sponsor the forum as well. Local government leaders are being invited such as Council member Joe Cimperman who has already met with us and agreed to participate. An important part of the forum will be questions and comments from the audience of residents and church members of the Near West Side. Our goal is to learn of plans for the Near West Side in terms of housing, transportation/roadways and access to shopping, recreation, parks, and public amenities. This is a beginning step for churches and ministries who want to participate in the process of neighborhood development. Council member Joe Cimperman has already spoken to us about neighborhood issues and how St. Malachi can play a role in the neighborhood:
He further challenged us by proposing to jointly fund a community organizer to help with the needs of residents at Lakeview. We have met twice with members of Shared Ministry in the initial stages of planning for the forum. We welcome anyone who would like to join us at the next meeting February 20 at 6p.m. at Malachi Center. Call Kay Vine at or Rebecca Rocco for information. — Rebecca Rocco CSM E–Mail Alerts (We received this update from Dolores Sullin, who has been running our e–mail alert system since its inception. Thanks for all your hard work, Dolores!) The CSM e–mail alerts have received several favorable comments. The program seems to be working well. We previously requested that you contact dasas@nccw.net or telephone if you change or drop your e–mail address or wish to be added. When 6–8 messages out of 169 are returned as undeliverable it requires searching a master list to identify the owner of that address, then telephoning for changes. In the future, should any mail be returned to me as undeliverable, the name and address will be removed from the list. If you have been getting alerts in the past and now are not receiving them, contact me if you wish to provide your present address. Thank you. — Dolores Sullin (Dolores can be reached at (216) 676–4658 or e–mail her at dasas@nccw.net.)
| |||||||||||||||||
|
For matters relating to the web site contact the: Web Weaver. |
