Watching Star Wars... Catholic-ly

I was at work one day recently, and amidst my staring at Excel formulas, I had a random idea hit me like a stray blaster bolt.

Perhaps it’s because of my subconscious excitement of Star Wars Episode VII coming out later this year and my general nerdy Catholic mind that allowed such a thought to float across my mind like a Jawa Sandcrawler.

I’ve been trying to come up with a way to engage my fellow young adult Catholics, and I seemed to have been blindsided by the answer. I had this crazy idea. An idea that seemed brilliant as Tatooine’s two suns.

What if…just what if…I could host Star Wars-watching parties! And not just watch Star Wars, but attempt to extract Catholic themes from the movies and discuss! And nerd out!

Now, I realize that Star Wars is totally not meant to be an exposition of Catholic dogma, doctrine, and discipline. Far from it, actually. But what I love about being Catholic is that it is universal and universally applicable. Part of where I’m at in my Catholic faith and spirituality is seeing it in everything.  How does my Catholic faith play into everything that I’m already into? Particularly, in this case, the nerdy things I’m into? Can I put on a Catholic lens and see Catholic themes in things that aren't even Catholic? That's been my constant reflection in these here recent times.

I bought the Blu-Ray set of all six episodes over a year ago and have since watched Episodes I-IV on my own. And I also got into The Clone Wars on Netflix. Allowing my Catholic nerdiness to collide with my Star Wars nerdiness allowed me to pick up on Catholic themes whether intentional or not. Ugh, Anakin Skywalker is such rich content. Much themes. Wow. Just even the first three Episodes had some good stuff to think about and relate to Catholicism! I wish I had written it all down!

Of course, one thing I also love about being Catholic is the community in Christ. We, as human beings, are made to be in community with each other, and I find this truth to be lived out well through most excellent Catholic examples.  Because of this, I decided that I shouldn't watch Star Wars Catholic-ly by my lonesome with cold beverage in one hand and lightsaber with the other anymore. And that's why I decided to shoot first and host such kind of Star Wars watching parties with my fellow Catholic young adults. Sometimes you just gotta let crazy Wookie ideas win, ya know?

I’ve already hosted two of these Star Wars watching parties. I’ll be hosting these once a month until Episode VII comes out this December! The first one ended up being a small gathering, and the second one had more of a crowd.  In both cases, we had some good and fruitful discussions extracting Catholic themes from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. I think the popular feedback from this past gathering is that Episode III will be overflowing with things to discuss largely in part due to Anakin Skywalker. O_O

I look forward to the coming months in preparation for Episode VII (edit: super nerd-tastic-ful-ness-ly)! But even more joyfuly...I look forward to engage and build community with my fellow young adult Catholic Star Wars nerds and nerd-converts!

But first, a selfie with a religious sister (a Daughter of St. Paul--the social media nuns!) and Darth Vader.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!!! (...and also with you!!! (because "and with your spirit" is actually more rightly ordered towards the ordained, only))
- JD

I Just Hit Someone meme // Star Wars 7 News
LEGO Jawa Sandcrawler // LEGO.com
Tatooine's Two Suns // Lightyears Blog at CNN
Sr. Helena Burns with Darth Vader // Sacred Heart Radio

An Instance When the Christian Cross Isn't Practical

This was back in April and written as such.

---

As I'm currently typing this out, I'm 6000+ miles away from home eating breakfast at a really nice hotel in the middle of Japan. I'll be going to Mass here in a few hours.

I've already been here for two weeks!

In my own desires and pursuit of Catholic nerdiness, I've sought Catholic churches nearby. The cathedral of this diocese is a solid 35 minute walk from my hotel, and I just recently found a mission church by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart that is only 25 minutes walk away.

In my brief Googling about Japan, I learned that Japan is only about 1% Christian.

First of all, I find it remarkable then that I was able to find two Catholic churches nearby! I would think that because the percentage of Christianity is so minuscule here that I would find difficulty in finding any Christian church much less a Catholic one.

However, in my excursions around the city in search of foods and Pokemon or on my commute to work, I see a surprisingly frequent sight: the cross. Not just any kind of cross but the Christian cross.

Totally a wedding venue...with reception hall...as viewed from my 20+ story hotel room.

It turns out that most of these establishments that display a Christian cross are actually not Christian churches, but rather wedding chapels. Apparently "Western-style" weddings are a popular thing here, but "Western-style" also seems to be synonymous with "Christian-style". With the population being 1% Christian, I begin to wonder how sincere to the Christian tradition these Western weddings are.

Now, I don't know the reasons for this and why Japanese couples are into Western-style weddings that are similar to a typical Christian wedding. I'm sure that would be a fascinating anthropological and historical pursuit that I'll probably pick up some other time.

But here in Japan, seeing the cross around town like that doesn't necessarily mean Christianity. Most likely it's a wedding venue that does Western-style weddings. Any hint of Christianity beyond that based on symbols is probably merely for the look and the feels, but doesn't necessarily get to the heart of Christian tradition and worship. In other words, it's superficial and nothing more beyond the symbol itself. Which stinks when I'm trying to find somewhere to pray without having to buy a wedding package, haha.

So I take comfort in the Catholic churches that I've found nearby. Within is not only the Christian cross, but the crucifix. Behold, the man--the man on the cross. And that's what makes the crucifix a practical symbol of what is indeed Christian. Particularly...Catholic. Here in Japan, I can know with reasonable confidence that the place I'm at can trace its tradition and motivations to something truly Christian. I mean, come on, the crucifix has Jesus on it. It cannot be argued that it would be for anything else. It is not as easily hijacked for other purposes.

I have a thing for Benedictine crucifixes (distinguished by the Benedictine medal). This is the one I wear.

In today's world, I'm caring more and more that Christianity not be hijacked for other intentions than what Christ Himself, and the authority He Himself gave to His apostles, intends.

St. Francis Xavier, one of the first missionaries to Japan, pray for us!
- JD

PS Of course, there's also the bonus of the Blessed Sacrament being truly present in a Catholic church. ^_^v

Only in the Philippines...

Only in the Philippines would you get a Catholic church featured in a McDonald's commercial.

A translation of the Tagalog words at the end:
"This Christmas, start here each morning. Afterwards, see you later."

A brief explanation:

"Simbang Gabi" means "Night Mass", and it is a long-standing tradition for Filipino Catholics. It's a series of nine days leading up to Christmas where the faithful attend Mass before the sun comes up in anticipation and preparation for Christmas as well as to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. I guess it's similar to the Hispanics' tradition of Las Posadas, but with a different focus.

Simbang Gabi is actually becoming more and more popular stateside, even among non-Filipino Catholics. My former bishop was tweeting about it the other day:

Gathering for Simbang Gabi Mass on the Christ Cathedral campus this evening. pic.twitter.com/5PnzCh8HGf
— OC Bishop (@OCBishop) December 21, 2014

My inner Filipino yearns for such a thing to be a thing here where I live.
- JD

A Harvard Valedictory Speech...In Latin!

First of all, props to Mary Anne Marks for making it into Harvard. Not just that, but she made valedictorian! Not just that, but she delivered her valedictory speech in Latin!

See for yourself:

I don't even know what she said, but I'm impressed that it's memorized and not in her native language. Latin isn't exactly easy, and I struggle with just singing/chanting it.

ALSO!!!!!

More props, because not only did she graduate as valedictorian at Harvard, but she's also becoming a religious sister with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI. 

CRAZY. AWESOME.  ...CRAZY AWESOME!

Kathryn Jean Lopez from the National Review Online interviews her about her background and motivations as to why she decided to enter into religious life.  Interesting!

LOPEZ: I don’t know about you, but I read the New York Times. A number of the op-ed columnists there, and a number of the news stories, tell me that the Catholic Church is anti-woman. And from other stories, about the various scandals, the Catholic Church also sounds like a dying, loser organization of sinners. Why would you choose to represent it in such a public, hard-to-miss way — in a religious habit?

MARKS: I feel privileged to represent the Catholic Church in a visible way, because it is an organization of sinners and sinners-turned-saints, emphatically alive, expanding, and responsive to the needs of the time, an organization that has been enormously effective in promoting the spiritual and material well-being of women and men throughout the 2,000 years of its existence.

Read the rest here.

Pretty cool stuff. She is definitely en fuego.

- JD

I first read about this through Fr. Z's blog.

Speech // YouTube

Is the Holy Spirit the same as the Force?

A good  radio interview from the Son Rise Morning Show with Greg Willits on the differences between the Holy Spirit and Star Wars' the Force.

And with your spirit.

- JD

Why We Got Stopped Multiple Times On The Highway

In a recent blog post, I mentioned how I would be visiting a Bendictine monastery on a pilgrimage in reparation for the "Black Mass” that was to be held on September 21 in Oklahoma City.  I finally went on that pilgrimage, and it was absolutely amazing! Rather than bust out a really long blog post recounting my experiences, I decided I'd do a brief series of blog posts highlighting different aspects.

The first half of our pilgrimage was a 4 hour drive to Wagoner, OK. From Holy Cross Catholic Church, we walked all the way to Clear Creek Abbey.

That's about 22 miles. Here's the route:

For safety and to help with keeping fresh legs, we had one of us drive our vehicular device up a few miles and wait for the rest of us to catch up. Once we all caught up, we'd switch out drivers and kept doing this along the way. If you'll look up at the map, you'll notice that we crossed via bridge over the lake. For that, we all hopped in the car and crossed because there is absolutely no pedestrian space and caulking our wagon and fording the lake wasn't an option either. Apart from these times, we walked.

Six guys walking along the side of a highway isn't particularly too interesting.  If anything, we're probably deemed as crazy for walking along the shoulder with vehicular things zooming past at 45-60 MPH! Maybe it's crazy that we were walking in the wind and rain. Maybe people thought we we were hiking. Maybe people got frustrated that they would have to take evasive maneuvers on the highway for our safety.

But a handful of people stopped and talked to us.

Why?

Why would these handful of people stop to talk to a bunch of guys taking up space on the side of the road?

The answer apparently was...

...because of the cross.

Seeing guys walking on the side of the road doesn't really compel anyone to stop and talk to them.

Seeing guys carrying a large wooden with drizzle and rain and a cool breeze causes double-takes and prompts questions and photo requests.

It happened multiple times on our 21 miles of walking. Some highlights, in list form:

[1] We stopped to exchange the cross towards the beginning of our march, and a woman pulled up near us on the side of the highway. She was curious as to what we were doing and thought it was cool. Our DRE explained why. She took a picture. We took her prayer intention and wrote it on our cross (her family has a history of some sort of thyroid disease).

 Morgan approves!

[2] Another time we stopped to exchange the cross in front of a convenience store. The owner runs out, yells for us to put the cross down and come into his store. He wanted to offer us free food (fried chicken and potato wedges!) because he loved the fact that we had a cross out there with us. He must've seen us coming up the road... Inside his store, we met a wife and her husband who are trying to get a minstry started because the nearest churches are still kind of far away. We prayed with her and their ministry. The owner and his family were so incredibly nice and their generosity was very much appreciated.




[3] Half-way through, a woman stopped ahead of us, and waited for us to come up. She was curious as to what we're doing and she wanted a picture. After we explained our purpose, we asked for her prayer request. She works at a local nursery, where that very day they were having to lay off a lot of people. We passed by it on our walk and it is pretty huge so I can't imagine how many people had to lose their jobs that day.

[4] We stopped at the last convenience store before the monastery because...well, they stopped us. Apparently someone passing by on the highway had seen us and called ahead to make sure the convenience store employees stopped us. That someone was from their volunteer fire department. She thought it was pretty cool that we were walking with a cross and so she bought us free drinks at the convenience store.



[5] This was more planned and intentional, but our DRE made contact with a mutual friend who lives near the monastery. They made arrangements to meet us and feed us at the aforementioned volunteer fire department where we were fed a delicious tomato basil soup and tuna sandwich meal. Homemade. Absolutely delicious after 15 miles of walking, and with it raining outside. There's a wonderful community of about 100 people who live just outside of the monastery, and they often help the monks out as well as visitors to the monastery.

[7] On the last stretch towards the monastery, a woman who lived on that road was driving past us and stopped to talk to us for a while. Traffic had to evade. She too was curious as to what we're doing and we explained. She also thought it was cool. Her prayer intention was for the football game that night for no injuries.

Oh, and none of these people were Catholic, except for those we met up with in [5]. But that doesn't matter because the cross unites us as Christians.

I mean, in addition to all of these examples, we had a good handful of appreciative/affirming car honks from strangers and passersby.

These experiences made me realize in a very real and first-hand way that the cross is our sign for victory and hope. Our Christian brothers and sisters know very well of this fact so seeing the cross being carried is enough to give pause and wonder, especially for those we encountered on our long, rainy, cold march towards the monastery.

“We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.”
- JD

Pictures courtesy of myself and my companions.

A Knights of Columbus Challenge

As I'm leisurely stalking my news feeds and timelines, it seems like every other person is doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Totally a worthy cause to raise awareness and raise money to fund for a cure for a debilitating disease. I have seemingly evaded any sort of nomination or challenge to do the Ice Bucket Challenge, but that's okay because participation doesn't require me to be challenged. As it is summer here in Texas, a cold splash of ice water would feel absolutely wonderful but not necessary. But I can still donate. With that said, I decided to donate to Compassionate Care ALS, who doesn't do research for a cure but rather gives personal care to those who suffer from ALS.  I figured this would be a good way to undoubtedly remain consistent with my Catholic faith and not contribute or potentially contribute to unethical means of finding a cure for ALS.

Something that's been occupying my mind lately is hearing about all this news about the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Iraq. I'm not hearing a lot about it in mainstream news, but for sure via Catholic channels. It sucks. Totally sucks. The militant extremists are essentially forcing everyone to convert to Islam and if they don't, they are killed. Families are having to flee from their homes and if they stay, they're subject to either high taxes or death. People kidnapped. Women raped. Men executed in groups at a time. Children dying from starvation and beheaded. Terrible. They are systematically driving out Christians and killing them if they don't submit and convert. Crazy terrible. For the people fleeing, they're essentially leaving everything behind and have nothing with them except the clothes on their back.

It's escalating towards genocide status. It's terrible because these acts violence are objectively crimes against humanity.

And I don't know what to do.

The other day at work, for whatever reason my cubemate seemed to be upset or sick or something such that he was pretty much silent the rest of the afternoon. That's unusual. I didn't ask him how he was doing. I remained silent and didn't take any action even though it seemed obvious to me that something wasn't right/normal. I know I should have said something or asked him how he was doing to let him know that I was concerned. But I didn't. I was silent, minding my own business.

Earlier in the week, I had heard on Catholic radio that the Knights of Columbus have set up a fund to help with humanitarian efforts for Christians and minorities in Iraq. 100% of donations will be used for those efforts. That's awesome! They're looking to raise $1M total. That's not a lot, but every little bit helps.

I keep seeing how virally successful that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is and how much money that has raised in a relatively short amount of time.

Considering all these things, an idea hit me that afternoon when my cubemate was silent. A challenge. I should start a challenge akin to the Ice Bucket Challenge.

After some thought, the idea converged to the following...

A two-part challenge:

1) One minute of silence in the car. Silence because I feel like driving in silence with the radio off is uncommon. How often do we allow ourselves to be silent and still, especially in the car? Prayers can be offered up or just simply existing. Maybe you could have a print out of the Prayer for Iraq. No music. No talk radio. Nothing. Mainstream media has been quiet on this issue. Let our purposeful silence resonate and bring light to this issue.

2) Donate money to the Knights of Columbus fund. Again, 100% of the donations will be used to help those in need. You can find the link here: Knights of Columbus Charities. At least a $5 donation would be good if the challenge was accepted to do a minute of silence in the car.

Challenge people you know to take one minute of silence in the car for persecuted peoples in Iraq as well as offer a small donation. You have 24 hours to accept and complete the challenge.

Here's me accepting my own challenge and nominating others:

Thanks and God bless,
- JD

4 Things Learned In College

It's that time of year again(!) when all of your friends go their separate ways and start college here in the next month or so. It's hard to imagine because it's almost the end of July...

I'm just glad I'm through with undergrad, and that I'm not having to worry about the start of a new college year. But, I know that this is an exciting, nerve-racking, hopeful, and (insert emotion here) time for those who are starting college or returning back this fall.

A former student of mine has two years of college under her belt, and she recently wrote a blog post that provides some wisdom about college from her own perspective and experiences that I find to be practical, especially for her particular audience.

In a non-literal nutshell, she writes:

1. It's going to feel weird for the first few weeks
2. Please, go to church
3. College friendships are different
4. You might not love it right away

Read an explanation for each here: It's been two years and I've learned four things in college

- JD

PS I should write about my college experiences sometime...

College clipart // BestClipArtBlog.com

Not A Review on When The Game Stands Tall

It was a recent Thursday afternoon, and I was totally planning on attending a Young Catholic Professionals happy hour networking event. Within the last hour of my work day, I received a call. Then a text, because I typically don't answer my phone during work.

An invitation.

Apparently one of my housemates scored some free tickets to a free screening of the upcoming movie, When The Game Stands Tall, starring Jim Caviezel and one of those guys who got killed in The Hunger Games. I was initially conflicted because that was rather last minute and was not part my original plan for the evening. Due to having a sense of adventure, I decided to forgo going to the YCP event and go with two of my housemates plus a housemate's fiancé to this free screening of When The Game Stands Tall. That came at the cost of hanging out with my other housemate at the networking event. You see that my struggles are real.

Here's a trailer, and perhaps it is official:

At first glance, it looks like just another cool story of a football movie inspired by true events. But it's particularly mind boggling that a high school team had a record 150+ win streak until the time that they lost, and this movie is about those real life struggles surrounding that time when the team endured a lot of suffering on and off the field. And. Lost. The. Streak.

Again, since this isn't a review, I want to highlight a few of the themes that stood out to me from watching this movie.

Brotherhood

I can always appreciate moments and themes in movies when the men don't act selfishly, but rather for each other or for the greater good. No one can stand alone, but together, they are strong. And When The Game Stands Tall gave me tangible moments where this idea of brotherhood was crucial to not just be successful at football, but also a sense of brotherhood that transcends from the game.  A few characters in the movie try to act in a self-centered way, but they eventually realized that it's not all about them. With the idea of brotherhood also comes the idea of sacrifice, whereby someone surrenders their ego and humbly do what they ought to do. That's cool. And When The Game Stands Tall gives several moments of bro-ness.

This stood out to me because, in a way, I yearn for that sense of brotherhood. Luckily, I'm in a living situation where that's about the closest thing I have. And it's pretty cool.

The Integration of Virtues and Life
I think the overall theme of the movie, which is Coach Bob Ladouceur's (Jim Caviezel) mission as a coach, is to teach these young men not just the football skills the successful, but the virtues needed to be the men they are created to be on AND off the field as well. "Coach Lad", as he is affectionately known, really tries hard at instilling in his team the idea of brotherhood and not being all for oneself ...and everything that it requires. He desires that his guys use football as a means to grow as men so that when they're off the field, they're still living out a life of virtue.

I recently helped give a workshop to some 60+ young men in high school at a youth Catholic conference. And this idea of living a virtuous life is totally cool and, really, a genuine expression of living out authentic masculinity. One of my buddy speakers for the workshop gave some personal experiences where he failed to be a man by not integrating virtues in his life decisions, and also experiences where he used virtues to be a man and do what is right, especially at his place of employment.

I think When The Game Stands Tall really highlights the importance of living out virtues in everything that we do because we are called as men to be virtuous. You see, I struggle with living a virtuous life. It's an everymoment choice, but I know I need to. I cannot have a sense of brotherhood if I am not first an authentic man. I cannot be who I need to be for others until I have grown the habit of living out virtues. This is the real struggle. And it's worth it.

It's Not About The Reward
What I also thought that was pretty cool is how Coach Lad handled the team post-streak. I mean, if I were in their cleats knowing that we've had a 150 win streak, I would be incredibly tempted to play my game as if it were all about the streak. His whole deal is about teaching his team virtues and doing what they need to do on the field, and the fruit of that should translate into a win. He even puts some of his guys in their place for expressing that it's all about the streak or it's all about breaking records. He really stressed that their success depends on doing what they ought to do and being virtuous on (and off!) the field.

I think the best example of this in the movie is when a parent basically uses their player as a trophy-getter. In other words, the parent was all about the rewards of the game. But much to their dismay, their player learned that the game isn't about winning or breaking records. And I'll leave it at that.

Too many times in my life, I've been all about the achievement of status. As I've been too focused on a goal, I've neglected doing what I need to do in order that the fruit of my effort results in achievement. After watching When The Game Stands Tall, it helped remind me that life isn't about the rewards but doing what I need and ought to do.

And now a very brief review: acting isn't totally awesome, but Jim Caviezel captures who the real Coach Bob Ladouceur is; football scenes are pretty epic and action-y; transitions in the plot were too fast in the beginning; and I dig the end credits.

I haven't been to a movie in a long while (ever?) that has really been, at least, inspirational to me in a practical way. I can start living out what I've learned from this movie almost immediately. And that's cool.

I highly recommend this movie for when it comes out at the end of August. It's a good movie for those who enjoy football and really cool football stories. I think those who are coaches, teachers, and those who work in ministry should go see this movie because there is so much to pull from to be used as a teaching tool for players/students. I mean, I only covered a few themes and only covered them lightly!

Coming to a theater near you, August 22.
- JD

When The Game Stands Tall poster // Wikipedia
Longhorn fan crying // ShaggyBevo.com
Huddle // Sony Pictures
Coaches // USA Today

What You Get When You Have A Video Editor/Worship Leader, Middle School Youth Minister, Engineer, and Police Officer...

...is a really awesome Catholic house!

Several years ago, my cousin was thinking about moving out of her parents' house. I mean, what young adult doesn't think about doing that? Here's the thing though: she wanted to move into a house with some of her friends that was something like five minutes away from her parents' house! And I made fun of her for wanting to move out to a house so close by because that seemed like a stupid idea.

Well, I'm such a hypocrite.

But at least I'm not a hippo...

I moved out of my parents' house into a house that is a three-minute drive away.

Long story short, I've been living at my parents' house for the past several years after graduating from college. I wasn't really motivated to move out into my own place or even somewhere closer to work because it was more cost-effective for me to stay at home and not pay rent so that I can knock out some of my student loans (yes, I did create spreadsheets (I like Excel)). Not only that, but my parents didn't mind at all and even encouraged it.

After a few years though, I had a growing itch to move out. The itch grew as I've put some dents in my loans. One of my new friends at my parish, The Middle School Youth Minister, expressed one day about perhaps getting an apartment together because he wanted to move out of his parents' house. The initial interest never really bore fruit and was put on the backburner. But I still cheated on Facebook (as in, infidelity to time spent on Facebook) by looking at different apartments in the area and such.

One day, at the beginning of this year, The Middle School Youth Minister friend calls me up and says that his boss heard about a rental house opportunity. His boss was a member of a band back in the day, and one of the boss' bandmates was about to have a vacancy on his rental property. I guess my friend had talked with his boss about wanting to move out, and that's how all this came to be.

The initial info was for sure enticing: $950 monthly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2 bathrooms, and a fairly large backyard. We just couldn't go check it out yet because the current renters were still in residence. I my friend, The Middle School Youth Minister, that I'd be brown (like down, and because I am) for moving into this house. Because it was three bedrooms, we considered who else to ask to fill the the third room so we could split the $950 monthly rent three ways. That's when we had the idea of asking our friend, The Police Officer. And he, too, was brown for it (like down, but he's not brown (now it’s an inside joke)).

Somehow in the process of us doing initial talks for this house, a new roommate appeared! The Middle School Youth Minister's boss had done some talking within several degrees of separation, and we landed a fourth roommate, The Video Editor/Worship Leader, who also happens to be a third cousin to The Middle School Youth Minister.

Lo, and behold! A rental house of four guys splitting $950 monthly rent! That's so much cheaper than any apartments I was looking at, and cheaper than any mortgage I would normally find myself in.  We had a Buffalo Wild Wings dinner meeting and decided that this for sure something we all wanted to go through with.

This worked out because all four of us are single, Catholic guys with jobs still living at home with our parents. And now this opportunity of a house popped up, seemingly at just the right time? How could we not pass it up?!

When Buffalo Wild Wings gives you cardboard cutout Kodak moments...

We've actually been living in that house for several months now. It's been pretty fantastic!

I think it's really cool that we're all Catholic men living in this small community of a house. We're all around the same level in terms of our faith, so it makes it really easy to talk about real, Catholic topics. I've already had a good handful of late-night conversations with some or all of my roommates regarding stuff like life in general and our life in faith. Conversion stories, chastity, the beauty of woman, authentic masculinity, the brokenness of the culture (and police sub-culture), abortion, proper postures during liturgy, proper Church teaching on homosexuality, lives of the saints, miracles, and the list goes on. Besides the Catholic things, we nerd out on conversations about firearms, our jobs, music, video games, food, chores, lawn care, etc.

Personally, this living arrangement helps motivate me to really live out my Catholic faith because my housemates strive to do so, as well. Not only that, but I look up to them by their own witness and example of what it looks like to have a real, genuine relationship to Christ and His bride, the Church. We can hold each other accountable in the Christian life in many different aspects. It's really awesome when one of us has the idea to go do something Catholic like pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet, pray Liturgy of the Hours, or go to Mass, and invite the other housemates.

The Middle School Youth Minister, myself, and The Video Editor/Worship Leader walking on our way to Daily Mass

In practice, I've realized that we all have vastly different schedules.  Between our jobs and our different levels of involvement in parish life, sometimes there are extended periods of time where I don't see all or a few of my housemates at all. However, we all agreed to make Tuesday night our "bro night" in which we commit to hanging out with each other in some way. Most of the time that has been dinner and a movie night. Every now and then that means attending a Catholic event like an Opus Dei night of recollection, Theology on Tap events, or Young Catholic Professionals meetings. Sometimes that means joining other men of our parish for a night of 60 cent wings at Buffalo Wild Wings. And Tuesday, at the very least, is when we all pray Night Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours together.

While I have not given the aspect to this story its due on how this all came together seemingly "just right" and with ease, I think it means that we're all meant to be in this house together. Already, I see great potential, great awesomeness and have already experienced some of the benefits to this house of Catholic men.

So whew! I finally moved out (three minutes away) from my parents’ house! And now I live in a house with some awesome Catholic men where we can lift each other up and grow in holiness as we strive to be the men that God created us to be!

More stories worthy of blogging to come, I'm sure.
- JD

Hippo // HowStuffWorks

The Reason Why Our Country Hasn't Fallen Apart

When I was on pilgrimage for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. earlier this year, I had the opportunity to go to the Holocaust Museum. I mean, how fitting since my group had just prayed in front of one of the most active abortion clinics in the country earlier in the morning. Since it was a holiday, they weren’t performing abortions and thus were closed for the day. Whew. But! What better way to continue reflecting on the injustice of the vulnerable and innocent than by refreshing on or learning more about the Nazi’s Holocaust of the Jewish people, others they deemed unfit, and others who stood in their way.

While standing in line waiting to go into the Museum, I noticed a religious brother had gotten in line just behind me. Talking to him was simply irresistible because religious brothers are just awesome! After talking to him for a little while, I learned the basics: the name he goes by is Ignacio, he’s from Texas, he is of the Benedictine order hence he is a Benedictine monk (but not a priest), and he’s been assigned to their monastery in Washington, D.C.

As we were talking to him, I was surprised to learn about his monastery because I didn’t know there was a Benedictine monastery nearby. I mean, I knew of the Franciscan monastery because that is normally part of our itinerary for this pilgrimage for the March for Life. Not only was it nearby, but the Benedictine monastery is also near the Franciscan one. Huh, I would have never guessed…but…cool!

During the course of our conversation, my buddy asked him how he liked being here in D.C. He said he loves it and that it’s an exciting place to be. I’m a Texas boy too and big city life like Washington, D.C. would surely be full of not dull moments.

He said one thing that sticks to my mind more than anything. Brother Ignacio said that it is really important to have a Catholic presence in our nation’s capital because of all the power and influence that reside along the Potomac River. Just by my knowing of Br. Ignacio’s existence pointed to the reality that there must be a greater Catholic presence in D.C. then I had previously thought about up until that point. And what he said made sense regarding such density of authority in the capital. Of course! It is very important to have a Catholic presence there because of all the crazy things we have to deal with as a nation, and a certain handful of people in our capital can make decisions that affect each and every single American's life.

He jokingly said that the reason why our country hasn’t completely fallen apart is because of the Catholic presence of religious brothers and sisters constantly praying for our country and our country’s leaders at the heart of all the political action. We all laughed, and it’s funny because there’s truth to that. I couldn’t help but wonder what other Catholic friaries, monasteries, convents, etc. exist in and around Washington, D.C. Like I said, I knew of the Franciscan Monastery, and also the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration just down the street from them. Also, there’s Catholic University of America with the behemoth of a Catholic church that is the Basilica, which I know many priests and seminarians pass through those halls. And to think…all of them (plus all the others I have yet to find out about) praying for us and for our country...

Sure, the best ways to help our country would definitely come through physical, tangible means. You know, making laws, decisions, etc. meant for the betterment of this country that we love so dear, from sea to shining sea. And then actually following through with those. But as a practicing Catholic, I’ve come to learn and appreciate that just as much as there is a physical reality to things, there is also a spiritual reality. That’s where prayer really helps. Through prayer, we approach God in humility asking for His help because without His help, we wouldn’t get very far. If we carry this interior disposition to truly love and serve others in a genuine way by seeking their ultimate good, that will carry through in our actions and manifest in physical reality.

I'm glad that we've got presence in the capital, and that joining them in prayers for our country is myself and the gray-haired ones who warm the pews on a daily basis when no one else is around during the week. Our prayers will be unceasing. How can I truly help my fellow Americans and serve them?

At the very least, I think it's cool that I randomly had this opportunity to speak to a Benedictine brother for a little bit. Haha! He ended up meeting the rest of my group and pretty much abandoned whatever group he was chaperoning. He hung out with us for a long while after we were done.

Story time with Br. Ignacio.
- JD

Babe's And Billboards

I think it was earlier last year in the spring when I was driving towards Dallas through Denton on I-35E. I noticed a big billboard that simply said "Behold the King of Kings" with a picture of the Nativity. 

I didn't take this Instagram...

"That's pretty cool, but...it's awkward because it's sooooo not Christmas right now. Maybe this is accidental in leaving the billboard up...", were my thoughts. I didn't think too much about it and went on my merry way (but not merry in a holiday way, because it 'twas not the season). I mean, being up here in north Texas, it's not uncommon to see Christian billboards. (Do you know how many pro-life ones I pass by on the way to work? Lol.)

There was another non-holiday instance of me driving through the Metroplex, and I noticed the same billboard. This time in a completely different location! And I was like, "Dang, whoever is sponsoring this billboard ...they're intense! ...or forgetful-because-it's-still-not-Christmas." But now, I had the opportunity to look at the billboard more closely and such a closer look revealed something that I wasn't expecting.

Babe's?!?! Whaaaa!

I had no idea that one of my favorite restaurants had any sort of Christian affiliation with it!

And so they definitely do, according to their Visions & Values on their website.

Since I'm writing this in the Christmas season (which for Catholics, is celebrated as an entire season and not just a single day...ends January 12th this year), I really do get the opportunity to behold the King of kings! I'm celebrating His arrival! Word made flesh! God humbling Himself as a babe (not a chicken house)!

Y'all, that has so much theological richness to it that I can't hope to even begin to talking more about it! But, I'm appreciative of the fact that Babe's has billboards all over the place reminding me to behold the Him.

===Update 1/5/2014===

I unintentionally seemed to have posted this blog post on the weekend of the Epiphany of the Lord, where the Church celebrates the three "Wise Men" coming to see the babe to worship Him. Seeking the Child in Jerusalem, they asked King Herod where to find Him. After visiting Herod, they went on their way

and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (RSV-CE Matt 2: 9-11)

At this morning's Mass, our priest highlighted that the Epiphany used to be an even greater celebration than Christmas itself! This is simply because here we have Jesus being revealed to the world...to other eyes besides Mary and Joseph. Quite a big deal! The "Wise Men" have come to behold and worship the King of kings! Upon hearing this stressed importance during the homily, I had a sort of epiphany about Epiphany.

Either way...today is the day which we celebrate beholding the babe as King as the three Orient kings did those ~2000 years ago.

While the Solemnity of the Epiphany is a once-a-year celebration, I think, going forward, these billboards that Babe's (Chicken Dinner House) has placed around town will be good reminders for me to go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament--where I can really behold the King of kings truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Behold.
- JD

Picture of Babe's "Behold the King of Kings" billboard from The New MethoFesto blog

Close up picture from Humor Outcasts
"There's Myrrh" meme from Catholic Memes
Picture of Pope Francis holding monstrance with Eucharist from Catholic Philly

Real Life Tribute

So my Thanksgiving plans this year included going to watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with my family since it just came out. But see, this was awkward for me because I hadn't yet seen the first one! Or read the books! (I know, utter your groans...).

After returning home from work for the break, I decided to solve this problem of not having seen the first one in preparation for seeing Catching Fire. But first, I had to confront a very real, first-world problem. Where should I use Netflix? On the PS3? Xbox 360? Wii? 3DS? iPhone? iPad? Desktop? Laptop? Blu-Ray player? Wi-fi connected TV? Ultimately, the PS3 won.

Popped some corn... Cracked open a cold beverage (okay, twisted open)...

And then I watched The Hunger Games!

I thought it was pretty good after watching the movie! I felt hipster because I was already into archery before Katniss made it really cool. Even then, after watching the movie I really wanted to shoot my bow again!

Now, remember that I haven't read the books so I don't know how well the movie follows the books, and many often say that the books are always better etc etc etc...

But what intrigued me from watching the first movie was this entire concept of the "Hunger Games" whereby kids are chosen by lottery to compete in a nationally teleivised deathmatch as entertainment and remembrance of some rebellion against the Capitol from the past. And the Games are advertised as a good and necessary thing by the government. x_x

While there are so many themes and elements about the story that I could blog about, I really want to focus on just one. It's an important one, not just to us as the movie-watchers or book-readers, but to the setting and people found in Panem as well.

#SpoilerAlert

I think the most striking thing about the story is how Katniss volunteered to be Tribute in place of her sister, Primrose, who was chosen by the lottery to represent their District 12. This was unheard of! Katniss was the first volunteer ever for District 12! And she did this out of protection and love for her sister. That is very apparent. People throughout Katniss' journey to the Arena in preparation for the Games are struck by this. And since I saw Catching Fire, I can now also say that this act of volunteer sacrifice has inspired others throughout the various Districts. Pretty cool. I smell a rebellion coming.

We've seen this sort of act of love...this "take me instead!"...in Hollywood and fictional works pretty often. It's pretty effective in conveying a deeper sense of love and evoking sentiment in the audience.

Katniss' heroic action in volunteering herself reminded me of a fairly modern Catholic saint that I'm growing to love and appreciate more and more. It's fascinating because it involves Nazis, torture, volunteer sacrifice and...it's totally real!

Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, ca. 1939

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest from Poland. Some highlights about his life:

• Born in 1894
• The Virgin Mary appeared to him before his First Communion and asked him whether he wanted the graces from a life of purity or martyrdom. He wanted both. 
• He was ordained as a Catholic priest at the age of 24.
• He founded the Immaculata Movement, a movement with devotion to the Virgin Mary asking for her help in the conversion of "sinners, heretics, schismatics, and so on and above all the Masons, and for the sanctification of all persons".
• Started a magazine called Knight of the Immaculate to fight religious indifference
• Tuberculosis nearly killed him and left him frail for the rest of his life
• Spent time in Japan and India to expand the Immaculata Movement

He returned to Poland in the late 1930's. By this time, the Nazis gained power in Europe and began their persecutions of the Jews, Catholics, and anyone else who didn't fit their ideals or who stood in their way. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe was arrested during the Nazi invasion of Poland, but was later released. He was arrested again in 1941 because of his different publications that also began to contain anti-Nazi materials.

Fr. Maximilian Kolbe was sent to the concentration camp in Auschwitz and was branded as prisoner #16670. 

A prisoner in Fr. Kolbe's barracks escaped from Auschwitz, and protocol called for 10 prisoners from the escaped prisoner's barracks to be killed as retribution. Francis Gajowniczek, a Catholic Polish sergeant, was one of the 10 chosen to die. When chosen, Francis exclaimed that he had a wife and kids. 

An elderly Francis Gajowniczek

Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, as an old Catholic priest, stepped forward and volunteered to take the place of Francis. The Nazis accepted the request.

Years later, Francis remembered:

I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me, a stranger. Is this some dream?

I was put back into my place without having had time to say anything to Maximilian Kolbe. I was saved. ... The news spread quickly all around the camp. It was the first and last time that such an incident happened in the whole history of Auschwitz. (qtd. in TheDivineMercy.org)

The 10 prisoners, including Fr. Maximilian, were sent to one of the camp's blocks to be stripped naked and left to starve and die. However, Fr. Maximilian led the group in hymns and prayers, encouraging them despite their dire situation. He was also often seen kneeling and praying calmly whenever he was checked on. After a few weeks, he was the only survivor of the 10. Wanting to clear out the starvation bunker, the Nazis administered a lethal injection of carbolic acid to Fr. Maximilian Kolbe. Apparently some witnesses to the injection said he willingly offered his arm.

He died in August 1941, and his body was cremated in the ovens at Auschwitz.

While I still admire Katniss' heroic actions and desire to give of herself to protect others, especially the vulnerable, her story is fictitious. I haven't finished reading/watching her story, but I'm sure it comes to a glorious conclusion. However! Her story reminds me a lot of St. Maximilian Kolbe, and I couldn't help but to share his story.

What's compelling to me about Fr. Maximilian Kolbe is that he volunteered his life for someone he didn't really know. A stranger. For Katniss, it makes sense because she did so for her dear sister. Given a similar situation, would I even do that? Am I willing to offer my life in someone else's place, especially for those that I love? Do I even desire to willingly offer my life for the betterment of someone else's? While I will most likely not be called to die on purpose in a major way, what are small ways I can die to myself to better love others? These are questions worth reflecting on.

Fr. Maximilian Kolbe was beatified in 1973 by Pope Paul VI and later canonized as a martyr by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Francis Gajowniczek was present at both ceremonies at the invitation of the respective popes.

For tribute and honor, Catholics celebrate His feast day on August 14. He is a patron saint of drug addicts, against drug addiction, of journalists, of prisoners, and for the pro-life movement.

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15: 13)

- JD

Resources and More Info:

St. Maximilian Kolbe / Catholic Online

Saint Maximilian Kolbe / SQPN

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe / American Catholic

Who Is St. Maximilian? / EWTN

The Ideals and Program of the Knights of the Immacula / Consecration, Militia of the Immaculata

Francis Gajowniczek / Wikipedia

'Greater Love Than This No Man Has', Maximilian Kolbe Exemplifies Divine Mercy In Action / The Divine Mercy

---

Photo of The Hunger Games movie poster from The Hunger Games Society blog
Photo of St. Maximilian Kolbe from Wikipedia
Photo of Francis Gajowniczek from Auschwitz.dk

Not A Review On Gravity

In this edition of "Oh hey, I noticed something  Catholic about this movie-that-isn't-intended-to-be-Catholic", I want to talk about Gravity.

I had the opportunity to go watch Gravity the other day, and I liked it! I was intrigued by the trailer with Sandra Bullock's and George Clooney's characters seemingly drifting in space hopelessly trying to grab a hold of something. Something about space made my aerospace engineering senses tingle. Had to go see it!

It was kind of a frightening movie only because I couldn't help but think about what I would do in the same situations that those characters faced in the movie. But, without giving anything totally away, I appreciated the Catholic themes present throughout the movie.

Silence
This is important to know--you can't hear sounds in space. Or rather, you need atmosphere (or not a vacuum) in order to have a small change in pressure that we can refer to as "sound."

But, as important as it is to know that for the beginning of the movie, it's also important as the movie progresses.

Sometimes silence is the only way we can truly be face-to-face with our interior. By interior I mean our deepest thoughts, desires, emotions, etc. In her loneliness in the silence of space, it becomes conducive for Sandra Bullock's character to pray.

In Catholic understanding, we know that God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. It is easier to listen to His stirring of our hearts in silence rather than the noise of everything we're dealing with.

Beauty
Immediately, it is beautiful to admire the cinematography of the earth below from the characters' perspective. I can't even fathom how amazingly beautiful the earth must look in real life from above, but I'm guessing this movie gives a close approximation.

Even the characters acknowledge how great and beautiful are the various views of the earth as they orbit around it.

Beauty is one the the three transcendentals (the other two being Truth and Goodness).  It gives us a sense of awe and wonder of something infinite and divine that is greater than us. And seeing the earth from the heavens (by that I mean ... really, really, really, really high in the sky) really allows one to see the beauty of God's creation on planet Earth.

Intercessory Prayer
One of the things about being Christian is that we pray for each other. The Catholic faith even teaches that the saints pray for us in heaven.

Like I indicate above, Sandra Bullock's character prays in the movie. She asks for help on how to pray and wonders about if there would be anyone to pray for her. Just that monologue alone exemplifies her prayer for help as she realized that.

There's also that brief cameo of a St. Christopher icon (prayer card?). I didn't really know St. Christopher already from previous knowledge so I had to go look him up. Apparently he may or may not be real, and he lived in the early first centuries after the death of Christ. I think what's significant is that He's often portrayed carrying the Child Jesus who is said to be extremely heavy because He carries the weight of the world. Perhaps ironically in the movie, you can see the whole world in the backdrop of most shots!  And most fittingly, St. Christopher is a patron saint of travelers, especially when they encounter disasters. Hmm.

And those would be the three things that stood out to me in a Catholic way.

I think Fr. Robert Barron gives a more in-depth reflection on what stood out to him. Great video (WATCH OUT! SPOILER ALERTS!!!):



And Marcel points out some other aspects over at his blog at Aggie Catholics: Fr. Barron Gives Us A Great Reflection On The Movie Gravity.

And a movie critic review by Stephen Greydanus: SDG Reviews 'Gravity'

- JD

Info St. Christopher // Catholic.org
St. Christopher Icon // St. Joseph School For Boys Bookstore - Orthodox Gift Shop
Gravity // Space.com

Not A Review on Elysium

The other weekend, I had the opportunity to go watch Elysium after much deliberation about what movie to go see with my parents.  Apparently we chose the wrong time of summer to go watch a movie because not a lot of blockbuster hits are out right now? And my parents weren't at all interested in watching Disney's Planes, much to my dismay as an aerospace engineering nerd.

Elysium tells the story of one man's desire to go to Elysium, which is a  futuristic, space habitat orbiting the Earth.  The setting of the story is in the far future, year 2154, where the poor and less fortunate live on Earth, and the rich and privileged live on Elysium.  To further emphasize that difference in wealth and living, the citizens of Elysium have access to wondrous technology, and guard it very closely. They live a luxurious, comfortable life whereas the people on Earth live a rougher life without access to the most advanced technology. And I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil the story.

Perhaps I'm just turning into a Catholic nerd, but I find it interesting to pick up on the use of anything Catholic in Hollywood movies recently.  I've seen hints of Catholicism either be part of the story or make a cameo in some movies like Skyfall, The Avengers, Les Miserables (ok, Catholicism really oozes out of this one), For Greater Glory, The Hobbit, etc. just to name a few.

In Elysium, I definitely picked up on the religious sister seen at the beginning of the movie.  She plays a role in the main character's life and is the vehicle to present the "overall theme" of Elysium's story (though I would say not as effective as it could have been, but this is not a review).

Seeing her against the setting of this futuristic world in Elysium provides a visual example of a reality that unfolds here in real life, beyond the silver screen, by the Catholic Church. And it kind of struck me in a way that helps me better fully appreciate my faith.

In the context of Elysium, the fact that it is set in the far future and that a religious sister is present shows that the Church will still be around. Even if we, all humanity, endure through tough times, the Church will still have a presence here on earth. In the real world, deeper study into the history of Catholicism shows that we've been around for the past ~2000 years (since the time of Christ), and what's another 2000 more? Just as we've seen many changes throughout the course of human history in the best of times and worst of times, the Church has been present. Cool stuff! Perhaps as long as there are humans walking around this earth and/or floating in space, there will be the Catholic Church on earth until the end of the age.

Secondly, not only did I see a religious sister present in the movie, but it is obvious in the context of the story that she looked after orphans.  In reality, I find it easy to associate religious with works of charity and service to others.  Religious brothers and sisters take those vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I see many communities that also run apostolates and have certain charisms like running schools, hospitals, orphanages, crisis pregnancy centers, homeless outreach, media, and countless other ways to reach out to others. Also, the religious sister in Elysium was appropriately seen on Earth, where the poorer people and less fortunate live and not on Elysium where the privileged and elite reside. This further illustrates how, in reality, religious communities are more frequently found in poorer areas helping the poor.

I'm a fan of the Franciscans of the Renewal

Lastly, the religious sister says a line that seems to be one of the main themes of the movie. She says something to the effect of "never forget where you come from." This is important to the movie because of the main character's trying journey to Elysium. And I wish I could say more but that would spoil the story! In the real world, seeing a religious brother or sister becomes a sort of reminder for me that there is a God and that their life is a visible sign of what it means to know, love, and serve the Lord. Seeing them reminds me of where I come from--I come from God, created in His image and likeness. And as a response to His love and commands, there is a Church comprised of His Body. These are the Christians, specifically Catholics. Seeing that religious sister in the movie reminds me that I'm Catholic, and that I shouldn't forget that I belong to God and His bride, the Church.

Awesome stuff.

I find it interesting to gain better appreciation of my faith through cinema. Despite Elysium's shortcomings in plot development, it had cool visuals and action in addition to the presence of a religious sister that helped me better appreciate my faith. I only wish her dialogue involved any God-centered words, but I suppose her simple inclusion was enough for me.

Never forget.
- JD

Elysium movie poster // Wikipedia
Capuchin Franciscans of the Renewal Community // Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

Beauty in America's Got Talent

I've been reflecting on beauty moreso than usual lately. I won't get into why...but...just know that I am.

And...it's always interesting to see how we react and respond to beauty. Truly, if man and woman encounter objective beauty, there's a certain stirring from within that tends towards something infinite. Perhaps a sense of wonder and awe and the desire to be consumed by that beauty.

So, to help illustrate that, I found an example from a popular TV show, America's Got Talent.

This unassuming group pretty much surprised everyone with their singing. Notice that their skillful melodic harmonies evokes a sense of awe, wonder, and surprise from the judges and the audience to the point that the audience even gives a standing ovation even though they aren't even done with their audition! And wow, even Howard Stern looks on and listens with a smile!

We respond in a good way whenever we have a true encounter with beauty. Sure, the song they performed is in Latin, but they do it so. freakin'. well! And that, in and of itself, is beautiful.

And you know what? This is totally Catholic. Anything that is Good, True, and Beautiful? That becomes inherently Catholic even though it might not be explicitly Catholic.

But the song they sang is totally a Catholic hymn. 

Here's the YouTube video I saw that inspired me to write this post:

Beauty with a beat.

- JD

Forte - Pie Jesu // Rickey

A North American Example of Losing Religious Freedom

No. This isn't about the HHS Mandate. Actually, this isn't directly even about any of the religious liberty issues we face here in our nation today.

Ah, al contrario. This is about México.

Whenever the movie, For Greater Glory, came out a year ago, I found out about the Cristero War. Up until the movie was about to be released, I had never ever heard about it.  Thanks to all the talk on Catholic radio, I was able to learn more about the War.

Basically, in the early 1920's, the Mexican government made it illegal to be Catholic and to do anything Catholic. It got to the point where the Mexican government and army hunted and killed Catholics. This sparked a rebellion known as the Cristero War.

Sure, that was nearly 100 years ago in a country that isn't the United States, and times are different. But the question is...what kind of parallels can we draw from the Cristero War with some of the things that are happening in our world today? ...in our nation, today?

Patrick Madrid, prominent Catholic speaker/writer/radio host, gives a 45 minute talk on the topic, entitled "Attack on Religious Liberty."  He had family members who were killed during the Cristero War.  In his talk, he provides the historical context which led to the Cristero War.  He also details a lot of examples of how the Mexican government took away religious liberty (besides dealing death).

Here's the link to a message Patrick Madrid sent out if you'd like to download it yourself:

http://www.flocknote.com/note/76696

Or you can watch a longer version of his talk here:


Why do I even care about this?  
I think it's important to learn history, even as difficult as it is sometimes, so that the same mistakes aren't made.  People will always cite the Inquisition, the Crusades, and other examples to paint the Catholic Church as a violent force in history, but it works the other way around too where other entities violently oppose Catholics and the Church.  From what I've been hearing and reading about in recent news, it is a great challenge to live a peaceful Catholic life in the Middle East because some of those in power have a great love for persecuting Christians to the point of killing them. And not just in the Middle East, but other governments and entities have made it super hard to do anything Catholic.

But what about here in the United States?  While I don't expect us to get to the level of killing people of Catholic faith like in Mexico (at least, not in my lifetime...I hope...)... are we getting comfortable with allowing our liberties to be limited or taken away? Are we getting comfortable with being forced to do un-Christian things because the government said so? Are we getting used to the idea that our  faith is being forced to stay within the confines of our church walls and the Sabbath? Hmm.

Well, I will not make this a full commentary on everything regarding the attacks on religious liberty here in the United States.  But I'll just say that it is important to know about the Cristero War so that we can take action (hopefully peacefully) in the defense of religious liberty if necessary.  After all, it is a First Amendment right that we're able to enjoy here in the United States. As long as the U.S. doesn't begin impinge on our other First Amendment rights, we'll be able to publicly and peaceably address issues of religious liberty.

And then! To be Catholic means that our faith goes beyond the doors of our churches ("Mass" in Latin is "missa" which means "dismissal" or understood to be "mission"....or simply put, we "are sent out").   We are Catholic in everything that we do, 7 days a week, no matter where we are.  And there are those who have issues with this idea that Catholics are to be Catholics outside of Catholic churches.  Awkwardly, we do have hospitals, universities, humanitarian efforts, religious communities, businesses, etc. that identify as Catholic and they are fully expected to be in line with Church teaching because if they aren't...then they cease acting in an authentically Catholic way.  Or more gravely, they cease being Catholic. And there are those who want this!  President Calles of Mexico wanted to erase Catholicism out of his country so that his grand ol' scheme wouldn't have the Catholic Church standing in his way. So he took away Mass. He destroyed churches. He killed priests. He killed anyone associated with the Catholic faith.

It seems to me that anytime that the Church finds herself being persecuted heavily, she all the more grows and grows in a profound way.  And saints arise.  In fact, here's a Wikipedia list of saints (some waiting canonization) from the Cristero War. What saints will arise out of today's forms of Christian persecution? Who will make a stand by the life they live and the actions they take? Who will be martyred?

But anyway...

...because it's a good movie to get a feel for what happened during the Cristero War! :-D

...oh and yes, preparation for the greater glory of rising above persecution in all of its subtle and blatant forms. We must prepare for that too.

So let us all learn about the Cristero War and hope/pray/fast that this country never reaches that point.  Besides, I selfishly think it would be a shame if things started going downhill for the American Catholic Church when my knowledge and appreciation for it is steadily growing.  But, what can I do to help? That's what I should reflect and take action on. :-)

Blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

- JD

Fr. Francisco at the moment of being shot / TouchStone's Jests