Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Vatican officials give thumbs up for 'The Nativity Story'

My grandson and I will be going to see this movie, for sure, perhaps even this coming weekend. God bless!

----Original Message----

Vatican officials give thumbs up for 'The Nativity Story'

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Vatican officials have given the latest Hollywood re-enactment of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth a thumbs up after hosting the film's world premiere Nov. 26.

Praise for "The Nativity Story," due out in U.S. theaters Dec. 1, came from the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano; the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone; and the head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley.

"It's well done," Cardinal Bertone told journalists after seeing the film in the Vatican's Paul VI hall together with more than 7,000 other invited guests. Pope Benedict XVI, who was due to fly to Turkey less than 40 hours later, did not attend the evening event.

"It retells this event which changed history with realism but also with a sense of great respect of the mystery of the Nativity," said Cardinal Bertone, adding that he found it to be "a good cinematic" feature.

The benefit event raised money to build two new schools in the Israeli village of Mughar in Galilee. Christian, Muslim and Druze students will attend the elementary and middle schools.

Thunderous applause broke out several times during the film's 90-minute showing, with the most enthusiastic being during the scene of Christ's birth in Bethlehem.

Archbishop Foley said Rolf Mittweg, president of the film's distributor, New Line Cinema, told him he was "stunned, but happy" the film generated so much applause.

"I told him it was because they were pleased to see an affirmation of (the Christian) faith," the archbishop said.

In his opening remarks before the nearly full audience hall, Archbishop Foley said it was "nice to be able to have something religious for Christmas."

The film, which revives the true meaning of the season, comes at a time when "people are afraid of saying 'Merry Christmas'" and makes people "proud to say 'Merry Christmas,'" he said.

The archbishop told
Catholic News Service he found the film to be "very moving" and thought "the part of Joseph was sensitively scripted and played."

Cardinal Bertone also praised the way the scriptwriter, Mike Rich, crafted "very beautiful dialogue" between the characters, especially in fleshing out Joseph and Mary's relationship and how "they together accepted the mystery of God's plan for them."

"In particular, Joseph is the example of how an honest and righteous man, who undergoes a humanly upsetting experience" -- finding out his betrothed is pregnant -- can still "abandon himself completely to God's plan."

Meanwhile, L'Osservatore Romano called the feature film "graceful and unpretentious," praising it for being a light, happy and imaginative retelling of the story of Joseph, Mary and Christ's birth.


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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Br Bob Fishman Speaks on the Jewish Roots of Catholicism




Br Bob Fishman is a Jewish man who is now Catholic, and explains the Jewish Roots of our Faith.

Some already KNOW this, but most... I bet most cradle Catholics had no idea...

God bless, and thank you, Brother Bob Fishman! Thank you EWTN for hosting him! It is available from EWTN catalog.

God bless!

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Why I am Catholic...

I am often asked why I am Catholic by people wanting to pull me OUT of my Church, away from what I hold dear.

I have seen this video before, and I cannot think of a better way to tell you why I am Catholic.

For me, the most important aspect is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Only Begotten Son of the OneTriune God, born of a Virgin, Mary, married to Joseph. Jesus Christ, Second Person of the Trinity.

I could not leave the Catholic Church because of HIM, because of the Eucharist. Because He told us...

John 6:48-69

48: "I am the bread of life.
49: Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50: This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52: The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53: So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;
54: he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55: For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
57: As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.
58: This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
59: This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
60: Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
61: But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
62: Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
63: It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64: But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.
65: And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
66: After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
67: Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"
68: Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;
69: and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

Why am I Catholic? (by KaterinaMarie)




God bless!

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Monday, November 27, 2006

More on The Nativity Story

HT to Catholic Fire.

I really want to see this movie, even if I go alone... but I think I will take my grandson.

God bless!