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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Thirty-Six Compelling Films that Can Spark Good Conversations about Catholicism

The phrase "Catholic film" gets thrown around a lot in conversation these days. However, in my opinion, a truly Catholic film is one that is beautifully made from a technical and artistic standpoint, and tells the truth about the moral and spiritual order in a compelling manner.


One of my biggest pet peeves are Catholic books and films that are backed by good intentions but are either poorly made and/or are too niche. Often these films and books are intended as tools for evangelization, but in the end they speak only to Christian and/or Catholic audiences.

So over the course of the past several years I have compiled a list of movies that I would not be embarrassed to show to my non-Catholic and non-Christian friends. These films draw from a variety of genres and film eras, and so I am hopeful that folks will find something for everyone.

Lady Bird, 2018.
Also, please know that just because I think a film is Catholic does not mean it is necessarily family friendly i.o.w. devoid of explicit sexual content, foul language, or violence. I strongly recommend looking up the parental guidelines on IMDb (International Movie Data Base) before watching these films, especially with children.

Also, please let me know of other films you would recommend as beautiful, truth bomb-dropping, compelling, not-embarrassing Catholic films!

A Man for All Seasons, 1966
The Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003
Up, 2009
Becket, 1964
Lady Bird, 2018
Darkest Hour, 2018
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, 1989
Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
Calvary, 2014
I Confess, 1953
The Sound of Music, 1965
On the Waterfront, 1954
Chariots of Fire, 1981
Brideshead Revisited, 1981
Stranger Things, 2016-2019
Into Great Silence, 2005
The Painted Veil, 2006
Angels with Dirty Faces, 1938
Lilies of the Field, 1963
The Way, 2010
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 2013
Iron Man, 2008
Yours, Mine, and Ours, 1968
It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946
The Lion King, 1994
Juno, 2007
Sleeping Beauty, 1959
Life is Beautiful, 1997
The Prince of Egypt, 1998
True Grit, 2010
Boys Town, 1938
The Giver, 2014
Les Miserables, 1998
The Rookie, 2002
The Trouble with Angels, 1956
The Avengers, 2012


Avengers: Endgame, 2019.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Twelve Rules for Life is Helping Me Strive for Sainthood

This past spring I finished reading Jordan B. Peterson's book Twelve Rules for Life. Prior to reading his book, I had started watching and listening to his lectures on YouTube and his podcast in the Fall of 2018.


Jordan Peterson is changing my life, and that is not a hyperbole. 

In the first installment of The Hobbit film trilogy (this whole production was a travesty, in my opinion, but this quote was a good moment and it is true to the heart of Tolkien's mythology), Gandalf the Wizard states, "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I find that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay: small acts of kindness and love."

The concept of the agency and potential of the individual to bring about good is at the heart of
Peterson's book. He reinforces the value of the ancient concept that, while life is full of tremendous suffering and is tainted by malevolence, the best path forward is when the individual courageously takes up the daily tasks and responsibilities put before him and bears them in a courageous, truthful manner to the best of his ability.


He further argues that the pursuit of happiness a.k.a. pleasure will not in fact fulfill you. Instead, he states that the best path towards a good life consists of the pursuit of meaning through taking up as much responsibility in your life as you possibly can carry. One example he gives for this is having and raising children. Some people reject the idea of having children because they think that it will make them unhappy.

Peterson does not disagree with this.

Yes, if you have a child you will be more stressed, you will have more anxiety, and you will relinquish a good deal of your freedom, time, energy, and other assets. However, you will find life far more fulfilling than it would have been if you had never had that child. There are precious few things in life that are more beautiful and meaningful than bringing a new life into the world and nurturing it into a kind and courageous human being.


Speaking for myself, Peterson's book is changing the way I live my life for the better. As a church musician, I have a very demanding job that also permeates many aspects of my personal life. I love what I do, but it's exhausting and I rarely get a break. However, I am in a position where I am capable of nourishing the spiritual lives of a lot of people through the music and liturgy at my parish, and that is tremendously fulfilling, and so if I am able to take on more responsibilities and projects to make our church's music program better, than the thing that will actually make me happier is not the beer waiting at home for me in my fridge, or binge watching that new show on Amazon or Netflix. It will be nurturing a better choir, educating more children in sacred music, and worshipping our Lord all the more in beauty and joy.

Now, that doesn't mean that you should give all you got with reckless abandon -- Peterson cautions against this in his second chapter/rule: "Treat yourself like you would someone you are responsible for helping." You need to take care of yourself now so that you can become the person you are meant to be, and that means going to the doctor, asking for help when you need help, living a healthy lifestyle, telling the truth, and so forth.

Following Peterson's advice, I am trying to be more careful in my actions, my thoughts, and my speech. I am trying to take responsibility for myself, my house, and my community in the little ways that I can. I am trying to be a better person than the person I was yesterday -- that is to say, more truthful, kinder, and braver. Listening to his podcast this past week (a recording of a lecture he gave in Vancouver on July 26, 2018) gave me the push I needed to give up something "precious" to me that I recently realized I needed to let go of but didn't have the strength to do until now.

Peterson's book shows small practical ways that you can move towards bettering first yourself, then your relationships within your family, and then your community. It is almost incredibly simple, extremely practical, but also beautiful. Using his knowledge of biology and psychology, philosophy, Scripture, and literature, Peterson draws from and illuminates deep truths that humanity has known for thousands of years but seems to have lost or forgotten until recently. I am not sure, but I think his book is helping me to become a better person. Coupled with God's grace in the sacraments, it is helping me to strive more earnestly for sainthood.