Carl E. Olson's Blog, page 303
July 7, 2011
An excerpt from "Fire of Love: A Historical Novel about Saint John of the Cross" by José Luis Olaizola
From "The Vocation of Fray Juan de Santo Matta" in Fire of Love: A Historical Novel about Saint John of the Cross | José Luis Olaizola | Ignatius Insight
On his way to his final retirement in Yuste, the emperor Charles V stopped in Medina del Campo. Here he stayed in the palace of Don Rodrigo de Duenas, founder of La Doctrina Cristiana. Don Rodrigo's palace, an exceptionally fine stone and brick house with a tower of homage and a Renaissance central courtyard, stood on the calle de Santiago, near the convent of La Magdalena.
As befitted a man who was about to retire from worldly affairs, the emperor had a small retinue, consisting of a handful of soldiers and men of letters. Among these was the Ethiopian Eusebio, formerly Gonzalo de Yepes' slave, who had now risen to the august position of amanuensis to the emperor's principal private 
secretary. "Amanuensis" is something of a misnomer, as he had proved to be such an accomplished linguist that all court records were written by him, whether in Latin, Italian, French or Flemish.
Eusebio Latino scoured Medina for the Yepes family, whom he had not forgotten. But he sent his letters to Fontiveros, thinking that they would still be living .there, working in his old master's beloved workshop. As a result, the letters went astray. The Yepes family was no longer what it had been under Don Hernando, who was dead. It was from servants of his eldest daughter that Eusebio learned the whereabouts of Catalina Alvarez. As it happened, she was living close by in the parish of Santiago. Their meeting was charged with emotion. On the one hand, Catalina said she owed all her happiness to the African, who had urged his master Gonzalo to be guided by the noblest prompting of his heart and marry the ward of the widow of La Morana. The African, meanwhile, enumerated the seemingly endless things Gonzalo had done for him.
"But of the many things he did for me," he said, "none was so great as to treat me as his friend. I have never forgotten the occasion on which he dismounted so that I might ride for a while on the horse. If I were to buy you the best house in Medina, it would not go even halfway to repaying you for this deed alone. But alas, I cannot afford such a thing, nor a fraction of it, for Don Gonzalo taught me to esteem honor above wealth, and so I do. But above all he wanted me to be a good Christian. And on this I gave him my word when I saw him for the last time, as he lay dying. And not for anything in this world would I forgo the joy of meeting him in the next. I have no money, but if there is any other way in which I can be of service to you, you have but to name it."
Catalina and Francisco said that to hear him speak about Gonzalo in these terms was more than enough. The African persisted, however, and at last Francisco admitted that the amount of work coming into the workshop could easily be done by his mother and his wife and that he had been trying to find a position in a large house but without success. It did not take Eusebio long to spread the word among the people visiting the palace where the emperor was staying. A few days later, Francisco was taken on as a squire by two noblewomen living on the calle de Santiago.
During the Emperor's two-week stay in Medina, Eusebio visited Catalina every day. As soon as he heard about Juan and his growing reputation, Eusebio went to see him at the Jesuit college.
Exclusive version of "Of Gods and Men" DVD available on July 15th
Available soon from Ignatius Press:
[image error] Of Gods and Men
Available on July 15, 2011
• Also available: Of Gods and Men (Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack)--Blu-ray Disc
This DVD version for OF GODS AND MEN is only available for purchase exclusively from Ignatius Press. Based on a true story, Of Gods and Men has won accolades and awards the world over, including the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Eight French Trappist monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers in a monastery perched in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990s. When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by Islamic terrorists, fear sweeps though the region. Should the monks leave their home and the people they serve? Should they stay despite the threat of violent death? The answer to that question forms the uncompromising center of this unforgettable film. The stellar cast is headed by Lambert Wilson and legendary French character actor Michael Lonsdale. Parental discretion suggested: brief graphic violence and a single obscene expression.
"Xavier Beauvois' sublime Of Gods and Men is that almost unheard-of film that you do not judge - it judges you." -- Steven D. Greydanus, National Catholic Register
Winner - Grand Prize - Cannes Film Festival
"A luminous tale of faith and heroism" - Time Magazine
"Nothing less than sublime." - The Wall Street Journal
July 6, 2011
Chestertonians!
Just received the following from the good folks at the American Chesterton Society:
Pre-registration deadline extended to July 15!
Join us for the 30th Annual G.K. Chesterton Conference
"Poet and Prophet"
August 4-6, 2011
Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet
St. Louis, Missouri
The 30th Annual Chesterton Conference is swiftly approaching but there is still time to register and join us for this great event. We will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chesterton's epic poems Lepanto and the Ballad of the White Horse, and the centennial of Father Brown. We've extended the registration deadline an extra week to help even more Chestertonians come and celebrate together. Join us in St. Louis for a weekend of poetry, prophecy, mystery, and magic!
Register for the conference on our website: www.chesterton.org
If you are able to attend, you surely have a wonderful time!
Striving to follow the example of Father Emil Kapaun's selfless giving
Via National Catholic Register:
WICHITA, Kan. (CNA) — U.S. Army chaplain Father Emil Kapaun's cause for beatification is headed to Rome, an event the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., celebrated with a July 1 Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Father John Hotze, episcopal delegate for the office of Father Kapaun's beatification and canonization, said the event marks the culmination of years of work and also celebrates the "gift" of Father Kapaun.
"The fact that we, unlike any other diocese in the United States, in the world, have been blessed by the example of this saintly man, Father Emil Kapaun, boggles my mind," he said in a June 30 statement. "How can we do anything less than give praise to God for this gift and strive to follow the example of Father Kapaun's selfless giving?"
Father Kapaun, a native of Pilsen, Kan., served in the Korean War. He courageously rescued wounded soldiers from the battlefield, risking his own life to prevent their execution at the hands of the Chinese.
He was captured by North Korean and Communist Chinese forces after he volunteered to stay behind on a battlefield with the injured.
The priest's service to his fellow prisoners has become legendary among those who knew him. Scores of men attributed their survival to his work tending the starving and the sick.
Father Kapaun died in a prison camp hospital on May 23, 1951. The Diocese of Wichita has investigated his life since 2001 and officially opened the cause for his beatification on June 29, 2008.
Read the entire piece.
Here are some scenes from the DVD, "The Miracle of Father Kapaun", a 45-minute documentary about the priest's amazing life and death, available through Ignatius Press:
A 200-year-old liberal/heretical novelty act lives on. In a novel.
From a recent article about yet another novel providing a novel explanation for Jesus' life and teachings:
JESUS died not for our sins but for his feminist beliefs, according to this fictional version of his life by Leslie Cannold, academic, ethicist, activist and Sun-Herald columnist.
Cannold regularly writes about women's issues and morality and these two subjects are central themes in her first novel, The Book of Rachael. Her take on Christianity, however, is likely to cause some outrage in certain quarters since she portrays Jesus as wholly human with his divinity bestowed on him by his disciples after his death.
Instead of focusing on the supernatural aspects of Jesus' story, Cannold's emphasis is on the revolutionary ideas he espoused while he was alive: that the people most reviled in Jewish society at the time (the poor, the sick and women) had value and were just as important as the wealthy, the healthy and men. She also makes it clear that these ideas have not been passed down through the ages untouched and that the process of turning them into a marketable philosophy with broad appeal has been done at the expense of women.
To which I say, as eloquently as possible: "Yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"
This much is correct: it is fictional. Just like the bazillion other "lives of Jesus" that first began to get cranked out, oh, a couple of centuries ago. Recall the very influential book, Das Leben Jesu, kritisch bearbeitet (The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined), published in 1835 by the precocious twenty-seven-year-old David Strauss. In it, Jesus was portrayed as a fanatical Jewish preacher whose "miracles" were actually mythical in character. Almost all such "lives of Jesus" renounce the supernatural, explain away or ridicule the notion of miracles, and present Jesus as (pick one) a crazed prophet, a crafty rabbi, a devoted political agitator, a whimsical mystic, a brooding socialist, an earnest humanist, etc., etc. Which is a big reason for Albert Schweitzer, in the opening pages of his famous 1906 book, The Quest of the Historical Jesus, writing:
And so each subsequent epoch in theology found its own ideas in Jesus, and could find no other way of bringing him to life. Not only epochs found themselves in him. Each individual recreated him in the image of his own personality.
And so Leslie Cannold—feminist, activist, and guru of women's issues—has depicted Jesus, shockingly, as a social revolutionary who died "not for our sins but for his feminist beliefs". (And, as an extra bonus, Jesus's "sister" is depicted in Cannold's novel as falling in love with ... Judas. Ahhhh. Who saw that coming?) What next? A nominal Episcopalian and third-rate novelist with an interest in gnosticism and conspiracy theories writing a novel about how Jesus was not divine or dogmatic, but had been turned into both by Vatican forces over against the wishes of the egalitarian, feminist gnostics? What's that? Dan Brown already did that? Oh. Nevermind.
Save 20% off Bestselling Books, Films and Music from Ignatius Press!
Save 20% off Bestselling Books, Films and Music from Ignatius Press!
Offer ends Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 at 12:00 midnight EST.
These prices are available online only through Ignatius.com
Each month Ignatius Press features top selling DVDs, books and music on our website. It's always interesting to see what people are reading, watching or listening to isn't it? Well, we've decided to take a selection of our top selling titles from the month of June, and are making them available to you at 20% off! From Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, the highly acclaimed feature film The 13th Day, to the stunning new music album by Jackie Evancho, we're excited to share some of our best-selling books, films and music at 20% off.
YOUCAT
Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
Christoph Cardinal Schoenborn
YOUCAT is short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, which will be launched on World Youth Day. Developed with the help of young Catholics and written for high-school age people and young adults, YOUCAT is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith.
The appealing graphic format includes Questions-and-Answers, highly-readable commentary, summary definitions of key terms, Bible citations and inspiring and thought-provoking quotes from Saints and others in the margins. What's more, YOUCAT is keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so people can go deeper.
Padre Pio Under Investigation
The Secret Vatican Files
Francesco Castelli
The documents in this book reveal every aspect of Padre Pio's life from his amazing supernatural gifts to his health. In his depositions, he admits, under oath, to the phenomenon of bi-location and to other supernatural charisms, and for the first time tells the detailed story of his stigmatization. Also included are letters from his spiritual father and a chronology of his life. Illustrated with black and white photos.
Jesus of Nazareth
Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection
Pope Benedict XVI
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship, while it can't "prove" Jesus is the Son of God, certainly doesn't disprove it. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus--a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception.
Benedict XVI presents this challenge in his new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.
Light Of The World
The Pope, The Church and The Signs Of The Times
Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict XVI
Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time.
Be A Man!
Becoming the Man God Created You to Be
Fr Larry Richards
In Be a Man!, Fr Richards recounts his struggles to learn true manhood, as well as the inspiring stories of others he has served in his decades as a priest. He tells men how to focus on the right goal, how to live as a beloved son of God, of the need to acknowledge one's faults and to live according to the Holy Spirit, to be a man of true love and of wisdom, to appreciate properly the differences between men and women, to pursue holiness, and to make a difference in the world.
Unplanned
The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line
Abby Johnson
Unplanned is a heart stopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue. Telling Abby's story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life versus rights debate and helping women who face crisis pregnancies.
FILMS
The 13th Day
In a world torn apart by persecution, war and oppression, 3 children in Fatima, Portugal were chosen by God to offer an urgent message of hope to the world. Based on the memoirs of the oldest seer, Lucia Santos, and many thousands of independent eye-witness accounts, The 13th Day dramatizes the true story of three young shepherds who experienced six apparitions of Our Lady between May and October 1917, which culminated in the final prophesied Miracle of the Sun on October 13th.
Bakhita
From Slave to Saint
Born in a village in Sudan, kidnapped by slavers, often beaten and abused, and later sold to Federico Marin, a Venetian merchant, Bakhita then came to Italy and became the nanny servant of Federico's daughter, Aurora, who had lost her mother at birth. She is treated as an outcast by the peasants and the other servants due to her black skin and African background, but Bakhita is kind and generous to others. Bakhita gradually comes closer to God with the help of the kind village priest, and embraces the Catholic faith.
The Reluctant Saint
The Story of St. Joseph of Cupertino
Maximilian Schell stars as "the flying friar", St. Joseph of Cupertino, in this heartwarming and amazing true story of the humble Franciscan friar who literally rose to sainthood. In the impoverished village of 17th century Cupertino, Italy, Joseph's peasant mother convinces the reluctant Abbott (Ricardo Montalban) to accept her son into the monastery.
With the support of the kindly local Bishop who sees in him a great deal more than others, and by a series of miraculous incidents, the simple but pious Joseph is ordained a priest. Yet some are convinced that it is the devil, not God, who is responsible for Joseph's miraculous powers – until a final miracle reveals to all his true sanctity.
Padre Pio
Miracle Man
This movie captures the Capuchin friar's intense faith and devotion, and deep spiritual concern for others, as well as his great compassion for the sick and suffering. It reveals the amazing details and events in Padre Pio's life as a boy and throughout his 50 years as a friar, dramatizing the frequent attacks of the Devil on him, as well as the persecution he suffered at the hands of people, including those in the church.
Saint Rita
Famous as the patron of hopeless situations, St. Rita of Cascia is immortalized in this wonderful, deeply moving film about this beautiful woman who lived in Italy in the 14th century.
St. Giuseppe Moscati
Doctor to the Poor
Giuseppe Moscati, "the holy physician of Naples," was a medical doctor and layman in the early 20th century who came from an aristocratic family and devoted his medical career to serving the poor. In this beautifully filmed movie, learn the story of one of the great modern saints—almost unknown in America.
MUSIC
Dream With Me
Jackie Evancho
Produced by legendary music David Foster, young Jackie Evancho's Dream With Me fulfills the promise of O Holy Night, Jackie's major label debut last Fall, a seasonal collection which became 2010's #1 best-selling debut recording with sales exceeding 1 million units. Jackie soared to musical fame last Fall with her incredible soul-stirring performances on the popular TV talent show "America's Got Talent".
Chant
Music for the Soul
This chant album is from an ancient Cistercian monastery (1133) in Vienna, Austria, which happens to be a favorite abbey of Pope Benedict XVI. The album has become an international sensation, and it presents the deep spiritual beauty of the monks' chants that are very peaceful, poignant, and connects heaven and earth. An abbey flourishing with young vocations, their chant music has a wide appeal that opens our hearts to God in meditation and prayer as we listen to their selections from Compline, Requiem, Mass hymns and more.
Andrea Bocelli
Sacred Arias
Taking the music world by storm, this acclaimed Italian tenor sings sacred arias by Verdi, Rossini, Schubert, Franck, Bach, Mozart and others. Includes Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus, Ave Verum Corpus, Pieta Signore, Domine Deus, Der Engel, and others totaling 16 in all.
Marian Grace
Ancient Hymns and Chants
A gorgeous new recording by Marian Grace, a very talented young Nashville-based musical group whose lofty goal is to uncover the Church's richest musical treasures and to transform culture through the marriage of beauty and truth.
Harmony
The Priests
This is the second album by The Priests, the singing priestly trio sensation from Ireland who broke the Guinness world record last year for the fastest selling classical debut album of all time. Harmony will highlight more glorious spiritual hymns featuring their rich vocals and lovely harmonies on favorite sacred songs such as The Lord's Prayer and Amazing Grace and more.
Sacred Hymns
L'Angelus
Drawing on the rich culture of their Acadian & Irish Catholic ancestors, the greatly gifted young trio of singers/musicians from L'Angelus offer unique, deeply moving recordings of 12 of the most beloved hymns in Catholic music.
July 5, 2011
SOLT: Fr. Corapi has been cohabitating; abusing drugs; "sexting"; more
Wow:
SOLT's fact-finding team has acquired information from Fr. Corapi's e-mails, various witnesses, and public sources that, together, state that, during his years of public ministry:
He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute; He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs; He has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana; He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of the Society.
SOLT has contemporaneously with the issuance of this press release directed Fr. John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the Society's regional office and take up residence there. It has also ordered him, again under obedience, to dismiss the lawsuit he has filed against his accuser.
SOLT's prior direction to Fr. John Corapi not to engage in any preaching or teaching, the celebration of the sacraments or other public ministry continues. Catholics should understand that SOLT does not consider Fr. John Corapi as fit for ministry.
Read the entire statement on EWTN.com.
The Anchoress has some good remarks. As does Fr. Z.
Over the past few weeks I've had a number of folks ask for my thoughts on the Fr. Corapi situation. I decided, upon some reflection, that I'd rather not say much of anything. Have I been shocked by the news over the past month or so. No, not really. Am I saddened? Yes. I think Fr. Z. puts it very well:
Corapi has an immortal soul. He is need of a Savior just like the one writing this and you who are reading this. And I would remind you that you, dear reader, are not sinless and neither am I. Many people who admired Corapi will want to know what happens in his case, but I urge you to examine your consciences for your motives. Those who didn't like him, consider first your own state of soul and God's mercy. In any event, pray for him, who seems to be very troubled, and for all the people who have been harmed in the matter.
"Tears welled up in my eyes — again — at Mass last Sunday. ..."
... It was not always so. As a former Baptist I used to think the Catholic Mass was a sacrilege and an abomination. How could anyone worship a piece of bread? Really!
However, last Sunday I was overcome with emotion while sitting in an older Catholic church in a relatively poor area of town during a "normal" Sunday Mass. Why? Let me explain.
But first I have to take a step back in time to my delightful childhood.
The door of our Baptist church opened and the early arrivers stepped in with well-worn Bibles1 under their arms and colorful ties snugged up tight around the neck. Children with cute bow ties and frilly dresses were herded in and dropped off at Sunday School. Women adjusted their hats and smiled at all their friends.
It was always the same — enter the church with chattering friendliness accompanied by the organ or piano to set the mood. Everyone takes their place in the padded pews. The pastor steps up to the front and welcomes everyone, especially any visitors. They are asked to fill out the "Visitor Card" in the pews in front of them.
Then we all stand as he opens in a solemn and often wordy prayer. A number is called out and we all grabbed our hymnal and proved we were real Christians by belting out the song, not just the first verse, but verses 1, 2 and 5.
That is the opening of Steve Ray's piece, "Why I Teared Up Last Sunday", in which Steve reflects on his journey from the Baptist tradition to Catholicism, and the central role that history, liturgy, and the Eucharist played in his conversion. For more about Steve's many projects, including DVDs and books, visit his Ignatius Insight author page.
"Catholic From the Outset"
"Catholic From the Outset" | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | Ignatius Insight | July 5, 2011
"For us Christians, the world is the fruit of an act of love by God who has made all things and in which he rejoices because it is 'good'; it is 'very good,' as the creation narrative tells us" (Genesis 1:1-21). — Pope Benedict XVI, Pentecost Sunday 2011 (L'Osservatore Romano, English, June 15, 2011).
"The Church was catholic from the outset; her universality is not the result of a successive inclusion of various communities." — Benedict XVI, Pentecost Sunday 2011.
I.
Before inventing the vapid "Fourteenth or Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time" business, the Church used to identify those days as "The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost," "the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost", and so forth. The liturgical season and its teaching were kept in mind. Symbolically and actually, the time after Pentecost is the time of the Holy Spirit, the time between the sending of the Apostles into the world and the Second Coming. What is going on is the essential purpose of Christ's being sent into the world: the salvation of sinners and the proper worship of God as that was established by the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ.
The major event in world history has taken place, namely, the Incarnation of the Son of God. It is a divine event that is at the same time historical. It really happened. What follows the time of Christ's actual life on earth is the time during which the nations and individuals within them make up their minds about reality, about whether they will accept or reject the offer of salvation that was made present in the world with Christ's Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.
Ultimately, this decision is what the time after Pentecost is about.
As usual, Benedict XVI has given us an insightful reflection on the meaning of Pentecost and the nature of our time in this world. In recalling the period from Holy Week to Pentecost, Benedict says that "the Church has thus re-lived what happened at her origins, when the Apostles gathered in the upper room of Jerusalem, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles."
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