7 Quick Takes Friday – Volume 53
It’s Friday so it’s time for 7 Quick Takes. Usually, Jen from Conversion Diary hosts it, but since she is in the hospital, Hallie Lord is hosting this week.
1. Prayers for Jen
I’d like to ask my readers to pray with me for Jennifer Fulweiler and her unborn baby. She is presently in hospital with pulmonary embolisms. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
2. Les Miserables
I recently saw the movie, Les Miserables, with my husband and one of our older sons. It was an outstanding movie, although admittedly, I prefer the live version to the movie version. I thought Hugh Jackman did an outstanding job and Anne Hathaway’s acting and portrayal of Fantine was riveting. However, I’m not sure I liked the “live,” “raw” singing. It worked well most of the time, but there were some moments when it distracted me enough to pull me out of the story. Perhaps I’m too accustomed to listening to the Les Mis CD (which I’ve done hundreds of times…) What I loved most about this movie, though, was the positive portrayal of the Catholic Church and the kindness of the bishop and the sisters. In this day and age, it’s unusual (and refreshing) for a film to show the Catholic Church in such a positive light.
As we were exiting the theater, I was thinking, “I’d love to see my husband play Jean Valjean on stage…” A friend of mine, who happened to be at the theater for that showing, commented as she caught up with me, “Your husband would make a great Jean Valjean.” Indeed.
3. Original Christmas Card
Check out our original Christmas card for this year!
image copyright James and Ellen Hrkach 2012
Image copyright James and Ellen Hrkach 2012
4. Epiphany Blessing
This Sunday, my husband will mark the doorways of our household and say the Epiphany blessing.
5. Saints Name Generator
This Saints Name Generator is a great tool to use if you want to pray to a particular saint for a certain time period. The two saints I’ll be focusing my prayers to this year are St. Paul and St. Dominic.
6. Reading List
Blood of the Martyrs and Other Stories by John Desjarlais
(got this free on Kindle yesterday.)
The Ultimate Saints Guide to the Immaculate Conception of Mary
(got this free earlier this week.)
7. A Subtle Grace
I haven’t been blogging much lately as I’ve been busy with other deadlines, but I’ve also been trying to finish my fourth novel, A Subtle Grace, which is the sequel to . A Subtle Grace takes place in Philadelphia about 15 years later than In Name Only (1896). More about my latest work in progress in upcoming blog posts.
Copyright 2013 Ellen Gable Hrkach
