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One Million Bones & The Labyrinth

June 11, 2013 by John Clem Leave a Comment

 

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

Thomas Merton

One Million Bones art exhibit on National Mall

One Million Bones art exhibit on National Mall June 8-10, 2013

ONE MILLION BONES

I was witness to an amazing piece of artwork and political statement addressing genocide on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall this past weekend.  Seeing the huge pile of shoes at the U.S. Holocaust Museum a few blocks away, was one of the most moving things I have seen about genocide until this weekend.   Seeing one million bones laid out helps put into perspective the horrors and loss of genocide.  Naomi Natale is the artist who started this project, and she can be seen in this TED-Global video about her inspiration and creativity in making this project come to reality:

One Million Bones, a project of the Art of Revolution, was developed over three years and started with 50,000 bones being made and laid out in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The project grew and went to other cities like New Orleans and growing to a national campaign to culminate the work of many people.  These hand-made bones were made by people from all 50 states and from over 30 countries by people affected by genocide.  It also raises awareness of the ongoing genocide and mass atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Burma, and Somalia.  Congratulations to Naomi and the Art of Revolution for reaching their goal and shining light on this important issue.

Cellist playing beautiful and haunting music at the One Million Bones exhibit

Cellist playing beautiful and haunting music at the One Million Bones exhibit

 

 

THE LABRYINTH : The Testimony of Marian Kolodziej

Seeing these bones on the National Mall also brought to mind a DVD that I watched recently and highly recommend called The Labyrinth (2011).  It is a powerful documentary about a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp.  His artwork drawings are a haunting and detailed remembrance of the horrors of the camp.  Marian also honors Maximilian Maria Kolbe,   a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar he knew briefly in the camp and is represented in his artwork.

Saint Maximillian Kolbe

History of Saint Maximillian Kolbe (martyr): On July 31, 1941, in reprisal for one prisoner’s escape, ten men were chosen to die. Father Kolbe offered himself in place of a young husband and father. And he was the last to die, enduring two weeks of starvation, thirst, and neglect. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. (Catholic Online)

Below is a video clip of the documentary:

The Labyrinth Trailer from Jason Schmidt on Vimeo.

Marian Kolodziej was on one of the first transports to enter Auschwitz. He was given number 432. He survived and never spoke of his experience for 50 years. After a serious stroke in 1993, he began rehabilitation by doing pen and ink drawings depicting the experiences he and others endured in the concentration camp. These drawings, in their skeletal detail, are a gripping depiction of the pain, death, and horrors of the camp. While most of the drawings represent the memories of a young man’s hellish experiences in Auschwitz, some tell stories of small acts of kindness and dignity.

Marian’s story of survival, of persistence, of life before, during, and after Auschwitz are a testament to the human spirit. Marian’s drawings and art installations, which he called The Labyrinth, fill the large basement of a church near Auschwitz and draw visitors into the horrific reality of the holocaust.

“This is not an exhibition, nor art. These are not pictures. These are words locked in drawings…I propose a journey by way of this labyrinth marked by the experience of the fabric of death…It is a rendering of honor to all those who have vanished in ashes.”

Kołodziej

LINKS

One Million Bones Official Website

The Labryinth Documentary official website

Saint Maximillian Kolbe (SQPN) (patron saint of drug addicts, prisoners, and journalists)

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Filed Under: Art, Justice Tagged With: D.C., DVD, Justice, Saint, Washington

Premier of The Blood & The Rose Documentary

January 27, 2013 by John Clem 2 Comments

The Blood & The RoseI was very priveledged to see the premier of a wonderful documentary called The Blood and The Rose at The Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.   This event was a benefit for Catholic Charities of the Washington Archdiocese and originally cost $75 a ticket–beyond my means to pay.  But God’s grace intervened with a Facebook message from Fr. Leo Patalinghug who was a speaker at the event:  Fr. Leo posted “I just got word that thanks to a generous donor, you can now buy tickets for tomorrow’s event in DC for The Blood & The Rose for $15.31 at the door! There are two reasons that price is significant: first, because 1531 is the year that the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe took place, and second, now you have no excuse to miss out on what’s going to be a powerful and great Spiritual event! So if you’re in DC, I hope to see you tomorrow at the Warner Theatre!” Wow!  what a blessing, and was very excited to attend with my parents.

MC Raymond Arroyo

MC: Raymond Arroyo

The documentary is a must see movie that tells the story of Saint Juan Diego and the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   The film maker, Tim Watkins, dedicated himself to this project for seven years in telling this important message of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the history and science behind The Tilma.  It is amazing to see how science can not explain the existence of the image nor how The Tilma has lasted so long other than a miracle.

Director Tim Watkins

Director Tim Watkins

The movie website says about the movie:  “On December 9, 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego, an ordinary man of extraordinary faith. Juan Diego humbly embraced the call to serve as a Messenger Eagle. Today this apparition is known as “the Virgin of Guadalupe.” The beautiful miracle of that day is chronicled in this story that begins with Mary’s faith filled yes. This eternal struggle of good versus evil is the battle for our souls.”

Fr. Leo Patalinghug

Fr. Leo Patalinghug

Fr. Leo Patalinghug is an expert himself in Marian Theology, as he studied this subject at the Pontifical College in Rome.  I love the message he brought that we all have a belly-button and this is the reminder of our own mothers feeding us, as well as the spiritual food from Mother Mary.  Fr. Leo points to the fact that Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas & The New Evangelization, and very important message to follow the example of Mary.  Fr. Leo has also written a new book, Spicing Up Married Life, for his own ministry–Grace Before Meals.  I was very happy to meet Fr. Leo after the show where he signed his new book for my parents–celebrating their upcoming 50th Wedding Anniversary (ironically Fr. Leo dedicated his book to his parent’s 50th too!)

Fr. Leo with Dave & Ellie Clem

Fr. Leo with Dave & Ellie Clem

Please take a look at the preview of the documentary on the movie website below, and it should be coming out on DVD very soon.  It is 90 minutes of time that will deepen your faith in Christ through Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Review:  Two Thumbs Up!

LINKS

Official Website for The Blood & The Rose

Grace Before Meals

Previous Blog about Fr. Leo and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary

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Filed Under: Education Tagged With: D.C., DVD, Mary, Movies, Washington

Daughters of St. Paul–Documentary & App

January 18, 2013 by John Clem 1 Comment

Daughters of St. Paul

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Daughters of St. Paul are a growing order of nuns, who through the guidance of their founder, Blessed James Alberione, are producing wonderful new and old media for the New Evangelization.  The Daughters of St. Paul are involved with the production of books, music, apps, websites, and movies.  Many of the sisters are very active on the internet, and I am most appreciative of following Sister Anne Flanagan (Nun Blog) and Sister Helena Burns (Hell Burns Blog) with their many messages of inspiration on Twitter.

The following video illustrates the work of the Daughters of St. Paul and features Sister Anne Flanagan:

BLESSED FR. JAMES ALBERIONE MOVIE

I was unaware of the story of Father James Alberione until Sister Anne came to the Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City two years ago to introduce a fundraising effort to make a movie about his life.  Fr. Alberione should be as well known as Bishop Fulton Sheen for his tremendous work with many forms media to spread the Gospel message.  I invite you to watch this preview of the documentary currently under production with Spirit Juice Studios.

I received good news from Sister Helena Burns that they have completed a two-year fundraising effort for the production of the movie.  However, they are still fundraising for $50,000, that is needed for DVD production and an entertainment lawyer.  If you can help, please contact the Daughters of St. Paul through the movie website.

Speaking of movies, I am always happy to hear the great movie reviews from Sister Rose Pacatte on American Catholic Radio, and she also has a blog with Patheos called Sister Rose at The Movies.  She gives some of the best reviews I have heard from any reviewer including advice to parents about appropriate content.

LIGHT A CANDLE APP

Light a Candle App

In my last blog entry, I wrote about all the great new Apps from 2012, but missed one that the sisters just released in December called Light a Candle: Miracles Do Happen.  This is a very inspirational App that offers many prayers in the sister’s Virtual Chapel.  The wonderful feature of this App is that it offers the user the ability to send personal prayers to the sisters.  There is a FREE version of the App called God Loves You, but it is well worth paying $1.99 for the full-version App that offers more prayers in the categories of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Angels, and St. Paul (plus money benefits the Daughters of St. Paul). (Droid App is only 99 cents)

MUSIC

The Daughters of St. Paul are also producing many beautiful music CDs.  I recently purchased the CD Stella Maris: Chant, Ever Ancient, Ever New, and have been mesmerized by the music.  The album is very well engineered and has wonderful instrumentation and polyphonic harmonies.  You can sample some of their music on their website–link to this album.  The sisters also offer concerts and recently toured American parishes with a Christmas performance.

I encourage you to help support this fantastic order and all the Pauline family.  If you have a Pauline bookstore in your town, please help support it, and if not please check their on-line store.

Stella Maris Chant

LINKS

Daughters of St. Paul

Pauline Books & Media On-Line Store

Father James Alberione official film website

Sister Rose at The Movies

Light a Candle (iTunes)

Light a Candle (Google Play-Droid)

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Filed Under: Education, Music Tagged With: Apps, DVD, Evangelization, Movies, Music

5th Annual Catholic New Media Conference

September 2, 2012 by John Clem 1 Comment

CNMC 2012

I was honored to attend the 5th Annual Catholic New Media Conference this year in Arlington, Texas.  This year’s conference was the first time it was a combined effort with two other  conferences:  the 4th Annual Catholic Writers Guild and the 16th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show.  The CNMC this year offered informative and entertaining presentations for Catholic webmasters, bloggers, podcasters, and media producers.  It was awesome to see many good friends as well as meeting many new people all working for the good of the Catholic Faith on the new digital continent.

Immaculee Ilibagiza

Immaculee Ilibagiza

After some flight delays with ACME Airlines (flat tire & fuel spill), I arrived in Texas and was blessed to experience a very inspiring talk from Immaculee Ilibagiza.  She lived though the horrible genocide in Rwanda, Africa where three of her five family members were murdered in 1991.  Immaculee hid in a bathroom with seven other women for three months to survive the genocide of over one million people.  She said she believes she was saved by God in order to tell her story to the world.  Immaculee’s was raised in a family who had a very strong Catholic faith, and a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Immaculee also said that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared ten years before in Kibeho, Rwanda to warn the people of her country and urged them to pray the Rosary to avoid this tragedy.  Her documentary called If Only We Had Listened, is a must watch DVD (trailer below), and also available as a book .  Immaculee exudes the Holy Spirit and joy with her presentations, and she is an inspiration to me and many.  It was an honor to meet Immaculee and wish her all the best with her incredible ministry.

Jennifer Willits & Immaculee Ilibagiza

Jennifer Willits & Immaculee Ilibagiza

The 5th Annual CNMC started with great opening remarks by Fr. Roderick Vonhogen, who is the founder of  the Star Quest Production Network.  Fr. Roderick, from Holland, talked about how far Catholic New Media has come in the last seven years.  It is amazing to think that there was no You Tube, Facebook, Chrome, iPhone, Apps or Twitter seven years ago, and how far we have come in such a short time.  I am very thankful to the SQPN community and Fr. Roderick who inspired me through his podcasts to start my own blog, and now Catholic Web Services which have strengthened my faith ten-fold.

Fr. Roderick Vonhogen

Fr. Roderick Vonhogen

 

One of the great things about this conference was that it is centered around Christ offering daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and prayer.  The focus is on the Triune God, and despite all this great technology, books, and personalities–we all united as apostles in service to the Catholic Church.  It was this faith-filled group of people that have inspired me to do great things in the upcoming Year of Faith.

Fr. Andrew Apostoli

Fr. Andrew Apostoli

The first day of the CNMC was Professional Learning Day with two concurrent sessions:  the Main Track and the Tech-Summit.  I was glad that a Virtual Ticket was offered this year, which offers recordings and links to all the presentations.  This allowed me to see a bit of all three conferences in the Arlington Convention Center, and a great reference afterward.  You can still purchase this option if you have not already done so.

CNMC Virtual Ticket

Cliff Ravenscraft is an expert on podcasting, and gave a great presentation on the art of good podcasting and how he made a career serving the church.  Cliff is a devout Christian, but not Catholic.  Cliff formed a good friendship with Fr. Roderick, and has been very helpful to the Catholic community of podcasters.  It was great to finally meet Cliff and admire his accomplishments in the profession of podcasting.

 

Cliff Ravenscraft

Cliff Ravenscraft

 

The Tech Summit was organized by Matt Warner and Jeff Geerling, who put together a bunch of great speakers for development of websites, Apps, and programming.  It was great to meet so many people working on the cutting-edge of technology in service to the church, including:  Josh Simmons, Dane Faulkner, Dr. Jim Coyle, Pat Padley, Rob Kaczmark, Brandon Vogt, and Bishop Christopher Coyne.  I will be writing more in the coming weeks in this blog and at Catholic Web Services about the things I learned and other links to share.

Jeff Geerling on App Development

Jeff Geerling on App Development (FlockNote & Open Source Catholic)

Jeff Cavins came to speak about some new books and resources he has to share for the upcoming Year of Faith which begins October 11th, marking the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II.  Jeff was previously Protestant Minister, and converted to the Catholic Faith in 1991.  Jeff went on to start one of the most popular Catholic Bible study programs called the Great Adventure Bible Study Program, which was recently revised and we are offering at my parish this Fall.  Jeff spoke about a new book for the Year of Faith called Walking Toward Eternity:  Making Choices for Today.  It is really a journal and DVD to help you “walk the walk” of Jesus Christ, and looks like a great resource to help on this journey toward God.  Jeff reported that his wife told him this has made more positive changes in his life than anything he has done previously.  Jeff was very enthusiastic about this new project, and his enthusiasm was contagious with the crowd who were excited to receive a signed copy of this book.

Jeff Cavins

Jeff Cavins

One of the real treats of the conference was the World Premier presentation of the movie Restless Heart.  This movie is an accurate portrayal of the book, Confessions of St. Augustine.  The acting and filming of this movie is top-notch in the art of movie making, and I highly recommend you see this film.  Better yet, Ignatius Press is offering a proposition to bring this film to your community as a fundraising possibility.  Check the links below for details.  Following is the trailer to Restless Heart:

Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, gave a great speech at the opening breakfast on Thursday about his new book coming out about the Holy Trinity.  He gave a wonderful talk about the Holy Trinity. I can not do it justice in this blog, but urge you to get his book when it comes on the market this Fall called, The ‘One Thing’ Is Three.  Fr. Michael is also working on a project to bring the framed image of the Divine Mercy into every Catholic household during the Year of Faith.  I will be writing details about this in a future blog post.

Fr. Michael Gaitley

Fr. Michael Gaitley

At the CNMC on Thursday, there were many great speakers who were filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with great ideas and stories they shared with us all.  Super presentation by Elizabeth “The Achoress” Scalia on the New Media and New Evangelization.  I love to follow her Twitter feed and writings at Patheos which have been very informative with my ministry.

Elizabeth Scalia

Elizabeth Scalia

Rob Kaczmark gave a fantastic and entertaining presentation about the Catholic Presence on You Tube.  He really wants to urge Catholic Media producers to make high-quality productions, which require time, money, and talent.  Rob showed us many examples of good, bad, and funny videos.  Rob runs Spirit Juice Studios which have made some great videos which are impacting young people.  Rob passed out a copy of Zombies vs. Jesus which is the video below:

Brandon Vogt gave one of the best presentations during the CNMC entitled How Mormons, Protestants, and Atheists Can Teach Us How To Evangelize On-Line.  Brandon showed great examples of the use of media by these groups and lessons we can take from their success.

Brandon Vogt

Brandon Vogt

Bishop Christopher Coyne is one of the most active bishops on-line, and realizes the power of the internet and its ability to be used for good in service to the church.  We were all honored to have the Bishop of Indianapolis at the CNMC, and shared his wisdom about in his presentation Being Bearers of the Good News within a Digital Culture.  Following is a video from Catholic TV interviewing Bishop Coyne and others at the CNMC:

Thursday evening ended with dinner sponsored by Ignatius Press.  Country Western singer Collin Raye talked about his daughter who had passed away at the age of ten from a neurological disorder, and is writing a book to come out soon about this tragedy that has deepened his faith.  Collin also performed songs for the crowd including some from his recent inspirational album.  There was also a presentation about a new initiative from The Vatican called Aleteia, a new website to help aggregate Catholic New Media which launches officially on September 20th–more details soon in a future blog post.  Watch video below for a teaser:

Collin Raye

Collin Raye

The final day on Friday was the International Bloggers Summit.  It was so great to meet so many Catholic bloggers including:  Lisa Jones & Shelly Kelly, Dorian Speed, Sarah Reinhard, and Jennifer Fulwiler.  Great ideas and bits of wisdom and inspiration from so many fellow bloggers–God Bless you All!!!

Jennifer Fulwiler

Jennifer Fulwiler

 

The Catholic Marketing Network show was like going to the biggest and best Catholic Book Store in the world.  It had just about every Catholic publishing house and manufacturer of Catholic goods anywhere–I felt like a kid in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  I was amazed at the large hall with so many booths of goods, with many free goodies for those in attendance.

Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show

Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show

 

Sculpture made of sackcloth and ash

Sculpture made of sackcloth and ash

 

Sanitary Auto Holy Water Dispenser

Sanitary Auto Holy Water Dispenser

 

Beautiful Catholic Icons & Art for Sale

Beautiful Catholic Icons & Art for Sale

The Catholic New Media Conference was the official launch of a new ministry called Catholic Web Services.  Our ministry is to support an online community of Catholic webmasters, developers, social network gurus, and content creators who are willing to share their knowledge of web development and new media to improve parish, school, and Catholic organization websites. Membership to Catholic Web Services will always be free.   We hope you will join our community, and we also launched a contest for a Kindle–check our website for details.

Catholic Web Services

I want to thank the crew of SQPN, The CMN, and Catholic Writers Guild for hosting such a great conference.  A special thanks to Steve Nelson who works so hard for SQPN to put this together every year.  I am looking forward to next year and have many more blogs to write in the coming weeks, as there is too much to write for this one blog about my experiences and exciting things to report–stay tuned.

Maria Johnson, Dr. Paul Camarata, Capt. Jeff Nielsen, Pat Gohn, Steve Nelson, and Pat Padley (back)

Maria Johnson, Dr. Paul Camarata, Capt. Jeff Nielsen, Pat Gohn, Steve Nelson, and Pat Padley (back)

 

Mass with celebrant Bishop Christopher Coyne

Mass with celebrant Bishop Christopher Coyne

LINKS

Catholic New Media Conference

Immaculee Ilibagiza

Our Lady of Kibeho

Jeff & Emily Cavins

Podcast Answer Man

Restless Heart (Ignatius Press)

OTHER BLOGS ABOUT CNMC 2012:

Word On Fire Blog

Jeff Geerling’s Blog, Life is a Prayer

 Seasons Of Grace (about aleteia)

21st Century Pilgrim Blog (Rise of the Digital Missionary)

Digital Strategy and Why You Need One (Pat Padley)

 

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Filed Under: Education, Justice, Music, Uncategorized Tagged With: Books, Catholic Web Services, DVD, Main Menu, Mary, Movies, Music, SQPN, Texas

The Catholicism Series

January 8, 2012 by John Clem Leave a Comment

Catholicism Series

Come and see a special new series and see Catholicism in a new light!  If you live in Central Virginia, you should definitely come to see this great documentary about the Catholic Faith.  My parish, The Church of the Incarnation, is inviting the entire community to come see this important project.  There will be FREE childcare and a coffeehouse at each showing.  This has been showing on 80 PBS TV stations across America, but none of the Virginia PBS stations picked it up.  Each episode is about a theme in Catholicism and does not need to be seen in order, so don’t feel obligated to see them all–BUT you are welcome to come to every viewing.  We hope that Catholics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, other faiths, and non-believers will all come and take something meaningful away from this experience.

Father Robert Barron has travelled the globe over the past five years to film the many places and cultures of the Catholic Faith.  It shows the beauty, goodness, history, and truth of Catholicism in amazing High Definition.  Preview below and at www.catholicismseries.com

January 11 – Episode 1 Amazed & Afraid: Revelation that God Become Man

January 25 – Episode 2 Happy We Are: The Teachings of Jesus

February 8 – Episode 3 The Ineffable Mystery of God

March 7 – Episode 4 Mary, The Mother of God

March 21 – Episode 5 Peter, Paul and the Missionary Adventure

April 4 – Episode 6 The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church

April 18 – Episode 7 The Mystery of the Church’s Sacrament and Worship

May 2 – Episode 8 The Communion of Saints

May 16 – Episode 9 Prayer and the Life of the Spirit

May 30 – Episode 10 World Without End: The Last Things

EVERYONE in the community is welcome !!

“This is the most important media project in the history of the Catholic Church in America. A stimulating and compelling exploration of the spiritual, moral, and intellectual riches of the Catholic world. “ -George Weigel, Biographer of Blessed John Paul II

Church of the Incarnation

 

 

1465 Incarnation Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22901

(434) 973-4381

LINKS

Catholicism Series

Word On Fire Website

Word On Fire Key (More clips of Catholicism & Faith Clips & Fr. Barron’s You Tube videos)

Church of the Incarnation

 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DVD, Evangelization

Advent & Christmas Seasons

December 23, 2011 by John Clem 1 Comment

Christmas Tree

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we come to the end of this Advent Season.  2011 was a very eventful year at Call To Holiness as it marked the beginning of this blog and has brought me great joy and new insights into my Catholic Faith.  I was amazed to see many people and places this past year including trips to Hawaii, Kansas, Florida, Maryland, D.C., and many parts of Virginia, and I was excited to share my travel experiences with you and get your feedback.  The Christmas Season I want to share with you many of the treasures that are on the internet.  Following is a thoughtful Christmas message from the Friars at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C.

I want to turn our attention to “The reason for the season”–The birth of Jesus Christ.  Our Catholic Church has many traditions, and I like that our Eastern and Orthodox brothers and sisters celebrate Saint Nicholas well before Christmas so that the focus is on Jesus and not Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus).  Many of our Christmas traditions and symbols come from Saint Nicholas and other Christian traditions.  The St. Nicholas Center offers a great website with more information.

Saint Nicholas Center

Our Western Culture seems to celebrate Christmas too early and end it too early.  I always see decorations start to go up after Halloween and then are brought down the day after Christmas.  What happened to celebrating Advent and the 12 days of Christmas up to January 6th on the Epiphany when the Three Kings travelled bearing gifts for Christ the King?  Now Catholics are requested to celebrate until the Feast of The Baptism of Jesus on January 8th.  There is much beauty and traditions in celebrating the entire season of Christmas for 15 days.  Father Robert Barron offers great insights into the prologue of the Gospel of John relating to Christmas:

Kathleen Carroll narrates a reflection on the season of Christmas from a Catholic perspective:

The Feast of the Epiphany is marked on January 6th when the three kings from the East came bearing gifts.  This should be recognized by all Christians as the time when Jesus’ reign on Earth was opened up to all peoples and not just the Jewish people.  The Star of Bethlehem’s appearance with the angels announces the message to lowly shepherds and mighty kings that Jesus is here for all who will listen and follow.

Three Kings and Star of David

One of the gifts that was given to Jesus is currently endangered here on Earth.  Frankincense is the aromatic incense used by many religions that is produced from the resin of the Boswellia tree.  This tree is being overused and its habitat is being reduced, and predictions are that there will not be enough in coming years without good conservation. It is a reminder to us that the earth is a creation of God that needs care and nurturing.  I pray that the wonderful gift from God can be preserved for future generations.  The BBC offers a good report entitled Frankincense tree facing uncertain future.

Frankincense

Frankincense

 

Frankincense Trees

Frankincense Trees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a great documentary about The Star of Bethlehem that shows through modern astronomy science that it was a REAL event.  I encourage you to watch the trailer below and check out this wonderful DVD, or look at list on website of live presentations.

If you need any great ideas for your Christmas Feast or other upcoming feasts this year–please check out Catholic Cuisine.

Catholic Cuisine

 

Luckily God has a sense of humor.  I would like to share a video from 1968 that was made by Monty Pyton’s Terry Gilliam to celebrate Christmas:

 

Finally, I would like to share some great Christmas music videos:

O, Tannenbaum, from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Kings College Choir)

A Classical Christmas Medley (instrumental)

Silent Night — The Priests

Great message and music from Fr. James Martin and The Roches:

In Closing, I would like to add the blog written by my cousin, Monsignor Charles Pope, titled, In The Incarnation We Are Touched by God

 

 

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Filed Under: Music, Uncategorized Tagged With: DVD, Franciscan, Music

The Catholicism Project & Catholics Come Home

December 8, 2011 by John Clem Leave a Comment

Catholicism - It's Your Story

 

There are two incredible Catholic projects that mark the year 2011, as a year remembered that helped restore the Catholic Faith to its TRUTH, BEAUTY, and GOODNESS.  The first is The Catholicism Project, which is a beautiful documentary and book conceived by Father Robert Barron.  Father Barron was inspired to travel the globe to 15 countries and over 50 holy sites to show the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic Faith.  Father Barron helped raise $5 million dollars and took five years to produce a 10-part series that takes the viewer through themes of Catholicism using high definition cameras with wonderous images, music, and history.

Father Robert Barron

Father Robert Barron

Father Barron is a professor of theology at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago and is a masterful communicator. The Catholicism Project is great because Father Barron is able to share his vast knowledge of the history and also relate it to modern day writers and events.  He acknowledges that the Catholic Church has come through a dark time with its recent scandals, but also shows that there is far more good that the mainstream media does not show or fully understand about the Catholic Faith.  This series is currently being shown by over 80 PBS stations and EWTN across the United States, and is currently being produced in more languages to be released in more countries very soon.  I highly recommend you take the time to view this series as it is a great way to know the Catholic Faith better and it has made me more excited about being a Catholic.  Please view the preview below and check out website links below for more places where you can view or purchase this series.

“This is the most important media project in the history of the Catholic Church in America. A stimulating and compelling exploration of the spiritual, moral, and intellectual riches of the Catholic world. “ -George Weigel, Biographer of Blessed John Paul II

My parish, Church of the Incarnation, in Charlottesville, Virginia, has invited the surrounding community to view the entire series.  We are inviting Catholics and Non-Catholics to come and enjoy this series in fellowship.  We are offering a coffee house and child care to give people the opportunity to experience this incredible project.

Please join us at The Church of the Incarnation for any of this 10-part series (one hour each episode) that will be shown on the following Wednesday evenings 7-9pm in the Parish Activity Center:

January 11 – Episode 1 Amazed & Afraid: Revelation that God Become Man

January 25 – Episode 2 Happy We Are: The Teachings of Jesus

February 8 – Episode 3 The Ineffable Mystery of God

March 7 – Episode 4 Mary, The Mother of God

March 21 – Episode 5 Peter, Paul and the Missionary Adventure

April 4 – Episode 6 The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church

April 18 – Episode 7 The Mystery of the Church’s Sacrament and Worship

May 2 – Episode 8 The Communion of Saints

May 16 – Episode 9 Prayer and the Life of the Spirit

May 30 – Episode 10 World Without End: The Last Things

EVERYONE in the community is welcome !!!

Church of the Incarnation

1465 Incarnation Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22901

(434) 973-4381

Catholics Come Home

The second project that is helping to strengthen our faith is Catholics Come Home.  Tom Peterson is the founder of CatholicsComeHome.org and he has put together a great website and videos to inspire Catholics that have left the faith, or others who are interested in finding out more about the Catholic Faith.  Mr. Peterson is launching a huge TV ad campaign that will be airing December 16th through January 8th that hopes to reach 250 million viewers.  Catholics Come Home is investing $3.5 million in bi-lingual commercials that are scheduled to air on CBS, NBC, Univision, TBS, USA, TNT, CNN, FoxNews, and other networks during shows like 60 Minutes, NCIS, Kennedy Center Honors, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, Jay Leno, O’Reilly, major sports, and highly rated sitcoms.  Below is a one of the videos that will be shown:

A very BIG Kudos to both Father Robert Barron and Tom Peterson for helping to reinvigorate the Catholic Faith.  They both heard the same call that Saint Francis heard many years ago to “please rebuild my church.”  I believe that these projects both reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic [Universal] Church, where all are welcome.

LINKS

The Catholicism Series

Word On Fire Ministry – Father Robert Barron

Catholicism Book (Amazon)

Word on Fire Key (clips of Catholicism and You Tube videos & Faith Clips by Fr. Barron)

Catholics Come Home website

Church of the Incarnation

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DVD, Evangelization

Into Great Silence

June 19, 2011 by John Clem Leave a Comment

Movie: Into Great Silence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into Great Silence (2005) is a movie by Philip Groening that has gained many acclaims including winning the Sundance Film Festival, and European Film Awards for best documentary.  This movie is about the Carthusian order of monks who were founded in 1084 by Saint Bruno of Cologne.  The last time that these monk allowed any visitor was around 1960, and director Philip Groenig was finally granted permission after many inquiries to come film the monks during a year’s period.   The Carthusian order of monks follow a contemplative life of prayer, and a simple life of labor, faith, fasting, and silence.  Watching this movie brings one into the life of these monks, and with the silence and beautiful Gregorian chanting also moves one into contemplative prayer.  Philip Groening made this film at the Mother House of the Carthusian Order in the French Alps where  the monks provide for themselves all there needs with shared labors, and producing the famous Chartreuse liqueur.  This is a great documentary and I highly recommend you put this in your movie queue.  I have added links at the bottom about this movie.

Into Great Silence has sparked more interest in the monastic life and there is a now some growth happening in orders around the globe.  The Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel are a new and growing order of Carmelite monks founded in 2003 in the mountains of Wyoming.  According to their website, “their life is characterized by dedicated prayer and selfless penance, manual labor and a joyful communal way of life much like what you read in the life of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the “Little Flower”.” These monks live a devout life and labor to make some of the finest coffee called Mystic Monk Coffee.  My friend, Michael Ray, is an architect working with McCrery Architects and helping to design a beautiful gothic monastery and church for this growing order of monks.  Michael was also inspired by Into Great Silence and modeled the new monastery on the architecture of the Grand Chartreuse Monastery.  Please check out the links below and consider buying some great coffee or making a donation to help with their building campaign.

Carmelite Monastery in Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

Here in Virginia, a Dominican order is about to build a new priory next to the University of Virginia for its growing group of men.  Unlike monks, the Dominican Friars live a life in the community through pastoral care, and preaching, but also live a life of contemplative prayer, and take a vow of poverty.  The Dominicans have been serving Charlottesville and Central Virginia for over 50 years, and because they are a growing order they need a new facility to meet their needs.  They are currently trying to raise 5.9 million dollars for this facility and could use your donations and prayers for this worthy project.  A wonderful website has been set up for this Priory and also has more information about the Dominican Order and videos about the project (below).

Saint Thomas Aquinas Priory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Crozet, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, sits a beautiful Trappist Monastery of sisters devoted to simple life of prayer and faith.  “In this setting, the School of Love continues to flourish. Here modern women learn to follow Jesus in self-gift for the glory of God and the salvation of the world he loves so much.” (from their website) Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, founded in 1987, offers retreats for surrounding parishes in the rustic cabins that originally was housing for the nuns until their new facility was built a few years ago.  The nuns are also famous for the delicious gouda cheese they make to help sustain their way of life.  I encourage you to look at their wonderful new website and help them by purchasing some excellent gouda cheese made in the Dutch tradition (link below).

Gouda Cheese Making at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have any stories of inspiration to share about monastic life of monks, friars, or nuns near you?

LINKS:

Into Great Silence – Official Trailer

Into Great Silence – Official Website

The New Mount Carmel of America

Mystic Monk Coffee

Saint Tomas Aquinas Priory

Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

Please Pray for the Saint Thomas Aquinas Priory in Charlottesville, Virginia

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DVD, Movies, Virginia

The Catholicism Project

June 13, 2011 by John Clem 1 Comment

Pentacost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Happy Birthday” is how my pastor, Fr. Gregory Kandt, greeted us this Pentecost Sunday.  It is indeed the birthday of the church when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles which began their mission to preach the good news to many nations.  The Apostles were given a gift to help share their wonderful faith with others, and today I want to share a wonderful gift to help others discover or deepen their faith in Christ.

Father Robert Barron, is a teacher and theologian, who has been working on one of the greatest projects that will help to educate and inspire those about the Catholic faith.  The Catholicism Project is a video project of the highest production quality that is available as a high-definition DVD collection and available to parishes with teaching materials this coming August. Father Barron has been working on this project for four years by taking many pilgrimages to sites around the world that tell the rich history of the Catholic Faith through art, architecture, people, saints, and cultures.  I urge you to get this video series for your family or parish, and it will be something you will want to watch more than once.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan has compared Father Barron to one of the first apostles of Catholic new media–Archbishop Fulton Sheen.  Archbishop Dolan said, “We were so proud of Fulton Sheen because he embodied the truth, the beauty, the light, the warmth of Catholicism. He was able to present the timeless truths of our beloved Catholic faith in a very timely manner and able to tie in art, architecture, news, humor, sports and you name it – to bring that to bear in the Gospel, and the teaching of Jesus and his Church. He did it in a dynamite way. I think we’ve got a winner in Fr. Bob Barron.  He speaks with that same eloquence and that same pizazz and same conviction.”  Father Barron is the modern day Fulton Sheen, and I encourage you to look at the video link below, and hope you will be inspired to get this video series and share it with others.  What a great gift Father Barron had given to the church.  Father Barron also writes a very good Blog that I highly recommend and has his writings, sermons, and videos with the link below.

Are there any bloggers that inspire you that you would like to share in this forum?

The Catholicism Project You Tube Video–extended version

The Catholicism Project Overview

The Catholicism Project (Pre-Order for August 2011)

 

 

Word on Fire

Word On Fire Blog and Website

 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DVD, Pentacost

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