OPEN LETTER
December 11th-2009
Dear Paulina,
We, the undersigned individuals, are sending this open letter to request that Fr. Robert Mattingly be placed on the schedule to conduct masses at St. Maximilian Kolbe church as openings become available in February and months to follow.
This open letter emphasizing our request is made in the spirit of providing feedback that we, the undersigned individuals, have been abundantly blessed by Fr. Bob’s insights, remarks, and indeed his homilies.
With our thanks for taking up our request, we shall remain always
Yours in Christ,
Monday, December 7, 2009
RE: 12.07.09~Readings for Sunday December 13th-2009 - Letter on usccb website to support Health Care Reform
St. Max Bible Study Meets Fridays 9AM to 10AM in the Mother Cabrrini Room at the back of the church
December 13, 2009
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 9
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against youhe has turned away your enemies;the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;he will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,he will sing joyfully because of you,as one sings at festivals.
(1) When was the last time that you shouted for joy? Recall?
Reading II
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:Rejoice in the Lord always.I shall say it again: rejoice!Your kindness should be known to all.The Lord is near.Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
(1) With Thanksgiving Make Your Requests Known - Why?
Gospel
Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,“What should we do?”He said to them in reply,“Whoever has two cloaksshould share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,“Teacher, what should we do?”He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”Soldiers also asked him,“And what is it that we should do?”He told them,“Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water,but one mightier than I is coming.I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floorand to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
(1) Will be baptized with the Holy Spirit –
Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;I am confident and unafraid.My strength and my courage is the LORD,and he has been my savior.With joy you will draw waterat the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;among the nations make known his deeds,proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel
.Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,for great in your midstis the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/121309.shtml
U.S. Bishops Urge Senators to Support Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment on Health Care Reform; Urge Constituents to Back It
Amendment precludes use of federal dollars for elective abortion coverageBishops want Stupak-style House amendment included in Senate billOppose making people pay for other people’s abortions
December 13, 2009
Third Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 9
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against youhe has turned away your enemies;the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;he will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,he will sing joyfully because of you,as one sings at festivals.
(1) When was the last time that you shouted for joy? Recall?
Reading II
Phil 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:Rejoice in the Lord always.I shall say it again: rejoice!Your kindness should be known to all.The Lord is near.Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
(1) With Thanksgiving Make Your Requests Known - Why?
Gospel
Lk 3:10-18
The crowds asked John the Baptist,“What should we do?”He said to them in reply,“Whoever has two cloaksshould share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,“Teacher, what should we do?”He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”Soldiers also asked him,“And what is it that we should do?”He told them,“Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water,but one mightier than I is coming.I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floorand to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
(1) Will be baptized with the Holy Spirit –
Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;I am confident and unafraid.My strength and my courage is the LORD,and he has been my savior.With joy you will draw waterat the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;among the nations make known his deeds,proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel
.Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,for great in your midstis the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/121309.shtml
U.S. Bishops Urge Senators to Support Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment on Health Care Reform; Urge Constituents to Back It
Amendment precludes use of federal dollars for elective abortion coverageBishops want Stupak-style House amendment included in Senate billOppose making people pay for other people’s abortions
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
RE: 11.19.09~Closer Look at Readings for Sunday November 22nd-2009
Bible Study meets on Fridays 9-10AM in the Mother Cabrini Room at back of
November 22, 2009
The Solemnity of Christ the King
Lectionary: 161
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dn 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I sawone like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of heaven;when he reached the Ancient Oneand was presented before him,the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away,his kingship shall not be destroyed.
(1) ..dominion, glory and kingship
Reading IIRv 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,and every eye will see him,even those who pierced him.All the peoples of the earth will lament him.Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
(1) Why?
GospelJn 18:33b-37
Pilate said to Jesus,"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your ownor have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.If my kingdom did belong to this world,my attendants would be fightingto keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world,to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
(1) Do we testify to the truth?
Responsorial PsalmPs 93:1, 1-2, 5
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.And he has made the world firm,not to be moved.Your throne stands firm from of old;from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;holiness befits your house,O LORD, for length of days.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112209.shtml
November 22, 2009
The Solemnity of Christ the King
Lectionary: 161
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dn 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I sawone like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of heaven;when he reached the Ancient Oneand was presented before him,the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away,his kingship shall not be destroyed.
(1) ..dominion, glory and kingship
Reading IIRv 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,and every eye will see him,even those who pierced him.All the peoples of the earth will lament him.Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
(1) Why?
GospelJn 18:33b-37
Pilate said to Jesus,"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your ownor have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.If my kingdom did belong to this world,my attendants would be fightingto keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world,to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
(1) Do we testify to the truth?
Responsorial PsalmPs 93:1, 1-2, 5
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.And he has made the world firm,not to be moved.Your throne stands firm from of old;from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;holiness befits your house,O LORD, for length of days.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112209.shtml
RE: 11.19.09~Readings for Sundays 22nd & 29th
Bible Study Meets in the Mother Cabrini Room FRIDAYS 9-10AM at back of church
November 29, 2009
First Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 3Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel
Reading 1Jer 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land.In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”
Reading II1 Thes 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:May the Lord make you increase and abound in lovefor one another and for all,just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please GodCand as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more.For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
GospelLk 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.For that day will assault everyonewho lives on the face of the earth.Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Responsorial PsalmPs 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
.Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;teach me your paths,Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my savior,and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;thus he shows sinners the way.He guides the humble to justice,and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancytoward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
November 29, 2009
First Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 3Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel
Reading 1Jer 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land.In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”
Reading II1 Thes 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:May the Lord make you increase and abound in lovefor one another and for all,just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please GodCand as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more.For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
GospelLk 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.For that day will assault everyonewho lives on the face of the earth.Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Responsorial PsalmPs 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
.Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;teach me your paths,Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my savior,and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;thus he shows sinners the way.He guides the humble to justice,and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancytoward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
11.12.09~Readings for November 15th 2009
Please Note That Bible Study meets on Fridays 9AM -10AM in Mother Cabrini Rm
November 15, 2009
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dn 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel, heard this word of the Lord:"At that time there shall ariseMichael, the great prince,guardian of your people;it shall be a time unsurpassed in distresssince nations began until that time.At that time your people shall escape,everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;some shall live forever,others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightlylike the splendor of the firmament,and those who lead the many to justiceshall be like the stars forever."
(1) Do we shine brightly (in daily) activities [in our lives here on Earth]?
Reading II
Heb 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,offering frequently those same sacrificesthat can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offeringhe has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,there is no longer offering for sin.
(1) Christ is at the right hand of God, but where are we?
Gospel
Mk 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:"In those days after that tribulationthe sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light,and the stars will be falling from the sky,and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'with great power and glory,and then he will send out the angelsand gather his elect from the four winds,from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,you know that summer is near.In the same way, when you see these things happening,know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you,this generation will not pass awayuntil all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away,but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
(1) We do not know the day or hour..
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,you it is who hold fast my lot.I set the LORD ever before me;with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,my body, too, abides in confidence;because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,fullness of joys in your presence,the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
* * *
us conf cath bishop website Movie Review of film "2012," -->
2012—In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
Review
2012
In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
2012 (Full Review)
The entire universe could be destroyed more than once in the time it takes master-of-disaster director Roland Emmerich to rearrange planet Earth and dismantle human civilization in "2012" (Columbia).
To be fair, the two and a half hours pass quickly enough, and so the film's length turns out to be its least troubling aspect. What's genuinely disturbing about this disaster movie to end all disaster movies -- even taken as a popcorn flick engineered solely to entertain -- is the almost sadistic way Emmerich and his computer-generated special-effects wizards kill off billions of people.
"2012" probably has the highest body count of any movie ever made and, although the carnage isn't graphic, there's too much dissonance between the spectacle's inherent disregard for human life and the attempt to send a positive message about humanity's altruistic instincts and better nature. The limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable are both tested.
Emmerich has built his career on ravaging the globe in popular films like "Independence Day," "Godzilla" and "The Day After Tomorrow." Here, mankind is not at fault; instead, doomsday stems from an act of nature -- increased solar activity and the alignment of the planets -- that results in the overheating of the earth's core and displacement of its crust. As the Mayans supposedly anticipated, these events reach critical mass on the winter solstice: 12/21/2012.
The audience is asked to take heart since the end-of-days scenario brings out the best in two particular individuals. White House geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has been working with the scientific community and governments to predict the crisis and shape a response that includes an international plan to evacuate 400,000 fortunate souls. Exactly how they'll be spared has definite biblical overtones.
Divorced science-fiction writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), who has pondered this eventuality in a largely ignored book, happens to be camping with his two children in Yosemite, an epicenter of the catastrophe. He and his family are perfectly positioned to witness California falling into the sea and Las Vegas being torn asunder.
Back in the nation's capital, President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) chooses to act selflessly before the White House is flattened by an aircraft carrier and the Washington Monument topples onto innocent citizens. The Himalayas then become the plot's focal point as floodwaters reach the top of the earth.
Along with false solemnity, the script is sprinkled with intermittently successful gallows humor. More often, though, hokey lines and corny cliches trigger unintended laughter, and the acting is predictably bad. Only Woody Harrelson, playing a pickle-eating radio prophet named Charlie Frost, and Oliver Platt, portraying cynical presidential aide Carl Anheuser, embrace the apocalyptic absurdity and have fun with their roles.
Despite a plethora of religious imagery and references to faith and prayer, "2012" has no theological substance. It posits an ecumenical disaster in that no denomination or belief system is given favored status. Yet its general theological glibness may rankle a minority of viewers of every creed.
Catholics should be forewarned that Emmerich dispatches the faithful in the Vatican with particular relish, collapsing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel onto praying prelates and dropping the dome of St. Peter's Basilica onto the reverent masses assembled in St. Peter's Square. He also goes out of his way to show Rio de Janeiro's statue of Christ the Redeemer falling down. After all that, it's difficult to feel hopeful -- let alone ennobled -- at the conclusion of "2012."
The film contains considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
* * *
The pertinent web page for this week is provided below:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/111509.shtml
Florida Young Adult Receives National Award For Efforts To Support Farmworkers
WASHINGTON—Brigitte Gynther, 27, coordinator of Interfaith Action (IA) of Southwest Florida, is the recipient of the 2009 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award for her role in supporting and empowering farmworkers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), as they pursue fair wages, improved working conditions, and an end to modern day slavery in the fields.
(1) Shall we invite her to St. Max to speak?
November 15, 2009
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 158Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dn 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel, heard this word of the Lord:"At that time there shall ariseMichael, the great prince,guardian of your people;it shall be a time unsurpassed in distresssince nations began until that time.At that time your people shall escape,everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;some shall live forever,others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightlylike the splendor of the firmament,and those who lead the many to justiceshall be like the stars forever."
(1) Do we shine brightly (in daily) activities [in our lives here on Earth]?
Reading II
Heb 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,offering frequently those same sacrificesthat can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offeringhe has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,there is no longer offering for sin.
(1) Christ is at the right hand of God, but where are we?
Gospel
Mk 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:"In those days after that tribulationthe sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light,and the stars will be falling from the sky,and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'with great power and glory,and then he will send out the angelsand gather his elect from the four winds,from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,you know that summer is near.In the same way, when you see these things happening,know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you,this generation will not pass awayuntil all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away,but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
(1) We do not know the day or hour..
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,you it is who hold fast my lot.I set the LORD ever before me;with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,my body, too, abides in confidence;because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,fullness of joys in your presence,the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
* * *
us conf cath bishop website Movie Review of film "2012," -->
2012—In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
Review
2012
In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
2012 (Full Review)
The entire universe could be destroyed more than once in the time it takes master-of-disaster director Roland Emmerich to rearrange planet Earth and dismantle human civilization in "2012" (Columbia).
To be fair, the two and a half hours pass quickly enough, and so the film's length turns out to be its least troubling aspect. What's genuinely disturbing about this disaster movie to end all disaster movies -- even taken as a popcorn flick engineered solely to entertain -- is the almost sadistic way Emmerich and his computer-generated special-effects wizards kill off billions of people.
"2012" probably has the highest body count of any movie ever made and, although the carnage isn't graphic, there's too much dissonance between the spectacle's inherent disregard for human life and the attempt to send a positive message about humanity's altruistic instincts and better nature. The limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable are both tested.
Emmerich has built his career on ravaging the globe in popular films like "Independence Day," "Godzilla" and "The Day After Tomorrow." Here, mankind is not at fault; instead, doomsday stems from an act of nature -- increased solar activity and the alignment of the planets -- that results in the overheating of the earth's core and displacement of its crust. As the Mayans supposedly anticipated, these events reach critical mass on the winter solstice: 12/21/2012.
The audience is asked to take heart since the end-of-days scenario brings out the best in two particular individuals. White House geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has been working with the scientific community and governments to predict the crisis and shape a response that includes an international plan to evacuate 400,000 fortunate souls. Exactly how they'll be spared has definite biblical overtones.
Divorced science-fiction writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), who has pondered this eventuality in a largely ignored book, happens to be camping with his two children in Yosemite, an epicenter of the catastrophe. He and his family are perfectly positioned to witness California falling into the sea and Las Vegas being torn asunder.
Back in the nation's capital, President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) chooses to act selflessly before the White House is flattened by an aircraft carrier and the Washington Monument topples onto innocent citizens. The Himalayas then become the plot's focal point as floodwaters reach the top of the earth.
Along with false solemnity, the script is sprinkled with intermittently successful gallows humor. More often, though, hokey lines and corny cliches trigger unintended laughter, and the acting is predictably bad. Only Woody Harrelson, playing a pickle-eating radio prophet named Charlie Frost, and Oliver Platt, portraying cynical presidential aide Carl Anheuser, embrace the apocalyptic absurdity and have fun with their roles.
Despite a plethora of religious imagery and references to faith and prayer, "2012" has no theological substance. It posits an ecumenical disaster in that no denomination or belief system is given favored status. Yet its general theological glibness may rankle a minority of viewers of every creed.
Catholics should be forewarned that Emmerich dispatches the faithful in the Vatican with particular relish, collapsing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel onto praying prelates and dropping the dome of St. Peter's Basilica onto the reverent masses assembled in St. Peter's Square. He also goes out of his way to show Rio de Janeiro's statue of Christ the Redeemer falling down. After all that, it's difficult to feel hopeful -- let alone ennobled -- at the conclusion of "2012."
The film contains considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
* * *
The pertinent web page for this week is provided below:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/111509.shtml
Florida Young Adult Receives National Award For Efforts To Support Farmworkers
WASHINGTON—Brigitte Gynther, 27, coordinator of Interfaith Action (IA) of Southwest Florida, is the recipient of the 2009 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award for her role in supporting and empowering farmworkers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), as they pursue fair wages, improved working conditions, and an end to modern day slavery in the fields.
(1) Shall we invite her to St. Max to speak?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
RE: 11.01.09~Solemnity of Saints
Fridays 9AM-10AM Bible Study meets in the Mother Cabrini Room at the back of the church
November 1, 2009
Solemnity of All Saints
Lectionary: 667
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,“Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,which no one could count,from every nation, race, people, and tongue.They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throneand around the elders and the four living creatures.They prostrated themselves before the throne,worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,honor, power, and mightbe to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”He said to me,“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;they have washed their robesand made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Reading II
1 Jn 3:1-3
Beloved:See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God.Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know usis that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed.We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is.Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,as he is pure.
Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;the world and those who dwell in it.For he founded it upon the seasand established it upon the rivers.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?or who may stand in his holy place?One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,who desires not what is vain.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,a reward from God his savior.Such is the race that seeks him,that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
November 1, 2009
Solemnity of All Saints
Lectionary: 667
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,“Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,which no one could count,from every nation, race, people, and tongue.They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throneand around the elders and the four living creatures.They prostrated themselves before the throne,worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,honor, power, and mightbe to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”He said to me,“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;they have washed their robesand made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Reading II
1 Jn 3:1-3
Beloved:See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God.Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know usis that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed.We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is.Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,as he is pure.
Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;the world and those who dwell in it.For he founded it upon the seasand established it upon the rivers.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?or who may stand in his holy place?One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,who desires not what is vain.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,a reward from God his savior.Such is the race that seeks him,that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
10.20.09~Readings for Sunday, October 25th-2009/Film Review "Where The Wild Things Are..,"
Bible Study meets 9AM – 10AM in the Mother Cabrini Room at the back of the church
October 25, 2009
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 149
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Jer 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:Shout with joy for Jacob,exult at the head of the nations;proclaim your praise and say:The LORD has delivered his people,the remnant of Israel.Behold, I will bring them backfrom the land of the north;I will gather them from the ends of the world,with the blind and the lame in their midst,the mothers and those with child;they shall return as an immense throng.They departed in tears,but I will console them and guide them;I will lead them to brooks of water,on a level road, so that none shall stumble.For I am a father to Israel,Ephraim is my first-born.
(1) Question—from workbook or other source
Reading II
Heb 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:Every high priest is taken from among menand made their representative before God,to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,for he himself is beset by weaknessand so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himselfas well as for the people.No one takes this honor upon himselfbut only when called by God,just as Aaron was.In the same way,it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,but rather the one who said to him:You are my son:this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place:You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.
(1)
GospelMk 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,sat by the roadside begging.On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,he began to cry out and say,"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me."Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."So they called the blind man, saying to him,"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sightand followed him on the way.
(1)
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,we were like men dreaming.Then our mouth was filled with laughter,and our tongue with rejoicing.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.Then they said among the nations,"The LORD has done great things for them."The LORD has done great things for us;we are glad indeed.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.Restore our fortunes, O LORD,like the torrents in the southern desert.Those that sow in tearsshall reap rejoicing.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Although they go forth weeping,carrying the seed to be sown,They shall come back rejoicing,carrying their sheaves.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Where the Wild Things Are—Intriguing though melancholy fantasy in which a rambunctious young boy (Max Records) quarrels with his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) and runs away from home, eventually sailing to the island abode of the Wild Things, a close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants (voiced, most prominently, by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose) whose personalities reflect various aspects of the youth's real-life experiences and of his unsettled psychological state. While objectionable elements are minimal, director and co-writer Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 children's book -- which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation -- far from being a film for kids, is instead a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of childhood. Also shown in Imax. Occasional menace and a few mild oaths. A-II -- adults and adolescents
Full Review
Though it's based on a children's book, and though objectionable elements are minimal, the intriguing fantasy "Where the Wild Things Are" (Warner Bros.), which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation, is hardly a film for kids.
Instead, director and co-writer (with Dave Eggers) Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic tale -- winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1964, the year after its first publication -- is a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of youth.
Those battles are fought out within the mind and heart of Max (newcomer Max Records in a compelling performance), a rambunctious but lonely suburban 9-year-old whose excess energy is devoted to scaring his dog, pelting his older sister's friends with snowballs and generally driving his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) up the wall.
Yet Max is also vulnerable, as he shows when Mom seemingly neglects him in favor of some quiet time with her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo). Volatile Max's gentle pleas for attention quickly give way to a tantrum, and the resulting confrontation ends with him running away from home.
At this point, mundane reality is overtaken by the logic of dreams as Max -- dressed in his favorite outfit, a fuzzy wolf costume, and seemingly undaunted by the fact that it's nighttime -- enters a nearby wood, discovers an empty sailboat and promptly sets off across a vast body of water. After an arduous journey, he arrives at a mysterious island where bright bonfires mark the abode of the titular Wild Things.
This close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants features a variety of personalities, each of whom reflects either some aspect of Max's real circumstances or of his unsettled psychological state.
Affectionate but easily offended Carol (voice of James Gandolfini), for instance, mirrors Max's yearning for love and security, while loner K.W. (voice of Lauren Ambrose) -- who wavers between belonging to the group and spending time outside it, much to Carol's sorrow, since he secretly pines for her -- represents both Max's adolescent sister, who seems to be abandoning their once-close relationship as she matures, and his own aspirations for independence.
There's a melancholy tone to the proceedings as we witness Max symbolically working through his Freudian conflicts via the constant squabbling and alternatively creative and destructive behavior of the Wild Things. Early on, Max is crowned their king on the strength of some fibs about his prowess. But his ready assurance that his rule will make everyone happy looks increasingly rash, since his every action manages to alienate one or another of his new subjects. Though youngsters addicted to gadgets and demanding distraction will likely be bored, this delicate portrait of the fears and joys of growing up is calculated to charm viewers willing to invest the necessary concentration.
"Where the Wild Things Are" will be shown on both Imax and conventional screens.
The film contains occasional menace and a few mild oaths. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
October 25, 2009
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 149
Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1
Jer 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:Shout with joy for Jacob,exult at the head of the nations;proclaim your praise and say:The LORD has delivered his people,the remnant of Israel.Behold, I will bring them backfrom the land of the north;I will gather them from the ends of the world,with the blind and the lame in their midst,the mothers and those with child;they shall return as an immense throng.They departed in tears,but I will console them and guide them;I will lead them to brooks of water,on a level road, so that none shall stumble.For I am a father to Israel,Ephraim is my first-born.
(1) Question—from workbook or other source
Reading II
Heb 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:Every high priest is taken from among menand made their representative before God,to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,for he himself is beset by weaknessand so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himselfas well as for the people.No one takes this honor upon himselfbut only when called by God,just as Aaron was.In the same way,it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,but rather the one who said to him:You are my son:this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place:You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.
(1)
GospelMk 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,sat by the roadside begging.On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,he began to cry out and say,"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me."Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."So they called the blind man, saying to him,"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sightand followed him on the way.
(1)
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,we were like men dreaming.Then our mouth was filled with laughter,and our tongue with rejoicing.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.Then they said among the nations,"The LORD has done great things for them."The LORD has done great things for us;we are glad indeed.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.Restore our fortunes, O LORD,like the torrents in the southern desert.Those that sow in tearsshall reap rejoicing.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Although they go forth weeping,carrying the seed to be sown,They shall come back rejoicing,carrying their sheaves.R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Where the Wild Things Are—Intriguing though melancholy fantasy in which a rambunctious young boy (Max Records) quarrels with his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) and runs away from home, eventually sailing to the island abode of the Wild Things, a close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants (voiced, most prominently, by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose) whose personalities reflect various aspects of the youth's real-life experiences and of his unsettled psychological state. While objectionable elements are minimal, director and co-writer Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 children's book -- which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation -- far from being a film for kids, is instead a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of childhood. Also shown in Imax. Occasional menace and a few mild oaths. A-II -- adults and adolescents
Full Review
Though it's based on a children's book, and though objectionable elements are minimal, the intriguing fantasy "Where the Wild Things Are" (Warner Bros.), which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation, is hardly a film for kids.
Instead, director and co-writer (with Dave Eggers) Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic tale -- winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1964, the year after its first publication -- is a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of youth.
Those battles are fought out within the mind and heart of Max (newcomer Max Records in a compelling performance), a rambunctious but lonely suburban 9-year-old whose excess energy is devoted to scaring his dog, pelting his older sister's friends with snowballs and generally driving his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) up the wall.
Yet Max is also vulnerable, as he shows when Mom seemingly neglects him in favor of some quiet time with her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo). Volatile Max's gentle pleas for attention quickly give way to a tantrum, and the resulting confrontation ends with him running away from home.
At this point, mundane reality is overtaken by the logic of dreams as Max -- dressed in his favorite outfit, a fuzzy wolf costume, and seemingly undaunted by the fact that it's nighttime -- enters a nearby wood, discovers an empty sailboat and promptly sets off across a vast body of water. After an arduous journey, he arrives at a mysterious island where bright bonfires mark the abode of the titular Wild Things.
This close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants features a variety of personalities, each of whom reflects either some aspect of Max's real circumstances or of his unsettled psychological state.
Affectionate but easily offended Carol (voice of James Gandolfini), for instance, mirrors Max's yearning for love and security, while loner K.W. (voice of Lauren Ambrose) -- who wavers between belonging to the group and spending time outside it, much to Carol's sorrow, since he secretly pines for her -- represents both Max's adolescent sister, who seems to be abandoning their once-close relationship as she matures, and his own aspirations for independence.
There's a melancholy tone to the proceedings as we witness Max symbolically working through his Freudian conflicts via the constant squabbling and alternatively creative and destructive behavior of the Wild Things. Early on, Max is crowned their king on the strength of some fibs about his prowess. But his ready assurance that his rule will make everyone happy looks increasingly rash, since his every action manages to alienate one or another of his new subjects. Though youngsters addicted to gadgets and demanding distraction will likely be bored, this delicate portrait of the fears and joys of growing up is calculated to charm viewers willing to invest the necessary concentration.
"Where the Wild Things Are" will be shown on both Imax and conventional screens.
The film contains occasional menace and a few mild oaths. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
10.18.09 Bible Study/Michael Moore film review - "Capitalism: A Love Story,"
October 18, 2009 - Bible Study meets on Fridays 9-10AM in MCR
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 146Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Is 53:10-11The LORD was pleasedto crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,he shall see his descendants in a long life,and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his afflictionhe shall see the light in fullnessof days;through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,and their guilt he shall bear.
(1)
Reading IIHeb 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,let us hold fast to our confession.For we do not have a high priestwho is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,but one who has similarly been tested in every way,yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of graceto receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
(1)
GospelMk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glorywe may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drinkor be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to givebut is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them,"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentileslord it over them,and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you.Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
or
Jesus summoned the twelve and said to them,"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentileslord it over them,and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
(1)
Responsorial PsalmPs 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.Upright is the word of the LORD,and all his works are trustworthy.He loves justice and right;of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,upon those who hope for his kindness,To deliver them from deathand preserve them in spite of famine.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.Our soul waits for the LORD,who is our help and our shield.May your kindness, O LORD, be upon uswho have put our hope in you.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Hard-hitting but at times overly simplistic documentary in which filmmaker Michael Moore highlights numerous dysfunctional aspects of the capitalist system in the U.S. and their negative effects on working people, who are thrown into unemployment or have their homes seized in foreclosure, ultimately calling for an economic revolution that would bring democracy to the workplace. Though Moore interviews two Catholic priests and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, who are unanimous in condemning capitalism as inherently sinful, this is not the teaching of the full magisterium, which instead recognizes both the efficiencies of the free market system and its need to be prudently regulated, while upholding the human dignity of workers, particularly their right to unionize. At least three uses of the F-word, a couple of crude terms. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
Full ReviewFilmmaker Michael Moore, who first brought his idiosyncratic but effective style of cinematic advocacy to bear on economic questions in his 1989 directorial debut “Roger & Me” -- focusing on the role of General Motors’ management in the decline of his hometown of Flint, Mich. -- takes on the American entrepreneurial system as a whole in the ironically titled “Capitalism: A Love Story” (Overture).
The result is a hard-hitting but at times overly simplistic documentary.Moore is at his best in chronicling the effects of economic dysfunction on vulnerable individuals and families, as a large group of Chicago factory workers are summarily thrown into unemployment or a farming couple faces foreclosure. And he manages to uncover more unusual – and more outrageous – examples of corporate greed gone haywire.
It’s disturbing to learn, for instance, that a number of airline pilots supplement their meager paychecks with food stamps or by selling their blood plasma, and that large corporations secretly take out life insurance policies on low-level employees, calculating that a certain percentage of them will end up as -- to quote the callous and insulting phrase used in the companies’ internal documents -- “dead peasants.”
But by far the most unsettling story Moore tells involves two corrupt Wilkes-Barre, Pa. judges who accepted bribes from a local for-profit juvenile detention facility in exchange for sentencing scores of young people to imprisonment there, often for the most trivial offences.
Moore is on shakier ground, though, when he examines economic history. He idealizes the days when top U.S. earners paid 90% income tax, claiming that this made possible not only the maintenance of the national infrastructure but the generous contracts under which unionized employees enjoyed numerous benefits, including free health and dental care.
He also blames the disappearance of American heavy industry entirely on the policies of President Ronald Reagan and his first Treasury Secretary, Donald Regan.
Ultimately, Moore calls for an economic revolution that would uproot capitalism completely. In its stead, he seems to favor, not the extreme socialism of the old Soviet system, but a cooperative model of democracy in the workplace, with each employee and manager an equal shareholder. Where the initial investment to establish new workplaces is to be found he fails to mention.
For a spiritual perspective, Moore – who speaks with great warmth of his Catholic childhood, of the kindly nuns who educated him and of his admiration for the clergy -- interviews are two Catholic priests who are family friends and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit. The three are unanimous in condemning capitalism as inherently sinful.
Yet this is not the teaching of the full magisterium, which instead takes a more moderate stance, recognizing both the efficiencies of the free market system and its need to be prudently regulated, while upholding the human dignity of workers, particularly their right to unionize.
The film contains at least three uses of the F-word and a couple of crude terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 146Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Is 53:10-11The LORD was pleasedto crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,he shall see his descendants in a long life,and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his afflictionhe shall see the light in fullnessof days;through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,and their guilt he shall bear.
(1)
Reading IIHeb 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,let us hold fast to our confession.For we do not have a high priestwho is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,but one who has similarly been tested in every way,yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of graceto receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
(1)
GospelMk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glorywe may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drinkor be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to givebut is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them,"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentileslord it over them,and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you.Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
or
Jesus summoned the twelve and said to them,"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentileslord it over them,and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
(1)
Responsorial PsalmPs 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.Upright is the word of the LORD,and all his works are trustworthy.He loves justice and right;of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,upon those who hope for his kindness,To deliver them from deathand preserve them in spite of famine.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.Our soul waits for the LORD,who is our help and our shield.May your kindness, O LORD, be upon uswho have put our hope in you.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Hard-hitting but at times overly simplistic documentary in which filmmaker Michael Moore highlights numerous dysfunctional aspects of the capitalist system in the U.S. and their negative effects on working people, who are thrown into unemployment or have their homes seized in foreclosure, ultimately calling for an economic revolution that would bring democracy to the workplace. Though Moore interviews two Catholic priests and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, who are unanimous in condemning capitalism as inherently sinful, this is not the teaching of the full magisterium, which instead recognizes both the efficiencies of the free market system and its need to be prudently regulated, while upholding the human dignity of workers, particularly their right to unionize. At least three uses of the F-word, a couple of crude terms. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
Full ReviewFilmmaker Michael Moore, who first brought his idiosyncratic but effective style of cinematic advocacy to bear on economic questions in his 1989 directorial debut “Roger & Me” -- focusing on the role of General Motors’ management in the decline of his hometown of Flint, Mich. -- takes on the American entrepreneurial system as a whole in the ironically titled “Capitalism: A Love Story” (Overture).
The result is a hard-hitting but at times overly simplistic documentary.Moore is at his best in chronicling the effects of economic dysfunction on vulnerable individuals and families, as a large group of Chicago factory workers are summarily thrown into unemployment or a farming couple faces foreclosure. And he manages to uncover more unusual – and more outrageous – examples of corporate greed gone haywire.
It’s disturbing to learn, for instance, that a number of airline pilots supplement their meager paychecks with food stamps or by selling their blood plasma, and that large corporations secretly take out life insurance policies on low-level employees, calculating that a certain percentage of them will end up as -- to quote the callous and insulting phrase used in the companies’ internal documents -- “dead peasants.”
But by far the most unsettling story Moore tells involves two corrupt Wilkes-Barre, Pa. judges who accepted bribes from a local for-profit juvenile detention facility in exchange for sentencing scores of young people to imprisonment there, often for the most trivial offences.
Moore is on shakier ground, though, when he examines economic history. He idealizes the days when top U.S. earners paid 90% income tax, claiming that this made possible not only the maintenance of the national infrastructure but the generous contracts under which unionized employees enjoyed numerous benefits, including free health and dental care.
He also blames the disappearance of American heavy industry entirely on the policies of President Ronald Reagan and his first Treasury Secretary, Donald Regan.
Ultimately, Moore calls for an economic revolution that would uproot capitalism completely. In its stead, he seems to favor, not the extreme socialism of the old Soviet system, but a cooperative model of democracy in the workplace, with each employee and manager an equal shareholder. Where the initial investment to establish new workplaces is to be found he fails to mention.
For a spiritual perspective, Moore – who speaks with great warmth of his Catholic childhood, of the kindly nuns who educated him and of his admiration for the clergy -- interviews are two Catholic priests who are family friends and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit. The three are unanimous in condemning capitalism as inherently sinful.
Yet this is not the teaching of the full magisterium, which instead takes a more moderate stance, recognizing both the efficiencies of the free market system and its need to be prudently regulated, while upholding the human dignity of workers, particularly their right to unionize.
The film contains at least three uses of the F-word and a couple of crude terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
RE: 09.30.09~October 4th
St. Maximilan Bible Study Meets Each Friday in the Mother Cabrini Room 9-10AM…Please join us!
October 4, 2009
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 140Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel
Reading 1Gn 2:18-24The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.I will make a suitable partner for him."So the LORD God formed out of the groundvarious wild animals and various birds of the air,and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle,all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,and while he was asleep,he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.The LORD God then built up into a woman the ribthat he had taken from the man.When he brought her to the man, the man said:"This one, at last, is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;this one shall be called 'woman, 'for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."That is why a man leaves his father and motherand clings to his wife,and the two of them become one flesh.
(1) Is it good for man—or woman—to be alone? (2) Why?
Reading IIHeb 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,for whom and through whom all things exist,in bringing many children to glory,should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.He who consecrates and those who are being consecratedall have one origin.Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”
(1) Are we brothers-and-sisters in Christ each day? Each Sunday?
(2) When do we bring glory to God [by our actions]?
GospelMk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him.He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied,"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorceand dismiss her."But Jesus told them,"Because of the hardness of your heartshe wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together,no human being must separate." In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them,"Whoever divorces his wife and marries anothercommits adultery against her;and if she divorces her husband and marries another,she commits adultery."
(1) Are we tested in our daily lives?
(2) What God has joined… At a time when ‘arranged marriages’ were the norm…
Responsorial PsalmPs 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6R. (cf. 5) May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Blessed are you who fear the LORD,who walk in his ways!For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;blessed shall you be, and favored.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Your wife shall be like a fruitful vinein the recesses of your home;your children like olive plantsaround your table.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Behold, thus is the man blessedwho fears the LORD.The LORD bless you from Zion:may you see the prosperity of Jerusalemall the days of your life.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.May you see your children's children.Peace be upon Israel!R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Alphabetical Listing of Movie Reviews
· Diverting fact-based comedy about an up-and-coming agribusiness executive (Matt Damon) who suddenly turns whistleblower, revealing his company's role in an international price-fixing scheme to the FBI, but his undercover collaboration with two special agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) is continually complicated by his eccentric delusions and by his reluctance to tell the whole truth. Director Steven Soderbergh's offbeat adaptation of journalist Kurt Eichenwald's book recounting the case, which also features Melanie Lynskey as the mole's long-suffering wife, benefits from Damon's intense performance as a curiously sympathetic egomaniac, though its treatment of both corporate and individual misdeeds may strike some as frivolous. A few uses of profanity and some rough and crude language. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
Full ReviewThe late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey might have particularly appreciated director Steven Soderbergh's diverting comedy "The Informant!" (Warner Bros.) because -- to echo Harvey's famous tagline -- this fact-based tale is all about "the rest of the story."As adapted from journalist Kurt Eichenwald's 2000 book, "The Informant (A True Story)," Scott Z. Burns' script recounts the unlikely adventures of up-and-coming agribusiness executive Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon).
A veteran researcher for conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland, as the film opens in the early 1990s, Whitaker is in charge of developing a new food additive called lysine. With the project stalled, Whitacre informs his colleagues that an insider at one of ADM's Japanese competitors has contacted him, offering, for the right payoff, to reveal the identity of the corporate spy who has been sabotaging the program.
To Whitacre's surprise -- his subsequent behavior raises the possibility that he has concocted the entire incident -- ADM's top brass invites the FBI to investigate, and Special Agent Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) is assigned to place a bug on Whitacre's home phone.
Cajoled by his wife Ginger (Melanie Lynskey), Whitacre takes advantage of Shepard's presence to turn whistleblower, revealing that ADM has been involved in an international scheme to fix the price of lysine.
Supervised by Shepard and fellow agent Bob Herndon (Joel McHale), Whitacre goes undercover. But his eccentric delusions -- he dubs himself Agent 0014 on the grounds that he is "twice as smart as 007" -- continually complicate the investigation, while his reluctance to tell the whole truth leads to a series of jaw-dropping revelations.
Large-scale, real-life fraud may seem an incongruous subject for humor, and the film's treatment of both corporate and individual misdeeds may strike some as frivolous. Others may be put off by the fact that Whitacre's exaggerated self-image is at least in part attributable to bipolar disease. Yet the tone is never mean-spirited or condescending.In fact, by his intense performance, both onscreen and via well-written stream-of-consciousness voiceovers that detail Whitacre's off-kilter outlook on life, Damon creates a curiously sympathetic egomaniac. And Lynskey shows equal dedication as longsuffering Ginger, who stands by her man but also applies moral pressure when it's most needed, making for a marriage that succeeds against the odds.
The film contains a few uses of profanity and some rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists Mark Tenth Anniversary Of Historic Agreement
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), will join other church leaders in downtown Chicago, October 1, to commemorate the signing of a joint agreement on the Doctrine of Justification, a matter that for centuries divided Christians.
More
October 4, 2009
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 140Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel
Reading 1Gn 2:18-24The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.I will make a suitable partner for him."So the LORD God formed out of the groundvarious wild animals and various birds of the air,and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle,all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,and while he was asleep,he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.The LORD God then built up into a woman the ribthat he had taken from the man.When he brought her to the man, the man said:"This one, at last, is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;this one shall be called 'woman, 'for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."That is why a man leaves his father and motherand clings to his wife,and the two of them become one flesh.
(1) Is it good for man—or woman—to be alone? (2) Why?
Reading IIHeb 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,for whom and through whom all things exist,in bringing many children to glory,should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.He who consecrates and those who are being consecratedall have one origin.Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”
(1) Are we brothers-and-sisters in Christ each day? Each Sunday?
(2) When do we bring glory to God [by our actions]?
GospelMk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him.He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied,"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorceand dismiss her."But Jesus told them,"Because of the hardness of your heartshe wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and motherand be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh.So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together,no human being must separate." In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them,"Whoever divorces his wife and marries anothercommits adultery against her;and if she divorces her husband and marries another,she commits adultery."
(1) Are we tested in our daily lives?
(2) What God has joined… At a time when ‘arranged marriages’ were the norm…
Responsorial PsalmPs 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6R. (cf. 5) May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Blessed are you who fear the LORD,who walk in his ways!For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;blessed shall you be, and favored.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Your wife shall be like a fruitful vinein the recesses of your home;your children like olive plantsaround your table.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.Behold, thus is the man blessedwho fears the LORD.The LORD bless you from Zion:may you see the prosperity of Jerusalemall the days of your life.R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.May you see your children's children.Peace be upon Israel!R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Alphabetical Listing of Movie Reviews
· Diverting fact-based comedy about an up-and-coming agribusiness executive (Matt Damon) who suddenly turns whistleblower, revealing his company's role in an international price-fixing scheme to the FBI, but his undercover collaboration with two special agents (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) is continually complicated by his eccentric delusions and by his reluctance to tell the whole truth. Director Steven Soderbergh's offbeat adaptation of journalist Kurt Eichenwald's book recounting the case, which also features Melanie Lynskey as the mole's long-suffering wife, benefits from Damon's intense performance as a curiously sympathetic egomaniac, though its treatment of both corporate and individual misdeeds may strike some as frivolous. A few uses of profanity and some rough and crude language. A-III -- adults. (R) 2009
Full ReviewThe late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey might have particularly appreciated director Steven Soderbergh's diverting comedy "The Informant!" (Warner Bros.) because -- to echo Harvey's famous tagline -- this fact-based tale is all about "the rest of the story."As adapted from journalist Kurt Eichenwald's 2000 book, "The Informant (A True Story)," Scott Z. Burns' script recounts the unlikely adventures of up-and-coming agribusiness executive Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon).
A veteran researcher for conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland, as the film opens in the early 1990s, Whitaker is in charge of developing a new food additive called lysine. With the project stalled, Whitacre informs his colleagues that an insider at one of ADM's Japanese competitors has contacted him, offering, for the right payoff, to reveal the identity of the corporate spy who has been sabotaging the program.
To Whitacre's surprise -- his subsequent behavior raises the possibility that he has concocted the entire incident -- ADM's top brass invites the FBI to investigate, and Special Agent Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) is assigned to place a bug on Whitacre's home phone.
Cajoled by his wife Ginger (Melanie Lynskey), Whitacre takes advantage of Shepard's presence to turn whistleblower, revealing that ADM has been involved in an international scheme to fix the price of lysine.
Supervised by Shepard and fellow agent Bob Herndon (Joel McHale), Whitacre goes undercover. But his eccentric delusions -- he dubs himself Agent 0014 on the grounds that he is "twice as smart as 007" -- continually complicate the investigation, while his reluctance to tell the whole truth leads to a series of jaw-dropping revelations.
Large-scale, real-life fraud may seem an incongruous subject for humor, and the film's treatment of both corporate and individual misdeeds may strike some as frivolous. Others may be put off by the fact that Whitacre's exaggerated self-image is at least in part attributable to bipolar disease. Yet the tone is never mean-spirited or condescending.In fact, by his intense performance, both onscreen and via well-written stream-of-consciousness voiceovers that detail Whitacre's off-kilter outlook on life, Damon creates a curiously sympathetic egomaniac. And Lynskey shows equal dedication as longsuffering Ginger, who stands by her man but also applies moral pressure when it's most needed, making for a marriage that succeeds against the odds.
The film contains a few uses of profanity and some rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists Mark Tenth Anniversary Of Historic Agreement
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), will join other church leaders in downtown Chicago, October 1, to commemorate the signing of a joint agreement on the Doctrine of Justification, a matter that for centuries divided Christians.
More
Friday, August 28, 2009
08.28.09~Prayers requested for Morningstar Renewal Center in Miami
Think for a moment how you would react if our government, because it is running short on money, decided to sell any or all of our national landmarks, like Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Washington Monument, the Wright Brothers site at Kitty Hawk, NC, etc. to developers so they could turn them into high rises, high end condos, or carve them up into cookie cutter developments? Not a pleasant thought is it? Something akin to that is happening right now in Miami, Florida that is very close to our Emmaus hearts.
Many years ago a center was opened by the Dominican Order for the purpose of offering Days of Renewal, Days of Reflection, Marriage Encounters, various retreats, and numerous other encounters that were spiritually uplifting for the thousands who attended over the years.
Several years ago, the Dominicans felt they could no longer continue running the retreat center and sold it to the Archdiocese of Miami, and turned the administration of it to St. Louis Parish which was adjacent to the center. The new name of the center is the Morningstar Renewal Center. Now the Archdiocese has decided to put it on the block because it "needs the money."
The Morningstar Renewal Center is very dear to me, as well as to thousands of Emmaus brothers and sisters. The Emmaus Retreat had its genesis at St. Louis Parish in Miami/Dominican Retreat Center.
The first women's retreat took place there in 1977.
The first men's retreat took place in 1985.
I was on the team that presented the first Men's Emmaus retreat, as well as many subsequent ones.Eight men from St. Max attended an Emmaus retreat at the Dominican Retreat Center, and subsequently formed the first team that introduced the Emmaus Weekend to Charlotte County in 2001.
Ten Women from St. Max attended an Emmaus retreat a year later and that's how the Women's Emmaus got started in St. Max. St. Louis Parish and the Dominican Retreat Center have spawned the widespread proliferation of what has become one of the most dynamic spiritual exercises seen in the Catholic Church in a long time.
The thousands of men and women who have experienced the power of the Emmaus Weekend are living testimony to this. Our Emmaus family in Miami has asked us to pray for a solution to the problem that would permit the Morningstar Renewal Center to continue in operation. What that solution is . . . we'll leave that up to the Lord.
Our job is to place this before the Lord in prayer, beseeching the Lord to preserve the Morningstar Renewal Center as the beacon that it has become for everyone seeking a closer relationship with Jesus, a renewal of faith, and spiritual uplifting.
Certainly, if any one of us was to win the mega million power ball, a few million to rescue the center wouldn't be a problem. But, that isn't what this is all about. Keep in mind that the primary success of the Emmaus Retreat has been based on an approach, unique to the Emmaus Weekend . . . lay men and women ministering to lay men and women. Let us all join as, spiritually empowered lay people, to prayerfully find a happy ending to this story.Remember, between all of us and the Holy Spirit, there is nothing we can't accomplish.
Jesus Christ Is Risen - - - He Is Risen Indeed.
sid glaser, class of 1985
Many years ago a center was opened by the Dominican Order for the purpose of offering Days of Renewal, Days of Reflection, Marriage Encounters, various retreats, and numerous other encounters that were spiritually uplifting for the thousands who attended over the years.
Several years ago, the Dominicans felt they could no longer continue running the retreat center and sold it to the Archdiocese of Miami, and turned the administration of it to St. Louis Parish which was adjacent to the center. The new name of the center is the Morningstar Renewal Center. Now the Archdiocese has decided to put it on the block because it "needs the money."
The Morningstar Renewal Center is very dear to me, as well as to thousands of Emmaus brothers and sisters. The Emmaus Retreat had its genesis at St. Louis Parish in Miami/Dominican Retreat Center.
The first women's retreat took place there in 1977.
The first men's retreat took place in 1985.
I was on the team that presented the first Men's Emmaus retreat, as well as many subsequent ones.Eight men from St. Max attended an Emmaus retreat at the Dominican Retreat Center, and subsequently formed the first team that introduced the Emmaus Weekend to Charlotte County in 2001.
Ten Women from St. Max attended an Emmaus retreat a year later and that's how the Women's Emmaus got started in St. Max. St. Louis Parish and the Dominican Retreat Center have spawned the widespread proliferation of what has become one of the most dynamic spiritual exercises seen in the Catholic Church in a long time.
The thousands of men and women who have experienced the power of the Emmaus Weekend are living testimony to this. Our Emmaus family in Miami has asked us to pray for a solution to the problem that would permit the Morningstar Renewal Center to continue in operation. What that solution is . . . we'll leave that up to the Lord.
Our job is to place this before the Lord in prayer, beseeching the Lord to preserve the Morningstar Renewal Center as the beacon that it has become for everyone seeking a closer relationship with Jesus, a renewal of faith, and spiritual uplifting.
Certainly, if any one of us was to win the mega million power ball, a few million to rescue the center wouldn't be a problem. But, that isn't what this is all about. Keep in mind that the primary success of the Emmaus Retreat has been based on an approach, unique to the Emmaus Weekend . . . lay men and women ministering to lay men and women. Let us all join as, spiritually empowered lay people, to prayerfully find a happy ending to this story.Remember, between all of us and the Holy Spirit, there is nothing we can't accomplish.
Jesus Christ Is Risen - - - He Is Risen Indeed.
sid glaser, class of 1985
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
RE: 08.26.09~Readings for Sunday August 30th - with discussion questions
August 30, 2009
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 125Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dt 4:1-2, 6-8Moses said to the people:“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decreeswhich I am teaching you to observe,that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the landwhich the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,which I enjoin upon you,you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully,for thus will you give evidenceof your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,who will hear of all these statutes and say,‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’For what great nation is therethat has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to uswhenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decreesthat are as just as this whole lawwhich I am setting before you today?”
(1) What is a ‘great’ Nation?
(2) [Nor] subtract from it… Keep the Commandments
(3) Reading IIJas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
(4) Dearest brothers and sisters:All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,coming down from the Father of lights,with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truththat we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(5) Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in youand is able to save your souls.
(6) Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
(7) Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:to care for orphans and widows in their afflictionand to keep oneself unstained by the world.
(1) Are we doers of the Word nowadays? Not hearers only
(2) Being Christ-like? Kind to widows and orphans…
(3) GospelMk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalemgathered around Jesus,they observed that some of his disciples ate their mealswith unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. —For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,do not eat without carefully washing their hands,keeping the tradition of the elders.And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the eldersbut instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded,“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:This people honors me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me;in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
(4) He summoned the crowd again and said to them,“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;but the things that come out from within are what defile.
(5) “From within people, from their hearts,come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,adultery, greed, malice, deceit,licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.All these evils come from within and they defile.”
(6) Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
(1) Watch out for what comes from WITHIN
(2) Evil –Where is it?
(3) Responsorial PsalmPs 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5R. (1a)One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Who harms not his fellow man,nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;by whom the reprobate is despised,while he honors those who fear the LORD.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Who lends not his money at usuryand accepts no bribe against the innocent.Whoever does these thingsshall never be disturbed.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
(4)
Saved as: 08.26.09~st.max.bible.study
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 125Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel
Reading 1Dt 4:1-2, 6-8Moses said to the people:“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decreeswhich I am teaching you to observe,that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the landwhich the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,which I enjoin upon you,you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully,for thus will you give evidenceof your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,who will hear of all these statutes and say,‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’For what great nation is therethat has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to uswhenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decreesthat are as just as this whole lawwhich I am setting before you today?”
(1) What is a ‘great’ Nation?
(2) [Nor] subtract from it… Keep the Commandments
(3) Reading IIJas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
(4) Dearest brothers and sisters:All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,coming down from the Father of lights,with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truththat we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(5) Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in youand is able to save your souls.
(6) Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
(7) Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:to care for orphans and widows in their afflictionand to keep oneself unstained by the world.
(1) Are we doers of the Word nowadays? Not hearers only
(2) Being Christ-like? Kind to widows and orphans…
(3) GospelMk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalemgathered around Jesus,they observed that some of his disciples ate their mealswith unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. —For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,do not eat without carefully washing their hands,keeping the tradition of the elders.And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the eldersbut instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded,“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:This people honors me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me;in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
(4) He summoned the crowd again and said to them,“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;but the things that come out from within are what defile.
(5) “From within people, from their hearts,come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,adultery, greed, malice, deceit,licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.All these evils come from within and they defile.”
(6) Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
(1) Watch out for what comes from WITHIN
(2) Evil –Where is it?
(3) Responsorial PsalmPs 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5R. (1a)One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Who harms not his fellow man,nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;by whom the reprobate is despised,while he honors those who fear the LORD.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.Who lends not his money at usuryand accepts no bribe against the innocent.Whoever does these thingsshall never be disturbed.R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
(4)
Saved as: 08.26.09~st.max.bible.study
08.26.09~Welcome To Email/Blog/Comment of St. Max Bible Study
Greetings!
After much thought and deliberation amongs the facilitators, we have collectively come to the conclusion that many would benefit by having the notes-and-questions available in an online resource, such as, this one on blogspot.
A blog offers the opportunity to read, reflect, but also add a few comments. Even if it is just a a very hearty "Amen!"
For our community at St. Max -- with many away for the summer -- or only here during the winter months, this blog may yet evolve into an opportunity to remain connected, albeit, even from a distance with our weekly Bible Study.
If you have thoughts or comments, then please do feel free to add them.
With an open spirit and many abundant blessings, I do hereby present:
st.max.bible.study
After much thought and deliberation amongs the facilitators, we have collectively come to the conclusion that many would benefit by having the notes-and-questions available in an online resource, such as, this one on blogspot.
A blog offers the opportunity to read, reflect, but also add a few comments. Even if it is just a a very hearty "Amen!"
For our community at St. Max -- with many away for the summer -- or only here during the winter months, this blog may yet evolve into an opportunity to remain connected, albeit, even from a distance with our weekly Bible Study.
If you have thoughts or comments, then please do feel free to add them.
With an open spirit and many abundant blessings, I do hereby present:
st.max.bible.study
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