ICEMANforChrist: Sunday, March10, 2024

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Sunday, March10, 2024

Fourth Sunday of Lent

NOVENA ST. JOSEPH-Bagpipe Day-Ramadan begins

1 Maccabees, Chapter 3, Verse 55-56

⁵⁵ After this Judas appointed officers for the people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. ⁵⁶ He proclaimed that those who were building houses, or were just married, or were planting vineyards, and those who were AFRAID, could each return home, according to the law.

Judas is confronted by a large Army so what does he do. He prays, fasts and calls on God’s mercy. Then he organizes all of the people into squads, platoons, companies, battalions, and regiments. Then he basically lets anyone who wants to go home go. To those that remain he says,

“Arm yourselves and be brave; in the morning, be ready to fight these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. It is better for us to die in battle than to witness the evils befalling our nation and our sanctuary. Whatever is willed in heaven will be done.”

Judas only wanted real fighters.

Catholic Fighting Men

Call to Lenten Boot Camp[1]

Matthew Reid

As we, the heirs of the great jewel that is our traditional Catholic faith, handed down to us through the martyrdom and struggle of untold numbers of faithful, navigate the vast spiritual wasteland of these United States, we must again realize the absolute necessity of arming ourselves in the timeless ascetical practices of our forefathers. These rigorous and sacrificial practices helped prepare prior generations of heroic Catholics for both physical and spiritual battle; a battle they won, earning their heavenly reward.

Mindful of the ever-present distractions and temptations to live a life of ease that sucks the vibrancy and urgency out of our Christian lives, there must be a realization, and therefore determination to be set apart to a healthy degree from a culture that celebrates debauchery, profanity, immodestly, idleness and effeminacy. These are not the way that a Catholic man must exist. As our late Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI once opined, “the world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.”

I ask you, dear faithful Catholics, is there anything more de-motivating and less inspiring than the contemporary Church’s Lenten regulations, not to mention the virtually non-existent Eucharistic fast?

As a retired NYC Police Sergeant who worked in Intelligence and supervised a good number of practicing Muslim investigators along the way, I can tell you without hesitation that my least favorite time of year in this capacity was Lent. It was at times, to be blunt, a wholly embarrassing situation; please let me explain. Whereas during the Muslim cops’ observation of their holy month of Ramadan, they would go, many times in the long summer months, from sunup to sundown without a drop of water, never mind food each day for a month. This contrasted with the rest of the personnel in my workplace, made up very likely of a majority of K-12 Catholic school products, who would often be heard complaining about not being able to have a cheeseburger six Fridays out of the year. This lamentation would usually be followed by a gluttonous feast on pizza from one of the premier pizzerias in the city; so much for denying oneself and sacrificing.

This was also contrasted throughout the year by the prayer lives of the Muslim cops, most of whom faithfully observed their prayer times in a secluded place, while the majority of Catholics observed exactly what the culture observes; absolutely nothing.

Is it any wonder that we see happening in western civilization what we do?

It shouldn’t be a mystery to anyone. While the Mohammedans have kept their discipline and ascetism, we have been given the green light to live lives of ease and indulgence, often resulting in outright rebellion even at the thought of no meat six Fridays out of the year.

I point this out to say that, while I find Islam to be, as St. John Bosco observed, a “monstrous mixture of Judaism, Paganism and Christianity” etc, therefore leading innumerable souls to perdition, I also have respect for these men, as at least they were sincere and faithful to what they believed in and would sacrifice for it. They also understood the reverence and obedience due to God, however different their concept of God is, which is another discussion.

How, I ask, does this compare to the average contemporary Catholic?

The sad fact of the matter is that we have been allowed to grow soft, weak, and effeminate, like a fighter who goes into a match in which he is completely physically and mentally unprepared, where he is summarily quite easily disposed of by a better trained and more serious adversary. While there is no doubt that we have been let down by a Church hierarchy – who many themselves are also soft, weak, and effeminate – we cannot allow this to deter us. It has always been the laity that resists corrupt, sycophantic, and worldly prelates; now should not be any different.

We must prepare ourselves for battle.

For sake of our souls and those of our friends and family, enough already with this emasculating, insultingly weak and failed version of Catholicism, which sends any red-blooded man running for the border. It’s time to take off the damned training wheels and let’s get serious. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve had enough.

I do not mince words on purpose. There is a great upheaval all around us. Our families and children’s innocence are under assault. As it is said, “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.” We will be given strength if we just cooperate and avail ourselves to the grace of the good Lord, observing the ascetical practices that shaped our forefathers into vessels that could truly be called “Soldiers of Christ.” Furthermore, as I write this, a recently leaked memo from the FBI, Richmond Field Office revealed that traditional Catholics are being labeled as holding “anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT and white supremac(ists)” ideology, while also preferring the “traditional Latin mass.” Having worked in Intelligence for the last decade of my police career, I can say without hesitation that based upon many things that I observed along the way, this does not surprise me in the least. I will most likely further elaborate in a future article.

The point I am driving home here is, the long knives are out, and we are encircled by the enemy; so, what are we to do?

What follows is a Lenten prayer and ascetical regimen that I have done with several cops and others over the last few years. We kicked it up a few notches last year and to a man, it resulted in a much deeper, more sacrificial, and charitable faith. I pray that many of you join us, the Patrolman’s Fraternity of St. Michael, and be the men that our Lord created us to be.

I would also like to humbly ask that if any readers know of any Catholics in law enforcement that would be interested in our apostolate, to please alert them to our Lenten Regimen and website, where they can inquire further about our mission, or email us at patrolmansfraternitySM@gmail.com. In short, we are a Catholic lay apostolate for active and retired law enforcements professionals, formed for the sanctification of our members, and therefore our families and society at large.

Here is the routine, which will commence on Ash Wednesday and conclude on Holy Saturday at dusk.

· Morning Offering,

· Angelus (Morning, Noon and Evening)

· Daily Mass

· Daily Rosary

· 15 minutes daily mental prayer

· Daily Fast (except Sunday) (1) full meal along with (2) small snacks in morning and evening to maintain strength. Meat only at the principal meal. No meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Ember Days.

· Daily Cold Shower

· Stations of the Cross on Wednesday and Fridays

· Fast from alcohol and dessert

· 15 minutes of daily spiritual reading

· Complete social media fast

· Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy-Choose one (1) to focus on each week.

We at the Patrolman’s Fraternity of St. Michael look forward to uniting with many of you in prayer on the great triumph of Our Blessed Lord’s Resurrection on Easter. Please join us and get holy!

In the immortal words of the hymn written to commemorate the English Martyrs who refused to give up their faith in the face of the Protestant revolt, “Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith! We will be true to thee till death.”

Aids in Battle[2] Demons are not a figment of your imagination.

The Devil and other demons would like us to believe that they are outdated, unenlightened superstitions, but the Catholic Church remains firm, clear, and consistent in her teaching about this reality.

· Our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly prepared by our enemy, repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us.

· Never was anyone, conceived been liberated from the Devil’s dominion except by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator between God and humanity, who was conceived without sin, was born and died. He alone by His death overthrew the enemy of the human race, cancelling our sins, and unlocked the entrance to the heavenly kingdom, which the first man by his sin had locked against himself and all his posterity. COUNCIL OF FLORENCE (ECUMENICAL, 1431– 1445), SESSION 2

· Men are separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of which the one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ; and those who desire from their heart to be united with it, so as to gain salvation, must of necessity serve God and His only begotten Son with their whole mind and with an entire will. The other is the kingdom of Satan, in whose possession and control are all who follow the fatal example of their leader and of our first parents, those who refuse to obey the divine and eternal law, and who have many aims of their own in contempt of God, and many aims also against God. POPE LEO XIII, HUMANUM GENUS (PAPAL ENCYCLICAL, 1884), 1

· Satan manages to sow in man’s soul the seed of opposition to the one who “from the beginning” would be considered as man’s enemy— and not as Father. Man is challenged to become the adversary of God! The analysis of sin in its original dimension indicates that, through the influence of the “father of lies,” throughout the history of humanity there will be a constant pressure on man to reject God, even to the point of hating Him: “Love of self to the point of contempt for God,” as St. Augustine puts it. POPE JOHN PAUL II, DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM (PAPAL ENCYCLICAL, 1986), 38

Thanks to Fear of the Lord, there is no Fear of Evil[3]

History, in fact, is not alone in the hands of dark powers, chance or human choices. Over the unleashing of evil energies, the vehement irruption of Satan, and the emergence of so many scourges and evils, the Lord rises, supreme arbiter of historical events. He leads history wisely towards the dawn of the new heavens and the new earth, sung in the final part of the book under the image of the new Jerusalem (cf. Revelation 21-22).

· It must be reaffirmed, therefore, that God is not indifferent to human events, but penetrates them realizing his "ways," namely his plans and his efficacious "deeds."

· According to our hymn, this divine intervention has a very specific purpose: to be a sign that invites all the peoples of the earth to conversion. Nations must learn to "read" in history a message of God. Humanity's history is not confused and without meaning, nor is it given over, without appeal, to the malfeasance of the arrogant and perverse. There is the possibility to recognize divine action hidden in it. In the pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes," Vatican Council II also invites the believer to scrutinize, in the light of the Gospel, the signs of the times to see in them the manifestation of the very action of God (cf. n. 4 and 11). This attitude of faith leads man to recognize the power of God operating in history, and thus to open himself to fear of the name of the Lord. In biblical language, in fact, this "fear" does not coincide with dread, but is the recognition of the mystery of the divine transcendence. Because of this, it is the basis of faith and is joined with love: "the Lord your God requires of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (cf. Deuteronomy 10:12).

· Following this line, in our brief hymn, taken from Revelation, fear and glorification of God are united: "Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name" (15:4)? Thanks to fear of the Lord there is no fear of the evil that rages in history and one takes up again with vigor the journey of life, as the prophet Isaiah declared: "Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: ‘Be strong, fear not!’" (Isaiah 35: 3-4).

ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[4]

CHAPTER II

DIES CHRISTI

The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit

The day of Christ-Light

27. This Christocentric vision sheds light upon another symbolism which Christian reflection and pastoral practice ascribed to the Lord's Day. Wise pastoral intuition suggested to the Church the Christianization of the notion of Sunday as "the day of the sun", which was the Roman name for the day and which is retained in some modern languages. This was in order to draw the faithful away from the seduction of cults which worshipped the sun, and to direct the celebration of the day to Christ, humanity's true "sun". Writing to the pagans, Saint Justin uses the language of the time to note that Christians gather together "on the day named after the sun", but for believers the expression had already assumed a new meaning which was unmistakably rooted in the Gospel. Christ is the light of the world (cf. Jn 9:5; also 1:4-5, 9), and, in the weekly reckoning of time, the day commemorating his Resurrection is the enduring reflection of the epiphany of his glory. The theme of Sunday as the day illuminated by the triumph of the Risen Christ is also found in the Liturgy of the Hours and is given special emphasis in the Pannichida, the vigil which in the Eastern liturgies prepares for Sunday. From generation to generation as she gathers on this day, the Church makes her own the wonderment of Zechariah as he looked upon Christ, seeing in him the dawn which gives "light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Lk 1:78-79), and she echoes the joy of Simeon when he takes in his arms the divine Child who has come as the "light to enlighten the Gentiles" (Lk 2:32).

· Pretzel Sunday

· Devotion of the Seven Sundays: St Joseph-6^th Sunday

Fourth Sunday of Lent

· Fourth Sunday of Lent (a.k.a. Laetare, or Mid-Lent Sunday). A note of joy is struck, for having died to sin with Christ during Lent, we will rise again with Him and be part of His mystical Body, the Church which is the new Jerusalem. Thus, the Introit: "Rejoice, Jerusalem."

· Wednesday after Laetare Sunday: end of Mid-Lent.

A note of joy is struck, for having died to sin with Christ during Lent, we will rise again with Him and be part of His mystical Body, the Church which is the new Jerusalem. Thus, the Introit: "Rejoice, Jerusalem."

BY the Introit of the Mass the Church reminds us of the joys of heaven, to encourage us to persevering zeal in penance and fasting, and to patience under persecution, crosses, and sorrows.

The Introit of the Mass begins with the word Laetare (rejoice),

from which the Sunday derives its name: Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together, all you that love her. Rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow, that you may exult and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. I was glad at the things that were said unto me: we shall go into the house of the Lord.

Prayer.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that we, who are afflicted for our deeds as we deserve, may be relieved by the comfort of Thy grace.

EPISTLE. Gal. iv. 23-31.

Brethren: It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free-woman: but he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh: but he of the free-woman was by promise: which things are said by an allegory: for these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina engendering unto bondage: which is Agar: for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. Now, we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he, that was born according to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the spirit: so also, it is now. But what saith the Scripture?

Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free.

Explanation.

The Jews, typified by Agar, served God like servants, from fear of punishment and in the hope of rewards. Christians, typified by Sara, lift up their hands to Him as their Father, and if they fulfil His will faithfully will become partakers of His glory in heaven.

Prayer.

O Jesus, grant that by fasting, prayer, and patience under persecution I may partake in Thy sufferings and be found worthy of Thy divine promises and Thy eternal consolations in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.

GOSPEL. John vi. 1-15.

At that time: Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias: and a great multitude followed Him, because they saw the miracles which He did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain: and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Pasch, the festival-day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up His eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to Him, He said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

And this He said to try him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to Him: There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?

Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to them that were sat down: in like manner also of the fishes as much as they would. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up therefore and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the world. Jesus, therefore, when He knew that they would come to take Him by force and make Him king, fled again into the mountain Himself alone.

Why did Christ thus try St. Philip?

1. To try his faith and confidence.

2. To teach us to make use of natural and ordinary means before we have recourse to the supernatural.

3. So that the miracle would be the more striking to the people, when they were satisfied that the provisions, they had been quite small and insufficient.

4. That we might have confidence in God, Who is a helper in time of tribulation (Ps. ix. 10).

What ceremonies did Our Savior use at this miracle, and why?

He first looked up to heaven, to remind us that every good gift comes from above, and that it is God only Who opens His hand and fills all with benediction.

Second. He thanked His heavenly Father, to show us that we also should be careful to thank God for all His benefits. The table, says St. Chrysostom, which begins and ends with prayer shall never know want.

Thirdly He blessed the bread that we might learn that it is the Blessing of God which gives success.

Why did Jesus flee after this miracle?

1. To teach us to seek not the admiration and applause of men, but only the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.

2. To love solitude, that far from the noise of the world, we may with more freedom converse with God.

Consolation in Poverty.

To those poor who follow Christ this gospel is full of consolation, as it shows that from the very beginning of the world God has cared for His children. For the comfort and preservation of His chosen people He sent Joseph before them into Egypt (Gen. xlv. 5; Ps. civ. 4). He sustained the children of [Israel during forty years in the wilderness with bread from heaven He fed the prophet Elias, sending him bread and flesh by a raven (in. Kings xvii. 6). He remembered Daniel lying in the lion’s den (Dan. xiv. 37). In the New Testament also God has shown His care for His own by nourishing and feeding them in their greatest need, at times through the instrumentality of animals and at other times by that of angels and of men as we read in the lives of the saints.

Aspiration.

In Thy power and goodness, O my God, I put my trust. I firmly believe if I fear Thee, and do what is right, I shall, though poor here, after this life have abundance of good things from Thee.

Aids in Battle[5] Psalms and Supplications in Combat with Evil

A number of the Psalms and other scriptural canticles praise God for giving His people victory in battle and ask for God’s assistance.

· Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my mercy and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, and He in whom I take refuge. Ps 144: 1– 2

· And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart, He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.” Lk 1: 46– 47, 49, 51– 52

Novena of St. Joseph^{^[6]}

This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. It would be better of course to add, if time permits, three Hail Mary’s or say five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some of the many well-loved novena prayers from other sources. Remember that prayers must be said with the lips in order to gain the indulgences. This novena begins on March 10 and ends on March 19.

Prayer

O dear and good St. Joseph who so lovingly cared for your little family at Nazareth, pray for all workingmen and their families. Help us all to enjoy a happy Christian family life. Be a father to us all and watch over us even as you cherished the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Holy Child. Patron of the Universal Church pray for us.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

7 years for each invocation. Plenary, under usual conditions, if any one of three is said daily for a month. S. Pen., Oct. 12, 1936.

Academy Awards^{^[7]}

Sadly, the annual live Oscar is a husk of its former glamorous self. The tired, soap-opera essence of the Academy’ s annual celebration of mediocrity lies in the predictable moral preening of its amoral participants. What used to be a shimmering celebration of widely accepted great films and great stars has degenerated into a cesspool of dirt, sleaze and depravity, made worse by its obvious contempt for the average American. The only mystery and excitement that remains is guessing which Hollywood one-percenters will seize the microphone to dish out some PC political rant, complete with a righteous torrent four-letter words. Worse, this alleged celebration of film entertainment has become all about politics all the time. Each year it reminds those of us still aware of world history that the Long March of Marxism continues to infect every American institution it invades. Hollywood fell to the leftists’ long march a long time ago. More recently, NFL football and the just-concluded Winter Olympics joined the lefty crowd by marching in lockstep to the same seductive tune. Every time this happens in the entertainment industry (which now includes sports), it’s box office death. (Just look at the annually declining numbers.) But the one-percenters who run these entertainment entities apparently don’t care, even as the flow of red ink increases.

Cultural leftism is inevitably cultural suicide.

Most viewers who actually watched the phony Hollywood posturing and insincere moralistic bloviating switched off the TV before the major awards were announced and headed for bed. After all the morning after the gala was a workday for actual Americans, so why watch the tired, predictable crap put on by filthy rich movie stars who hate at least half their fans? After Hollywood insults most of the night’s dwindling viewership – again – even more of them will solemnly vow never to watch the Academy Awards show ever again.

Best Catholic Films^{^[8]}

1. Carl Theodore von Dreyer, The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928.
2. Cecil B. DeMille, King of Kings, 1927.
3. Frank Capra, Lady for a Day, 1933.
4. John Ford, The Informer, 1935.
5. Frank Borzage, Strange Cargo, 1940
6. Henry King, The Song of Bernadette, 1943.
7. John M. Stahl, The Keys of the Kingdom, 1944.
8. Leo McCarey, Going My Way, 1944.
9. Leo McCarey, The Bells of St. Mary's, 1945.
10. Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.
11. Robert Bresson, Au Hasard Balthasar, 1966.
12. Michael Powell, Black Narcissus, 1947.
13. John Ford, The Fugitive, 1947.
14. John Ford, Three Godfathers, 1948.
15. Leo McCarey, Make Way for Tomorrow, 1947.
16. Vittorio De Sica, The Bicycle Thieves, 1948.
17. Roberto Rossellini, Stromboli, 1950.
18. Roberto Rossellini, The Flowers of St. Francis, 1950.
19. Gordon Douglas, Come Fill the Cup, 1951.
20. Robert Bresson, The Dairy of a Country Priest, 1951.
21. Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru, 1952.
22. Vittorio De Sica, Umberto D, 1952.
23. Alfred Hitchcock, I Confess, 1953.
24. Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront, 1954.
25. Raffaello Matarazzo, The White Angel, 1955.
26. Carl Theodore von Dreyer, Ordet, 1955.
27. Alfred Hitchcock, The Wrong Man, 1956.
28. Luis Bunuel, Nazarin, 1959.
29. Fred Zinnemann, The Nun's Story, 1959.
30. William Wyler, Ben Hur, 1959.
31. Robert Bresson, Pickpocket, 1959.
32. Mervyn LeRoy, The Devil of 4 O'Clock, 1961.
33. Richard Fleischer, Barabbas, 1961.
34. Nicholas Ray, King of Kings, 1961.

35. Otto Preminger, The Cardinal, 1963.
36. Peter Glenville, Becket, 1964.
37. Pier Paolo Pasolini, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 1964.
38. Carol Reed, The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1965.
39. Luis Bunuel, Simon of the Desert, 1965.
40. Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons, 1966.
41. Robert Bresson, Mouchette, 1967.
42. Michael Anderson, The Shoes of the Fisherman, 1968.
43. Franco Zefferelli, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, 1972.
44. William Friedkin, The Exorcist, 1973.
45. Anthony Harvey, The Abdication, 1974.
46. Joseph Hardy, The Lady's Not for Burning, 1974.
47. Franco Zefferelli, Jesus of Nazareth, 1977.
48. Robert Bresson, The Devil Probably, 1977.
49. Ermanno Olmi, Tree of the Wooden Clogs, 1978.
50. John Huston, Wise Blood, 1979.
51. Francesco Rosi, Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1979.
52. Hugh Hudson, Chariots of Fire, 1981.
53. Charles Sturridge & Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Brideshead Revisited, 1981.
54. Ulu Grosbard, True Confessions, 1981.
55. Martin Scorcese, The Age of Innocence, 1982.
56. Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, Night of the Shooting Stars, 1982.
57. Jerry London, The Scarlet and the Black, 1983.
58. Robert Bresson, L'argent, 1983.
59. Norman Stone, Shadowlands, 1885.
60. Alain Cavalier, Therese, 1986.
61. Roland Jaffe, The Mission, 1986.
62. Wim Wenders, Wings of Desire, 1987.
63. Gabriel Axel, Babette's Feast, 1987.
64. Rodney Bennett, Monsignor Quixote, 1987.

65. Maurice Pialat, Under the Star of Satan, 1987.
66. John Huston, The Dead, 1987.
67. Krzysztof Kieslowski, The Decalogue, 1988.
68. Krzysztof Kieslowski, A Short Film About Love, 1988.
69. Ermanno Olmi, Legend of the Holy Drinker, 1988.
70. John Duigan, Romero, 1989.
71. Denys Arcand, Jesus of Montreal, 1989.
72. Bruce Beresford, Black Robe, 1991.
73. Stijn Coninx, Daens, 1992.
74. Nancy Savoca, Household Saints, 1993.
75. Mel Gibson, Braveheart, 1995.
76. Liv Ullmann, Kristin Lavransdatter, 1995.
77. Lee David Slotoff, Spitfire Grill, 1996.
78. Marta Meszaros, The Seventh Room, 1996.
79. M. Knight Shyamalan, Wide Awake, 1998.
80. Joe Johnston, October Sky, 1999.
81. David Lynch, The Straight Story, 1999.
82. Agnieszka Holland, The Third Miracle, 1999.
83. Patrice Leconte, The Widow of Saint-Pierre, 2000.
84. Jim Sheridan, In America, 2002.
85. Alexander Payne, About Schmidt, 2002.
86. Bruce Beresford, Evelyn, 2002.
87. Denys Arcand, Barbarian Invasions, 2003.
88. Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ, 2004.
89. Tommy Lee Jones, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 2005.
90. Christian Carion, Joyeux Noel, 2005.
91. Pavel Lungin, The Island, 2006
92. Alejandro Monteverde, Bella, 2006.

93. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, L'enfant, 2006.
94. Martin Provost, Seraphine, 2008.
95. Mark Pellington, Henry Poole is Here, 2008.
96. John Patrick Shanley, Doubt, 2008.
97. Klaus Haro, Letters to Father Jaakob, 2009.
98. Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men, 2010.
99. Philip Groning, Into the Great Silence, 2007.
100. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life, 2011.

Bagpipe Day[9]

The sound of bagpipes filling the air as day dawns is enough to bring joy to the hearts of many. Others may not feel quite the same. It seems that one either loves the pipes or not at all. There is not very much middle ground. International Bagpipe Day is the time to find out where you stand and join those who love them! The Bagpipe Society has been sponsoring the celebration of International Bagpipe Day since 2012. They have helped to bring the bagpipe to new players since 1986. It is important to them that the history and playing of the bagpipes is not lost. Putting this day together was with the hope of bringing awareness of the over 130 different types of bagpipes throughout the world. For the first International Bagpipe Day in 2012, there were reports of events held in some unique places. In South Africa, pipers gathered and played in an underground canyon. In Greece, they played on Athenian hill. The Society even heard of events in countries where previously it was thought that there were not many pipers or any at all! If you aren’t familiar with this ancient instrument, bagpipe is a term that means a wind instrument that uses enclosed reeds to produce sound. Air feeds the reeds with a constant flow of air from a reservoir in the form of a bag. In each area that it is found, the bagpipe may change in sound and shape. This is an ancient instrument and is claimed to be represented on a Hittite slab dated to 1000 BC!

How to Celebrate International Bagpipe Day

· Celebrating the bagpipe when this holiday rolls around can take many forms. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at it, don’t wait! This is the time for you to find your local provider of pipes and take a lesson. You could be the next great Piper! It could happen, you never know, right?

· There is a multitude of information available about this instrument. A great idea to celebrate is to learn more about it. A quick internet search will bring up resources like The Bagpipe Society. You can follow the history of this unique instrument through the millennia to the present day and from country to country! There is much more information than you could learn in just one day, but it’s a great time to start.

· Another way to celebrate is to find out if there are any events planned in your local area. Grab the family or friends and go check it out! You may just find that you were missing out on all the fun. If you ask, it may even be possible to try it out and see if you can make a sound with it!

· Bagpipes have a long history that spans the ages and spans many regions. It is an instrument that has weathered the test of time and surely deserves to be honored on International Bagpipe Day!

Ramadan[10]

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which, for a period of thirty days, Muslims abstain from eating, and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Muslims do this because it is a pillar of Islam, and obligatory for everyone and the entire month is holy for Muslims so that they can increase their remembrance of life after death. Muslims also abstain from all bad deeds and habits, like smoking, swearing, backbiting, and disrespectfulness. Muslims reflect upon themselves, their religion. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting and abstaining from bad habits teaches Muslim’s self-control, humility, and generosity. Ramadan is a time for charity, family, and good deeds. Muslims fast because they believe it is vital for spiritual health. Unlike the fast of Ashurah, the fasts of Ramadan and salah (praying towards Mecca), fasting helps Muslims maintain spiritual and physical health. The month of Ramadan begins when the new moon of Ramadan is sighted and ends when the new moon of Sha'ban is sighted. Muslims also believe that devils are chained up during Ramadan.

Ramadan Facts & Quotes

· Ramadan comes from the word ramadaa, which means 'sunbaked' in Arabic. This is perhaps a reference to the pangs of hunger Muslims feel when fasting.

· According to Islamic tradition, menstruating women, women who are experiencing bleeding after giving birth, people who are sick (either with short term or long-term illnesses), and travelers are exempt from fasting. Pregnant women also have the option of skipping fasts.

· In Islamic countries, when Ramadan ends and the crescent moon is first seen, people bang drums and give mighty shouts.

· According to Sunnah belief, the Prophet Muhammad once said, there is no conceit in fasting.

· who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves (Quran, 2:183)

Ramadan Top Events and Things to Do

· The fast is usually broken in a family setting, where traditional foods are served. Most Muslims begin their meal with a few dates and a glass of milk because the Prophet Muhammad used to do the same. The high sugar content of the dates sends energy to weary fasting Muslim, while the fiber in the dates and the protein in the milk fills them up and prevents nausea.

· During Ramadan, Muslims congregate every night in the mosque to pray Taraweeh prayers in congregation. In the United States, in between sets of prayers, the Imam gives a brief sermon and encourages people to give to charity.

· In Islamic countries, the end of the fast is signaled by a loud call to the sunset prayer. Most people eat a small meal, pray at the mosque, and then join their families for a large, festive dinner.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

CHAPTER TWO-YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Article 6-THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

You shall not commit adultery.
You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery."
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Claire’s Corner