Film Flash: Spinal Tap II - The End Continues

  

15 words or less film review (full review to follow soon)

Some funny moments with great comedians, but they look and feel so tired.

Trailer Time: The Mandalorian and Grogu Teaser

A lot of people online have been bagging on this trailer, but quite frankly, I really like it.

I know people think that they are pushing the cuteness of Grogu, but it brings me great deal of joy.  I also greatly enjoy the action sequences here.  That front kick that Mando gives that guy in the bar looks great.

I'm also very intrigued by seeing Sigourney Weaver here.  She's wearing a Rebellion patch, but that may not mean what we think it does.  I also like the little hint of a fighting Hutt, which is something we've never seen.

I also forgot how much I like the triumphant score from the series.  The logo for the movie also feels like a throwback to the old serials that inspired George Lucas, like Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon.  I am very curious as to what the story will be, but for now, I was pleased with this.

Thoughts?

New Evangelizers Post: Forgiveness and The Law

                            

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

Very recently, the wife of a famous murder victim very publicly forgave the man who killed her husband.

The reaction to this has be wide and varied. Some expressed admiration. Others were incredulous. And still others were humbled.

But the reaction that has most fascinated me is one of anger. People angry at the injustice of the murder found this act of forgiveness to be outrageous. I have seen more than one comment say that this kind of softness only invites more violence. I’ve seen comments to the effect of “If we forgive all the criminals, shouldn’t we just empty out the prisons? That seems socially suicidal!”

So how is a Christian to respond to something as awful as murder? And what effect does this have on the criminal justice system?

I must give great credit to Professor Edward Fesser for addressing this controversy and bringing up its most salient points.

First, we must always go back to the teachings of the Master. Christ said “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44). There is a strong temptation in the modern world to turn Christ’s words into a bland platitude, a hyperbolic ideal. But that does not do justice to what He taught.

He really meant it. We must love our enemies. That includes the murderers. How do we know that He was serious about this? Because that is what He did. On the cross He cried out “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Luke 23:24. Even at the point of death, Jesus forgave His murderers.

You can see this also in his earliest followers. Stephen, the first martyr, echoes Jesus words of forgiveness as he was stoned to death. Paul says in Romans “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

So should we let criminals go?

That would not be a requirement. There is a difference between the forgiveness that a Christian offers and the saftey of the public. Just as the Church has taught for centuries that civil authorities have the right to use violence in their military and police forces to protect the innocent, so too do those civil authorities have the right to incarcerate for the common good. As Fesser points out, the civil authorities have a responsibility to punish the evil doers. To not do so would be to fail the common good. But he also points out that our internal dispositions as we punish must be examined. He goes on to point to this extended passage from St. Thomas Aquinas:

Vengeance consists in the infliction of a penal evil on one who has sinned. Accordingly, in the matter of vengeance, we must consider the mind of the avenger. For if his intention is directed chiefly to the evil of the person on whom he takes vengeance and rests there, then his vengeance is altogether unlawful: because to take pleasure in another’s evil belongs to hatred, which is contrary to the charity whereby we are bound to love all men. Nor is it an excuse that he intends the evil of one who has unjustly inflicted evil on him, as neither is a man excused for hating one that hates him: for a man may not sin against another just because the latter has already sinned against him, since this is to be overcome by evil, which was forbidden by the Apostle, who says (Romans 12:21): “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.”

If, however, the avenger’s intention be directed chiefly to some good, to be obtained by means of the punishment of the person who has sinned (for instance that the sinner may amend, or at least that he may be restrained and others be not disturbed, that justice may be upheld, and God honored), then vengeance may be lawful, provided other due circumstances be observed. Summa Theologiae II.II.108.1

In other words, St. Thomas is saying that while punishment should happen for justice, our intentions are still liable to the judgments of God, even if the punishment is just.

Let’s take a look at this on a much smaller level. As a teacher, I sometimes have to administer discipline to students who are behaving disrespectfully. And while it may be just and ultimately in the student’s best interest to have this discipline, I always examine my conscience after such an incident. I am not beyond petty vengeance and wounded pride. I take a moment to see if I have taken delight in the action, not because the student will benefit but because I take satisfaction at their punishment. If it is the latter, rather than the former, then I have incurred sin on myself, even if the punishment was just.

Going back to the example from the beginning of this article, the widow understands that while her husband’s murderer will receive his punishment, she is letting Christ extinguish wrath from her heart. They asked her if she wanted the death penalty for her husband’s killer, but she said that she wanted to leave that to those in authority. She wanted to follow the forgiving example of Christ in her heart.

It is the same thing that Pope St. John Paul II did when he met and embraced his would-be assassin Mehmet Ali Agca. The pope did not call for his release, but he offered him the forgiveness that can only come from Christ: a forgiveness that can transform. Agca would later go on to say he had converted to Christianity. Though Agca tried to take John Paul II’s life, the pope wanted to save Agca’s soul.

You can read the whole article here.

Lack of Updates, September 2025

 Dear Reader,

Thank you for your patience.  I apologize for not having any content during this past week.  My schedule has been a little hectic.  

As the school year is still in the early days, I am getting back into the routine of grading assignments.  Also, my classes for Diaconate Formation have resumed and there is a good deal of reading and writing for my two weekly classes.  

In addition to this, I have been coordinating with the pastor of my parish assignment for this year of formation.  We have been working out how I will assist at the parish as someone in formation to become a deacon.  With all of this, my time to write on this blog has been slowed down.

I promise that we will get back to our regularly scheduled program here on this blog very soon.

Thank you again for you understanding and thank you for your continued readership.

God Bless,

Catholic Skywalker

9/11 - 24 Years Ago Today

     

24 years ago today.

I have no words to describe the horror of that day.  

Today is about the 3,042 people who were horribly and viciously murdered by wicked men.

The best thing to do today would be to remember the dead.

Here is a link to the names of the murdered.  In your charity, perhaps look at the names and pray for a few of them by name.

Let us never forget.

Never.

Trailer Time: Song Sung Blue

(Sorry, I had trouble embedding the trailer.  Here is the link to Youtube for the trailer)

This is a movie about a Milwaukee couple who form a Neil Diamond Tribute band called "Lightning and Thunder."  What I think is so interesting about this is that Hugh Jackman could have moved to produce an actual Neil Diamond biopic.  Instead, he is focusing on a local celebrity who only wants to entertain and find light in the darkness through music.

It also doesn't hurt that they are using some of the most beloved songs of the last few decades.

The performances look good.  Jackman and Kate Hudson look like they have good chemistry.  There seems to be something sweet and joyous in the intent of this film.  So many films coming out in the remainder of this year look dour and despairing: only looking at the darker side of life.  This one seems to be more uplifting.  I especially like the camera movement as Jackman enthusiastically jumps in the air with his guitar in the garage.  It is a subtle but fun little moment.

I don't know... I think I will like this better than the upcoming Springsteen biopic.

Thoughts?

New Evangelizers Post: The Lesson From Simon’s Mother-In-Law

                           

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

This past weekend I was down with an illness. Nothing life-threatening, but it had me up two nights in a row. To tell you the truth, I feel like I’ve been through the wringer.

But as the sickness cleared up, I felt grateful for the relief. Yet I also felt very unmotivated to return to work. I had spent most of my convalescence sleeping away the day on the couch, trying not to feel miserable. Part of me was loath to leave the comforts of home.

Then I began to reflect on the Gospel story of Simon’s Mother-in-Law. For those unfamiliar, here is what is presented in the Gospel of Mark:

“On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and raised her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.” (Mark 1:29-31)

I don’t know about you, but when I am sick, I pray to to God quite often to get me through it all. Jesus is the God of all healing, so it is right that we bring to him all of our cares, especially our illnesses. Of all the miracles Jesus performs in the Gospels, the ones that are most common are healing miracles. This makes sense to us, since very little else matters to us when we lose our health. Life stops and in a sense it doesn’t start up again until we are better. Through my sleepless nights, I called upon the Lord.

As I wrote, there are many healing stories in the Gospels. But what is striking about this story is what Jesus does and the reaction of Simon’s mother-in-law. It says that he “raised her up.” In the early Christian world, the phrase “to be raised up,” was synonymous with the being saved by Jesus. Jesus’ physical healing is a foreshadowing of the greater spiritual healing that he brings.

But then it says that she “waited on them.” The Greek word for what she is doing is diakonia. In my previous article, we pointed out how this could me being an envoy or ambassador. But there is a simpler meaning that fits this context which means “to wait at table.” Simon’s mother-in-law began to serve Jesus and the others in the house.

The insight of this story is that this should be the universal experience of all Christians: we are saved and then we serve.

We can do nothing without the saving power of Christ. We are powerless, just as Simon’s mother-in-law was. But once His saving power comes and heals our souls, we must then put that spiritual health to the service of others in His name, so that they too can receive the healing that can only come from Him.

I was reflecting on this as health slowly returned to me this weekend. I could have been lazy and called off for another day. And if I was truly still sick, I would have done so. But since God had been gracious enough to heal me, I had to remind my lazy bones that He is healing me so that I can serve.

Yesterday, Pier Giorgio Frassati was canonized a saint. He once stated, “What wealth it is to be in good health, as we are! But we have the duty of putting our health at the service of those who do not have it. To act otherwise would be to betray that gift of God.” St. Pier Giorgio understood that once we have been raised up, we must serve. Our health, like all things, is a gift from God. God gives us this gift so that we can do His work on Earth. If he allows us illness, it is also for our ultimate good. But if you are like me, I notice my health (or lack thereof) mostly when I am sick and not when I am health, when I am feeling ill and not when I am feeling normal.

You can read the whole article here.