The 2006 Christmas Novena at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, December 4, and continue every night until Tuesday, December 12. All are welcome to join the seminarians and the seminary choir as we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ during this Advent season. You can find more information on the Novena website, and you can see pictures and hear audio from last year's Novena here.
I am very glad to have seen the movie The Nativity Story at a screening this past Monday. The movie completely exceeded my expectations, and was compelling enough to make me want to see it again with my family before Christmas! I hope that if you have any opportunity to see the movie (especially during this opening weekend), you take it; you won't regret it.
(WARNING: Spoilers to follow!)
I think the producers did a very commendable job of making this movie not have the gore and violence that could've taken it to a PG-13 or R rating (the movie is rated PG), yet still incorporate a gritty realism of the time period and social situation Jesus was born into. We see an authentic portrayal of Roman and Jewish society and culture in many scenes—whether it be the sacrifice of an animal, the harvesting of grain, the methods of travel or the collection of taxes.
I also think the writers came up with a great formula for success: Take the original, biblical story, add some respectful character development where it will benefit the story and entertainment value of the movie, and make it into a cohesive whole.
Some reviewers are quick to criticize the scene in which Mary falls off the donkey in a river and Joseph has to save her because it seems 'sketchy.' But I think that scene makes a very valid point: travel in the first century was very dangerous, and there weren't bridges on all rivers. To travel required a bit of planning, a lot of stamina, and physical strength. I like the fact that Joseph is portrayed as being so caring and devoted to Mary, even though her situation has served to bring a certain amount of scandal upon both of them.
One thing I like about The Nativity Story that, in my opinion, distinguishes it from many other lower-budget religious films, is the production quality of the film. This movie was made by New Line Cinemas, and so had a generous amount of financial backing and movie studio muscle. Unlike movies such as Thérèse and the like, which unfortunately don't have very large budgets, the film quality, sharpness, color, and editing were all top-notch. (Of course, if you're looking for dazzling special effects, you'll have to look elsewhere—there is no need for them in this story-driven movie).
This is not to say I thought the movie was perfect, though... There were a few scenes in which I think Mary could've been portrayed as being a little more loving towards her parents (and vice-versa), and a few of the Biblical dialogs were a bit 'cheesy' in that they didn't seem natural. However, these minor flaws are far outweighed by the great joy I felt throughout most of the movie, and especially in the climax scene of the birth of Jesus.
And about the Magi: I loved their characters. I think that the director and screenwriters deserve a lot of credit for the way they interpreted the traditional characters Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar. If you see the movie, you'll see why—the characters are not portrayed as stodgy, solemn old kings, but as men who were learned and curious, and quite humble, with a bit of a sense of humor thrown in the mix!
Other Movie-Related News:
It seems the Vatican premiere went well, and that those who viewed the movie in Vatican City liked it. Also, there seems to be some controversy about a Christmas event in Chicago which is no longer going to have The Nativity Story playing because it 'might offend' those who aren't Christian. Finally, some papers were reporting that the 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes who played the role of Mary in the film was pregnant out of wedlock (UPDATE: since posting this review, it has been confirmed that she is pregnant), and that was the reason Pope Benedict didn't attend the Vatican screening (protesting the movie because of the pregnancy... this is false...). But, Pope Benedict has something else on his plate this week that demands a little more attention. Come on, people!
The Soundtrack
Finally, I would like to state that, like blogger Peter Chattaway, on the blog FilmChat, I am often frustrated that movie soundtrack albums often don't contain only the movie soundtrack, but also some promotional pop songs. Well, in this movie's case, there was a CD released entitled "Sacred Songs" which contains absolutely NONE of the soundtrack to the movie. Instead, there are a bunch of CCM artist renditions of Christmas carols. Not that those songs are bad, but I think the Latin versions of the carols and the orchestral score in the movie are much better than all the CCM stuff stuck on the Sacred Songs CD.
Oh, well. What do I know, anyways? The actual soundtrack hasn't been released yet, but I will probably get a copy when it comes out, because the songs in the movie were so moving.
[UPDATE: The soundtrack for the movie is now available on iTunes and at any other retailer - I bought a copy, and I give the soundtrack 5/5 stars! It was very good.]
My Recommendation:
See this movie—you won't regret it! I give it two thumbs up!
As our Holy Father travels to Turkey this week (beginning tomorrow, Tuesday the 28th), we pray that he may have safe travels and that God may be with him as he tries to mend divisions and bring unity and peace between Catholics and other religions. The following prayer is found on the Knights of Columbus website:
Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.
We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
While Pope Benedict is in Turkey, the Church will celebrate the feast of the Apostle Andrew [Catholic Forum], who tirelessly proclaimed the Word of God to peoples in many places, especially in Asia Minor and Greece. Let us pray for his intercession at this time in the Church's missionary and apostolic life!
Hopefully, there will be many more episodes of excellent spiritual, moral, philosophical and Catholic podcasting in the coming months! As an aside, the podcasts were all recorded with a Marantz digital recorder and edited/published using GarageBand, iTunes and Adobe GoLive on a Mac (because Macs are just that good...).
