[Apologetics] Therese movie

[Art Kelly]

Thanks, Stuart, for your insightful comments on this
movie. Your thoughts are very helpful.

I'd like to encourage all of us to be each other's
eyes and ears. When we see a movie or TV show on a
religious subject, we should let the group know our
thoughts, either pro or con.

In that we way, we can expand each other's knowledge.

Art

--- "Stuart D. Gathman" <stuart at bmsi.com> wrote:

> I had the opportunity to see Therese at the Regal
> Cinema in Alexandria
> this past weekend.  I saw it twice, and bawled
> copiously throughout both
> sittings.  As a Protestant, I cringed as statues
> were carted about and
> bowed to.  There was also one line that I think may
> have crossed the line
> into Mariolatry, where Mr. Martin says to a statue
> of Mary, "Holy Virgin,
> I beseech you to heal my little one".  (Elsewhere,
> Mary is entreated to
> "pray for us sinners" in harmony with my
> understanding of Catholic
> doctrine.)
> 
> However, Therese herself entreats God directly,
> "Father in Heaven, I 
> beseech you, have pity on me."  The first time, she
> is physically healed.  
> The second time, she is taken Home after enduring
> her Agony.  Her 
> motivation for entering Carmel is to "draw near to
> my Beloved".
> 
> The most instructive example for me was how Therese
> embraced those
> situations which provoked an ungodly response (i.e.
> Sister Aquila), rather
> than fleeing them.  By approaching them with heart
> and mind prepared, a
> habit of Godly response can be cultivated.  When I
> attempt to avoid them
> and avert my attention, they hit me unawares, and an
> ungodly response
> reinforces bad habits.  This strategy must be
> pursued with Discernment,
> however.  Not all temptations can be overcome this
> way - Paul exhorts us
> to "flee youthful lusts" and the same can be said
> for chemical addictions.
> 
> The second time, I took Gail (who is 6).  On the way
> to the theatre, she
> remarked that "*I'm* not going to die".  I explained
> that it is appointed
> unto man once to die, and after that the Judgement. 
> This was
> providential, as Therese provided such an excellent
> example of how to die
> - without too much gore for a little girl.  Gail was
> drawn into the movie
> from the start where Therese is a little girl her
> age.  Seeing Therese
> grow, mature, and die was so intructive for her. 
> Afterward, she told 
> Julie, "I didn't cry, but by eyes kept squirting out
> water".
> 
> -- 
> 	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
>     Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703
> 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
> "Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" -
> background song for
> a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from
> here?" commercial.
> 
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=====
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