For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ---Ephesians 6:12
"The age of casual Catholicism is over; the age of heroic Catholicism has begun. We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead must be Catholics by CONVICTION." ---Fr. Terrence Henry TOR, Franciscan University of Steubenville
The story you are about to see is true. The names were not changed to protect the innocent until the show went to color in the next decade. Or if they were changed, it wasn't mentioned.
This episode from the original black & white (as seen above in three videos) was refilmed with the exact same script and almost all the same actors in the late 1960's in color, also co-starring Barry Williams who later played Greg on The Brady Bunch.
It is, if I'm not mistaken, Dragnet's only Christmas show and was titled BIG LITTLE JESUS.
Isn't it sad that we have to go back to the 50's and 60's to find a show on TV that displays any reverence to God or to the Catholic Church? I can hardly think of any today that don't portray Christians as odd-balls or portray priests as corrupt or perverse. The Closer might be one, possibly.
I was invited to a friend's place this year to spend Christmas with him and his family in Chicago, but due to some mix-ups with my employer I wound up home in Pennsylvania instead late last night Just as well since I am sick with bronchitis, which I believe is contagious. The fact that it's contagious means I won't be going to the priests retirement center in our diocese to find an old retiree to hear my confession and grant me absolution. They're about the only ones available after the 23rd, but the older guys don't handle bronchitis well. That means no Communion. But I can't really go to church knowing I'm sick and risk giving my illness to someone else, because old ladies and small children don't handle bronchitis well, either. And this also makes doing volunteer work, ie, serving food for homeless people in a soup kitchen, out of the question.
So what am I doing for Christmas this year? I could still do a number of things. There are all those Clint Eastwood movies I could watch, or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or Hogan's Heros reruns. Perhaps a CSI marathon! Or I could sit and stare at my Christmas tree and wonder..."why me?"
Nope. I'll spend much of it staying focused on God and praying Liturgy of the Hours. Here's the Hymn from today's Vespers:
Unto us a child is given,
Christ out Savior bring release;
Counselor, Eternal Father,
God made man, and Prince of Peace.
Born of Mary, gentle virgin,
By the Spirit of the Lord;
From eternal ages spoken:
This the mighty Father's Word.
Love and truth in him shall flower,
From his strength their vigor take.
Branches that are bare shall blossom;
Joy that slept begins to wake.
Praise the everlasting Father,
and the Lord, his only Son;
Praise them with the Holy Spirit,
Perfect Trinity in One.
Although being by yourself at Christmas isn't as much fun as having friends and family around helping you celebrate, you are never really alone at Christmas when you have God in your life.
Although I have been very busy NOT blogging, I couldn't let this one go by... It's the latest of a long line of wonderfully creative videos presented by CatholicVote.org, and the timing couldn't be better. As we are deep into Advent we should be very grateful for the accomplishments and turn of events in our favor this past year.
In particular the appointments of Raymond L. Burke as Cardinal, and the election of Archbishop Timothy Dolan as President of the USCCB are noteworthy. And it doesn't end with the appointments. These guys mean business in that they intend to not merely rest upon their laurels. Check out this link HERE of Cardinal Burke's speech regarding CINO (Catholic In Name Only) universities in the US.
An explanation as to why I haven't been posting much lately is owed to the many readers who visit this blog, in spite of the fact most of them don't leave comments ;-}. As for the few who do, I owe you as well.
For over a year I've gotten a nagging inclination, or perhaps...dare I say...a "calling" to a monastic life of prayerful reflection that appears to be growing steadily inside my soul. For the past few months I've been trying very hard to discern whether or not I should, or even could "leave it all behind" and join a cloister somewhere. There are an awful lot of them from which to choose: Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, Cistercian, etc... The list is almost endless. Most of them have age requirements that I will never meet. I'm 46 years old and climbing....or descending, whatever your point of view. But a good number cut off at 50 or even 55. A couple of them don't have any age limitations at all.
Last week I found a link at The Crescat, which led me to a site with a survey, that would measure my vocational aptitude. I scored well. And as a result I've heard from several Abbots via email, inviting me to investigate further and visit their monasteries. So this is been the subject of my preoccupation of late.
Click on picture above for information about the author.
Also, I want to add that not everyone I link to below marches lock-step with me on every issue. But I link to them nonetheless because I think they are righteous. They have taken sides in their respective battles, political and/or religious, and have chosen wisely. May you do the same.
