3 Awesome Catholic Movies

Since my husband and I turned off our television set for lent, we thought that it would be a good opportunity to explore that shelf of Catholic movies that we have never found the time to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by each of them-- I definitely did not expect to enjoy these films so much! If you haven't seen the following, drop what you are doing immediately, head to amazon.com and click on buy (or update your Netflix queue).

1) Into Great Silence- This documentary of the Carthusian monks provides a fascinating and inspiring glimpse of the order's contemplative way of life. The monks live a life of solitude, silence, poverty, fasting and prayer. One aspect about their daily schedule that I found most interesting was that they pray their matins every night from 11:30pm until 2 or 3am. I thought parenthood was the only sleep-challenging vocation!

2) Molokai: The Story of Father Damien- This biography tells the heroic story of Saint Damien, the first missionary priest who went to the Hawaiian leper colony of Molokai. Knowing that he would never be allowed to leave the miserable island, Father Damien brings the love and hope of Christ to the sick and exiled, caring for their bodies and their souls.

3) Padre Pio: Miracle Man-- This made-for-TV movie surprised me the most. It was almost four hours long, but I honestly could have watch it for even longer! The film tells the beautiful story of Saint Pio, a great modern saint who, as he describes, witnessed many of God's miracles. Experiencing this excellent movie felt more like a meditation than a form of entertainment.

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Tuning in...or out?

G'day mate! I will be blogging from the land down under for the next few months, as my husband has been temporarily relocated in Australia for work assignment.

That being said, moving to a drastically different timezone on the other side of the world has thrown off some (ok, a lot) of my regular routines. One of these seems so insignificant, yet is worth mentioning: my television viewing schedule. I definitely do not consider myself a couch potato, and I am fairly confident that I watch less tv than the average American. Still, at the end of the day when the baby is finally asleep, my husband and I often enjoy a relaxing tv session (usually one of a few prerecorded series).

Although this country does feature a lot of American shows, we've been disinterested in most of the programs. As a result, the most amazing things are happening: instead of watching TV, we have had more opportunities to pray together, and have been reading to pass the time. As a whole, our evenings have felt more peaceful and more directed towards the Lord.

In writing this post, I became curious about how much tv the average American watches. My researched revealed the magic number of 28 hours per week!! Can you imagine what we could accomplish with an extra 28 hours in our week? Could this be a reason why our relationships are struggling? If you do the math, that comes out to two full weeks out of our year. (In case you are wondering, Australia is not too far behind, with 22 hours per week).

I am not at all writing to tell you that you should not watch television. Rather, I have found myself in a place to reevaluate my habits, and more than anything I am curious about how you manage your "viewing" hours. I heard a challenge recently for newlywed couples to refrain from owning a television for their first year of marriage. I can imagine many graces coming from this decision! I've always known that in the future, when my baby gets older and we enter the stay of "family life", we will have to make some big decisions about the television's role in our home. Now I am beginning to think however, that as young adults we presently have many opportunities for growth and for distraction... So which will it be?

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Femininity in the Media

For months now, I have been considering my following of the reality television series "18 Kids and Counting" a guilty pleasure. I was reflecting over what it is that draws me to the show, and narrowed it down to one person-- Michelle Duggar. This woman truly inspires me!

Throughout all of her interviews she constantly exudes humility, grace, peacefulness and femininity. I am sure that many viewers must watch the Duggars mockingly, due to their large family size and God-centered life, yet Michelle Duggar is never defensive. In fact, she always finds a gentle way to see goodness in every person and situation that the Duggar family faces. I admire her quiet strength-- an active submission to her call to holiness. All in all, Michelle is clearly a witness of a woman at peace with God's will for her life.

My purpose of this post is not to place Michelle Duggar on a pedestal, but rather to point out a positive example of femininity in the media. Do you watch 18 Kids and Counting? Can you think of any other women on television who "define beauty" to you?

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