Dear Parishioners,
Auction 2014
Last weekend, our school hosted its annual auction, and this year was a banner year for attendance. The Hawaiian theme really made it special and fun. Preliminary results appear to show that it grossed a record-breaking $53K! That's truly amazing. And while it was a great fundraiser, it sure excelled at being a “friend-raiser” as well. You may have noticed the remnants of decorations in the Parish Center if you went to coffee and donuts after Mass. A big thank you needs to go out to the three musketeer-coordinators Dee Dee Montgomery, Kelsy Ausland and Shawna Prestianni. This event requires so much work for months, yet their attitude and joy made it a work of love. Thank you also to all those who procured auction items, those who donated those items, those who came days beforehand to set-up, those who made sure everything was decorated appropriately, and those who were involved in the take-down. Thank you also to everyone who participated in the auction itself. I am always amazed at the generosity and heart of those who support our beloved school. It’s all for the glory of God and our children!
Son of God
The movie, “Son of God,” was released on Feb. 28th and hit #2 at the box office. This is the first Jesus-movie to make it to the big screen since “The Passion” ten years ago. Yes! Ten years. The cinematography is great as was the acting. The casting for the part of Jesus, Mary, and the other main characters was wonderful too. Unfortunately, it is common for movies of this genre to skip over parts of Christ’s life that we, Catholics, find particularly powerful such as the Last Supper. But, “Son of God” does not fail in this regard. In fact, the very next thing after the Resurrection, the Apostles can be found starting the eucharistic meal again. It also treads new ground by extending beyond the
Resurrection and the appearance to the Apostles afterwards. The film spends time with the Evangelist, John, on the island of Patmos and his initial reflections on Christ as the Alpha and Omega.
This movie, as you may all be aware, is basically a recreation from the mini-series released last year at this time on the History Channel. The time spent on Jesus’ life is much longer in the mini-series, some four hours long. The movie, on the other hand is some 2 hrs. 15 min. which required the producers to cut out much of the previously shown events. But, they did also include some new content. In my case, the movie encouraged me to go back to the mini-series to review what was taken out, so I can spend more time reflecting these miraculous events of our Savior.
Finally, there is a temptation to dismiss or become critical about a film’s faithfulness to the original book. Trying to be faithful to the greatest story of all time certainly presents a task that many producers and directors have struggled with. So, be prepared for many commonly known dialogues to be rearranged, some events to be compressed into each other, or even some ways in which the events to have taken place to be different in some way. Let go of the need to have it a literal transmission from the Bible. This was not the intent of the producers. They, at risk of speaking for them, desired to represent the ancient story of Jesus Christ to a new audience of the faithful as well as those who have not yet come to faith in our Lord. I saw nothing dogmatically errant or scandalous, but rather a reverent retelling of this story by believers. If you require literalism, then I recommend the movie, “The Gospel of John.” “Son of God” is a movie for Christians of all denominations. It does well to use modern cinematic techniques to share the story of Jesus to movie goers who desire a more sophisticated movie experience. For the non-believers, it is my hope that this quick run through the basic events of Jesus’ life will encourage them to pick up a Bible and read for themselves the amazing things Christ has done to reconcile us to our Father in Heaven.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor