stuff # 2

Note: sorry for the lack of continuity in this post. Just wrote as the thoughts came to my head. enjoy the randomness!
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Man! you gotta read the fiction of Father Robert Hugh Benson! I finished "Come Rack! Come Rope!" two days ago and I just finished today "No other Gods." You can find his stuff here. My favorite one is "No other Gods." This one is not a historical novel, so no references to Martyrs or nothing that actually happened. But the story is beautiful in that it leaves unsaid what it has to be unsaid. You half-finish the story in your mind. But well, I have to say I've been accused of making too much out of novels and reading too much between the lines. But personally I think it is a beautiful, inspiring, joyfully Catholic (yet not overly-pious) story.
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Anywho. Next week I am taking the driving test. Another cultural barrier that's coming down, first was English, now driving, woo hoo!
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Now in a less joyful note, I have a prayer intention... I dunno if things can be solved. As for now I don't think so, but then again, God is all powerful... Please join me:

"Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee"

I throw myself at the feet of my Mother. Surely she'll know what to do next... Maybe She'll just tell me to shut my big mouth and listen and be quiet. Gosh.
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Father DeSales has been kindoff far off lately. I don't feel him "instructing me" as much as he did for a while. I'm not reading his letters as much as I used to, even though I ask for his intercession from time to time. Presently I think he is standing aside so other members of the Mystical Body can work their influence in me. Like Brother Rafael, the English Martyrs, our Beloved Mother and very specially the Spiritus Sanctus.

Father DeSales knows, like a good father, when to step away for a while.
Still, I pray for his intercession.

Beloved Father Francis, Ora pro nobis!

Yay for Mass Media!

So I am reading "Under What Authority?" a great novel about the English Reformation, I am looking forward to reading "Come Rack! Come Rope!" by the same author on the Project Gutenberg online. They have a bunch of his writings there so I foresee sore eyes from reading a novel in a computer monitor! :) The author is Father Robert Hugh Benson and anglican convert (1871-1914).

"Under What Authority?" is pretty great, specially because it is a historical novel and most of the characters and places are REAL... awesome! It has a great narrative of the martyrdom of St. Edmund Campion and others. I am about to finish it and unless it has an incredibly bad ending I recommend it :)

As I've mentioned before Father Francis De Sales is the patron saint of writers and the Catholic Press, so I am absolutely sure that he would have loved the development of Catholic Fiction. Even thought its audience is pretty limited (I can totally see how a non-catholic would be offended if he read some catholic fiction novels) I think that those who read them benefit tremendously. Fr. Hugh Benson makes a great job of incorporating spirituality and apologetic lessons into the story. I have had to stop at times in my reading in order to take in what he just wrote.

Oh!, I sense an opportunity for shameless advertisement!: talking about Catholic Fiction don't forget to visit my other blog Catholic Parables and enjoy! *end of shameless advertisement*

Another great piece of media is the DVD John Paul II by Ignatius Press. Orthodox, with some artistic freedom but still historically accurate. I am glad finally we are starting to see some good Catholic Movies...some saint movies are... well... lets say that as an Electronic Media and Mass Communications major I wonder how in the world the producers passed Introduction to Film Making!

oh well... (sigh contentedly) I love criticizing Media... after all that is what I was studying for the last 3 years.

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