The blog header depicts an important and yet mis-understood New Testament scene, Jesus flogging the money-changers out of the temple. I selected it because the faith that gives us consolation can also make us very uncomfortable. Both Divine Mercy and Divine Justice meet in Jesus. Priests are ministers of reconciliation, but never at the cost of truth. In or out of season, we must be courageous in preaching and living out the Gospel of Life. The title of my blog is a play on words, not Flogger Priest but Blogger Priest.
While I read the book SILENCE by Makoto Fujimura many years ago, I have not yet seen the movie. As with Graham Green’s book THE POWER AND THE GLORY there is often as much to learn from bad or weak priests as from strong ones. Both works are extremely unsettling. While outwardly devout, his own compassion and maybe a lack of true faith works against the main priest character in SILENCE. Greene’s whiskey priest comes across as externally weak, undisciplined and cowardly; however, in the end what remains of his faith is shown to be selfless and even courageous. No matter how much he runs away, the “Hound of Heaven” catches him in the end.
Although this promotion exhibits a false game for a real one (Dante’s Inferno), what else does it communicate? Is it simply a fun parody which should make us laugh (at ourselves)? Or does it inadvertantly imply that Mass and church attendance is boring? Are traditional Catholics being mocked?
This is the home of the AWALT PAPERS, the posting of various pieces of wisdom salvaged from the writings, teachings and sermons of the late Msgr. William J. Awalt.
These are movies that we have either shown to teens or are planning to show them. They are entertaining and provide for important teaching moments.
Blogger Priest 