Marycast #124 ( 12min) Play – Dr. Mark Miravalle underscores the importance of defending life in this culture of death of ours. He points out that covering up mass slaughter of abortion under the veil of our sophisticated, high-tech,  medical system does not make it any less barbaric. In fact, our leadership position in the world only makes us all the more culpable.

To ask questions regarding Mary, email Dr Mark Miravalle: marycast@airmaria.com

Ave Maria!

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From St. Patrick’s Confession:

Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven:

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.

And from his breastplate:

I bind unto myself today, in the strong Name of the Trinity,   by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.   I bind this day to me forever,  by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;  his baptism in the Jordan river;  his death on cross for my salvation; his bursting from the spiced tomb;  his riding up the heavenly way;  his coming at the day of doom: I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken to my need;  the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward;  the word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.

I bind unto me these holy powers.  Against all Satan’s spells and wiles, against false words of heresy, against the knowledge that defiles,  against the heart’s idolatry, against the wizard’s evil craft, against the death-wound and the burning the choking wave and poisoned shaft,  protect me, Christ, till thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me,  Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.   Of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise to the Lord of my salvation!

Homily #100317 ( 15min) Play

If the virtue of children reflects honor on their parents, much more justly is the name of Saint Patrick rendered illustrious by the innumerable lights of sanctity which shone in the Church of Ireland during many ages, and by the colonies of Saints with which it peopled many foreign countries. The Apostle of Ireland was born in Scotland towards the close of the fourth century, in a village which seems to be the present-day Scotch town of Kilpatrick, between Dumbarton and Glasgow. He calls himself both a Briton and a Roman, that is, of mixed extraction, and says his father was of a good family named Calphurnius. Some writers call his mother Conchessa, and say she was the niece of Saint Martin of Tours.

In his sixteenth year he was carried into captivity in Ireland by barbarians. There he was obliged to shepherd cattle on the mountains and in the forests, in hunger and nakedness, amid snow, rain, and ice. The young man had recourse to God with his whole heart, in fervent prayer and fasting, and from that time faith and the love of God acquired a constantly renewed strength in his tender soul. After six months spent in slavery, Saint Patrick was admonished by God in a dream to return to his own country, and was informed that a ship was then ready to sail there. He went at once to the seacoast, though at a great distance, and found the vessel, but he could not obtain his passage — probably for want of money. Patrick was returning to his hut, praying as he went, when the sailors, though pagans, called him back and took him on board.

Some years afterwards he was again taken captive, but recovered his liberty after two months. While he was at home with his parents, God manifested to him, by divers visions, that He destined him for the great work of the conversion of Ireland. His biographers say that after his second captivity he traveled into Gaul and Italy, and saw Saint Martin, Saint Germanus of Auxerre, and Pope Saint Celestine, and that he received his mission and the apostolical benediction from this Pope, who died in 432. It is certain that he spent many years in preparing himself for his sacred calling. Great opposition was raised to his episcopal consecration and mission, both by his own relatives and by the clergy. They made him great offers in order to detain him among them, and endeavored to affright him by exaggerating the dangers to which he exposed himself amid the enemies of the Romans and Britons, who did not know God. All these temptations cast the Saint into great perplexity; but the Lord, whose Will he consulted by earnest prayer, supported him and he persevered in his resolution.

He therefore left his family, sold his birthright and dignity, and consecrated his soul to God, to serve strangers and carry His name to the ends of the earth. In this disposition he passed into Ireland, to preach the Gospel where the worship of idols still generally reigned. He traveled over the island, penetrating into the remotest corners, and such was the fruit of his preaching and sufferings that he baptized an infinite number of persons. Everywhere he ordained clergymen, induced women to live in holy widowhood and continence, consecrated virgins to Christ, and founded monasteries, not without many persecutions.

Saint Patrick held several councils to regulate the discipline of the Church he had planted. Saint Bernard and the tradition of the country testify that he fixed his metropolitan see at Armagh. He established other bishops, as appears by the acts of a council and various other documents. He not only converted the whole country by his preaching and wonderful miracles, but also cultivated this vineyard with so fruitful a benediction from heaven as to render Ireland a flourishing garden in the Church of God, and a land of Saints. He converted and baptized the kings of Dublin and Munster and the seven sons of the king of Connaught, with the majority of their subjects, and before his death almost the whole island. He founded three monasteries and filled the countryside with churches and schools of piety and learning. He died and was buried at Down in Ulster. His body was found there in a church of his name in 1185, and moved to another part of the same church. -www.magnificat.ca

Ave Maria! Mass readings

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Have a Blessed St. Patrick’s Day!

No Apologies #121 -  ( 06min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Arianism taught that Christ was not equal to the Father but was a creature made by the Father. This heresy swept through the Church in the 4th century and is the fruit of rationalizing and privately interpreting many Scripture passages.

Ave Maria!

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Homily #100316 ( 04min) Play – Through our Lord we are now able to get up from our sins and walk anew.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

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Marycast #123 ( 9min) Play – Dr. Mark Miravalle asks us if we are willing to defend Jesus Christ and so defend His Church. He refers to a recent pop star that claimed Jesus has the disordered inclination of homosexuality and other unfortunate incidents that are blasphemous and calls us to not be silent in these cases.

To ask questions regarding Mary, email Dr Mark Miravalle: marycast@airmaria.com

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI (where our friars staff the church) is looking to fill the full time position of Executive Director. They are now accepting applications through to April 15. More information and application go here.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are producing a feature length dramatic film on the life of Blessed John Duns Scotus, the Franciscan who gave the theological explanation for the Immaculate Conception. The film is called “Duns Scoto”, Italian for Duns Scotus, and is written and directed by Fernando Muraca based on the book by Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli, “Beato Giovanni Duns Scoto” published by the FIs in Italy. Adriano Braidotti plays Blessed John Duns Scotus and is supported by Raffaele Proietti, Sebastiano Colla, Alessandro Chini, Camilla Diana and Emanuele Maria Gamboni in the role of young Duns Scotus along with many others including not a few Franciscans of the Immaculate.

The only thing left to finish on the film is the sound track for which they are currently in negotiations. The film is due to premiere in May 2010 on DVD and in some theaters as was done with the highly successful pro-life film “Bella” and negotiations are underway for putting it on Italian TV and entering it in film festivals. It will be in Italian, but there may be an English version.  We will be posting the trailer on AirMaria when it becomes available toward the end of April. So practice your Italian and stay tuned.

On the site of the filming with camera dolly on tracks, microphone boom, and high definition cameras. The high tech equipment makes a sharp contrast with the medieval monastery and period costumes. The director of photography was Massimo Lupi, famous for his creative cinematography in the Italian TV series Il Commissario Rex (Inspector Rex) about the adventures of Rex the police dog.

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The Abbey at Montelabate in Perugia where parts of the movie was filmed. Other locations were a nearby estate and also on the coast near Anconia.

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Adriano Braidotti as John Duns Scotus who is here praying for guidance from Mary as he is about to defend her prerogative of being immaculately conceived.  There are two goals of the film. One is to spread knowledge about Duns Scotus in view of his canonization, and then eventually to him being declared a Doctor of of the Church. The other is to help Christianize our important mass media culture that has sadly become so secular and even dehumanized.

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Padre Alfonso Bruno, head of FI media, is in the center with the clapper board and is Director of Production for the film. To the right is Fra Pasquale, FI who is playing a Dominican and Fra Ivo, FI on the left looks like he’s playing a Cistercian Monk.

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Emanuele Maria Gamboni as young John Duns Scotus. His early life is covered in a flashback after the opening scene when Scotus is exiled from the Sorbonne in Paris after he refused to sign a bill by Phillip the Fair, King of France, against Pope Boniface VIII.

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Lights, … Camera, … Action!

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Well, not much action in this scene, but it is very beautiful with professional lighting.

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Some rather scruffy looking friars. Fra Giles, FI is second from the left.

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The final scene of the movie is the rejoicing after Blessed John Duns Scotus successfully defends the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception at the Sorbonne in Paris. The victory is recognized by papal legates who attended the theological disputes. The large cast and colorful costumes make for a truly grand finale. There seems to be a tint of blue in many of the Franciscan’s habits. I wonder why…

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Preparing the camera and dolly.

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Working into the night hours. There’s no business like show business.

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Camilla Diana who plays the role of a young, pius girl named Mary who with Luis (Sebastiano Colla), a student at the Sorbonne, provide a means to control the plot and relate it to every day human life and drama.

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Director Fernando Muraca on the set.

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Alessandro Chini plays the young William of Occam who expresses his doubts and heterodox ideas to Scotus who then lovingly but promptly corrects him.

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Sebastiano Colla getting ready for his role as Luis.

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Angelo Poretti and Monica Sarracchini where in charge of the costumes.

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The large collection of costumes looks like a story in itself. Throughout the film as many as one hundred extras were used. Note the big wine barrels behind the racks from the monks wine making business.

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Fr. Alfonso reviewing some footage.

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It looks like an exciting and grand project. Certainly the Italian friars are learning quite a bit about film production and is a great addition to their extensive media efforts which include printing, radio, internet and TV. Hopefully this film will be a success both in regard to promoting the Christian faith and in regard to having enough financial success to at least be able to do another film like this. Please keep this in your prayers.

Ave Maria!