Father Christopher Zugger

here is a Catholic film that I have been waiting to see! The origins of St Josemaria Escriva’s founding of Opus Dei, during the brutal years of the Spanish Civil War. It is now available on DVD: http://www.amazon.com/There-Be-Dragons-Charlie-Cox/dp/B005PM1188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326135502&sr=8-1   It is also on Netflix so I have put it to the top of my queue.

I have not seen it yet, only the trailers and a clip – but it promises to be a moving film. The LA Times called it a two hour Sunday School sermon, but Catholic critics seem to have been receptive.

We are closing Theophany season on Saturday. There is no abstinence during the octave: alleluia! Some guys in the parish are planning to give up meat and dairy products during Great Lent. The American Church mitigated the Fast after Vatican II, reducing it to Friday abstinence and strict abstinence only on Pure Monday (first day of Great Lent, two days before Ash Wednesday) and Good Friday. But I have seen young Byzantine Catholics and Roman Catholics who attend our church who go for the original strict fast. It is a real challenge in American society and American restaurants to go without meat or dairy products for 40 days plus what they do in the preparation weeks. For those who do not know, we have one week of Meat-fare: farewell to meat. Then after that is the week of Cheese-fare, eliminating all dairy products. On that Sunday night, we begin Great Lent with Vespers, which include the Prayer of Saint Ephrem and the prostrations.  That they are already talking about it, just when the glow of Christmas chocolates and fatty foods is beginning to fade, is pretty impressive to  me.

Please pray for my health, and for some projects I have going. God bless you and protect you and yours!