Pope Leo XIII

Found this post. It links to a film of Pope Leo XIII. The film is 114 years old. Pope Leo XIII was a great champion in his fight against Modernism. To have a film that old of a Catholic Pontiff is impressive.

Pope Leo XIII Film

Tom Bombadil

One of the books I am reading right now is “Lord of the Rings”. I am a huge fan of Tolkien, and this is the fourth time I am working my way through The Fellowship of the Ring, which is my favorite book of the trilogy. I do not hurry the book, rather taking it slow and enjoying the writing and the story. I can see hurrying through a book the first time you read it. When you re-read a book, that is when you get to slow down and enjoy it.

My two favorite characters in the book are Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. I love them because they are a mystery. It is life. Our lives are filled with mystery. Within Lord of the Rings Bombadil and Goldberry are a great reflection. The world of Middle Earth is breaking to war, with good and evil pitted against each other. It is something we understand, reflecting our own past. But with Bombadil, he is outside, in the Old Forest. He is beyond the great events.

I do not picture Tom Bombadil as powerful. Not in the way of Gandalf, or Aragorn, Sauron. He does not influence. But he is neither influenced. He does not fear the ring, as Gandalf. It does not affect him. He can wear it, and it has no power. It is not of Bombadil’s realm. I do not know if Bombadil can affect the world around. He is isolated, within the Old Forest, a caretaker beyond the true realms of Middle Earth.

Goldberry is fascinating. She is part of nature, also a caretaker. She is the most beautiful character in Lord of the Rings. She is natural, and all feel joy in her presence. She completes others. Not in a worldly way, of being given in marriage, but in an even more feminine way, pure beauty.

It is good Tom Bombadil and Goldberry were not included in Peter Jackson’s movies. I feel they are truly mystery, and casting them on screen would make them human, define them. An actor and actress would discuss their roles, their thoughts on the characters. By leaving them within the pages of the book, these characters are left for each individual mind to ponder.

Preserving Your Virginity By Saving Your Kiss

I found this article on kissing at Catholic Exchange. As a father of a teenage daughter, I thought it was a very insightful article. The basic idea is this – someone single kissing on the lips, even “closed mouth” kissing, invites more and can lead to a girl losing her virginity through inciting passions. From my perspective, boys are hardwired to want more than just kissing. A girl should protect herself by saving herself, including her kiss, for the man she marries.

Note: I agree with the article that a kiss on the cheek is pretty harmless.

Fulton Sheen on the True Church

“If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh.

“If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.

“Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world.

“Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned.

“Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth.

“Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils.

“Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth.

“Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself.”

-Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979)

Introduction

Welcome to my new blog, Catholic Eyes Reading. This blog is a place to share my thoughts on Catholic literature and culture, and what is going on in the Church and the world. This post is a quick introduction.

I am a Catholic man, a father of six. I have another child on the way. My wife and I homeschool our children. I am a computer programmer by trade, and an amateur theologian. I love Church history, Latin, the Traditional Latin Mass.

What will be the focus of this blog? The focus will be Catholic culture, Catholic teachings, Catholic literature, the world around us. Also discussed will be technology and politics.

Rules on comments – respectful comments will be accepted. This is a religious Catholic blog This is not a political blog. Those looking to comment on politics should look elsewhere.

I love books, though I do not find the time to read that I used to. Please make good book recommendations. Especially appreciated will be good Catholic books for children.