For All the Saints: Francis of Assisi, Deacon

It's the feast of St. Francis of Assisi today, in case you didn't notice. True story: My grandfather was a Catholic and his name was Francis too, and he was named after the fellow you'll be reading about below. As it happens, that is also how I came to be named, but the Catholic connotation of that Christian name lay dormant for some great length time. My grandfather died, see, when I was a wee tot and my memories of him bear no mark of his (and now my) religion at all.

Good News: Flights Booked for Nagasaki!

Ian Higgins writes about the progress being made on completing the film All That Remains, (thanks to the generosity of readers like you).

Flights are now booked for Nagasaki! We’ll be flying out on November 22nd and arrive on the 23rd. In the meantime we’ve got plenty to organise as it’s going to be pretty full on when we get there with all the interviews and location shots we want to get. Meanwhile, we’ll be releasing the trailer for the animated short, 26 Martyrs in a couple of weeks so keep looking for that!

It's Like Elizabeth Says...

I hope it comes on in my neck of the woods. New idea—I'm going to ask my public library to purchase it!

I got an email tonight from a woman who read this post and realized that the reality of the world “as it is” makes her unhappy.

Well, combating the world “as it is” requires us to teach and admonish, not with the tactics of the world, but “in wisdom made holy” through the love of Christ. If we do that correctly we will — like the early Christians — attract others, and thus assist the Holy Spirit in the turning of the world toward the light.

To Help Make A Movie, Part Deux!

Ian Higgins writes,

Hi Frank,

I just wanted to personally thank you and all your readers who have so kindly donated and shown their support for our movie “All That Remains”. It has been overwhelming to witness such support in such a short space of time.

Because I Asked, I Prayed, And You Helped This Pro-Life Cause

Dr. Nagai and his children praying. 

Thank you YIMCatholic Readers! On the last day of this past August, I shared a post about helping to make the movie All That Remains. When completed, it will be a docu-drama about the life of Dr. Takashi Nagai, survivor of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of the city of Nagasaki. I called it "rattling the tin cup" for a good cause, and I shared the post with you all. I threw a few shekels in myself and prayed that others would respond too.

For Your Holiday Friday Night at the Movies: Soul Surfer

Are you ready for Summer to be over and for the kids to head back to school? Well guess what. My kids have been back in school since 3 weeks ago. Ugh! But just like the kids who don't start school until after Labor Day, their consolation is a long weekend now.

To Help Make A Movie? Why Not!

A few weeks back was the 66th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. About a week ago, I received a note from Ian Higgins of  Major Oak Entertainment regarding a movie his studio is making about the story of Dr. Takashi Nagai, survivor of the bombing and author of The Bells of Nagasaki.  The title for the docu-drama  film is All That Remains.

Grosse Point Blank Sound Track (Music For Mondays)

John Cusack is Martin Blank 

My wife has a theory: the sound track makes the movie. I'm not saying I agree with her 100% on this, but her point is well taken. Some folks know how to adapt music to films, but most don't. This is the first in a series of posts where I can firmly say, "They got the music right on this one!"

Coming Soon to a PBS Channel Near You

Catholicism. And you thought Ken Burns' documentaries are good? This is going to be best series shown on PBS ever!

“I want the series to go out beyond the walls of the Church,” he said in an Aug. 10 interview. “That's why we're so happy it's going to be on public television.”

Around the World in 3 Minutes: Move, Learn, Eat

One of my favorite lines from scripture concerns "the earth and its fullness." As a Catholic Christian, you should know that this broad, nay, "catholic" expression describing the world and its wonders is to be lived and experienced with joy by us all.

For Anti-Democratic, Dictatorship Loving, Theocratic Fascist Thoughts...Not!

Check out my cool sword! Can't wait to use it... 

There I was, writing about pluralism. So my friend Mark Shea has been catching some heat lately for commenting on a video where self-proclaimed Catholic role-model, and all around knowledgeable guy, Michael Voris, blasts the hymn Amazing Grace for leading all Catholics into perdition's flames. There's a host of similar conspiracies that have been hatched on us too, and MV dutifully warns us of them all.

Social Networks and the Church

Is social media here to stay? Probably. Others, like Brandon Vogt, discuss this phenomenon at length. Matthew Warner wants more Catholics to be on-line, and authentic, too. Because when you get right down to it, social networks are about community.

How Star Trek Should Have Ended

This is just absolutely AWESOME. Because Catholics can laugh (be careful you don't bust a gut).

How to Handle a Bombshell (Because Catholics Can Laugh)

How I handled the Corapi bombshell. Don't try this at home folks. And please... make sure you listen to my words with Robin at the end. -Batman

For A Reader's Query, A "Real" Catholic Reply

-Feast of St. Avitus 

Over on the YIMCatholic Facebook page, a reader writes,

Did I miss something? Why is this on the YIM page?

What is “this?” Nothing much, just a little video that I shared on the Facebook page. Unfortunately, only those who “like” the Facebook page or follow YIMCatholic on Twitter got to see the video. My bad. From now on, I’ll just do a post. That way, see, none of you will be left out when I have something I think is brilliant enough to share with you.

Here’s the video that sparked the question,

For Faith In Action: Calling All Rand Busters.™ Please Report To Your Posts!

A few days ago, I got mad as hell and said I won't take it anymore. What about? Well, some of our Christian brethren believe they can reconcile following Ayn Rand's poisonous philosophy and still consider themselves, you know, Christians.

Because Good Friends Are Golden

A few days back, it was the Feast Day of St. Barnabas. You may or may not recall that he was St. Paul's companion on his first mission trip. They were fast friends in the faith, traveling hither and yon spreading the Good News together to the Gentiles.

You can learn more about Barnabas over at the Catholic Encyclopedia. The record shows that at some point, the two went their separate ways. Perhaps it was a falling out, but perhaps it was just that they were called in different directions by the same Spirit that brought them together in the first place.

Alan Rubin, Mr. Fabulous, Requiescat In Pace

I heard the news today that Alan Rubin, aka "Mr. Fabulous", has passed away. Rubin was the trumpeter in the legendary, and Vatican-approved, Blues Brothers band.

Here is the official word from the Los Angeles Times obituary page,

Trumpet player Alan Rubin was recruited to join the Blues Brothers after backing up John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the "Saturday Night Live" television skits that spawned the band in the late 1970s.

Because the Church was Catholic at Pentecost

-Pentecost Sunday

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for a message brought to you by The Church Triumphant. Standby for a brief message from St. Jose Maria Escriva, live from the Communion of Saints...

The mystery of the holiness of the Church — that pristine light which can become obscured by the shadows of human baseness — rejects even the slightest thought of suspicion, of doubt about the beauty of our Mother.

For Guerilla Catechesis Like This By Stephen Colbert

Ok, so I don't get to watch television much. I'm not saying I never watch television, but I rarely get to sit down and take in a show, you know, in its entirety. I'd rather be writing, or reading, or watching one of my children's ball games.

Today, though, I was reading Mark Shea's blog and saw this video clip of Stephen Colbert teaching a class on Free Will, Satan, Sin, and Hell, courtesy of an interview he was doing on his comedy show (the Colbert Report) with Professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University.