Book Review; Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship

by Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Non-fiction, 192 pages

     Popular Catholic author,  and ETWN series host,  Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle was a young mother when her life was changed forever with an encounter with the 20^th Century’s most famous woman, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in her convent in Washington DC. . In “Mother Teresa and Me” Donna tells the story of a decade of friendship, beginning each chapter with a letter to her from Mother Teresa, and sharing how their meeting became the inspiration for her own apostolate, sharing her message of self-giving love. At first, Donna, is awed by the contact with the celebrity “In fact, I think my heart stopped for that moment. This same woman who traveled the world ministering to the “poorest of the poor”, a woman highly respected by popes and presidents and millions of people, had just spoken to . . .me”. Soon, Mother Teresa’s warmth overcame Donna’s awe and they had a conversation which flowed easily. “That first encounter with the saint . . .penetrated my heart, and etched an unforgettable message that remains to this day.”

      In her motherly style, Donna engages the reader in her close spiritual friendship with the future saint. Photocopies of Mother Teresa’s letters and photos of her with Donna and her children add to the feeling that you are sitting on a sofa with Donna, pouring through her personal scrapbook, sharing her treasured memories of her best friend and mentor. Her self effacing style lends charm to her account of spending a weekend with homeless women in the Missionaries of Charity shelter in Harlem.

      Mother Teresa’s counsels Donna in times of joy; the birth of her son Joseph, and consoles her in times of suffering; when a car accident left her with constant pain. Mother Teresa presides over the birth of Donna’s apostolate to console the suffering by using her unique gifts “I am very glad that you are using this gift God gave you to spread His love and mercy to all”. She urges Donna to use her suffering in her apostolate; “May you yourself be a Veronica to Jesus who is suffering in so many people; the sick, the incurables, the aged, and the unwanted- to bring them solace and strength.”

     Donna shares in riveting detail how her apostolate brought joy and peace to neighbors and strangers alike, as Mother Teresa’s prayers and wisdom began to have a ripple effect through her to touch thousands. She quotes from Scripture and Pope John Paul II  to create a brief yet profound introduction to Mother Teresa’s life and spirituality. Through the power of personal testimony the towering figure of Mother Teresa becomes a beloved friend who inspires the reader to become Christ to the suffering all around us.

     I was fortunate to see Mother Teresa address my diocese in 1985, and to receive a letter from her in 1990, inviting me to visit her convent in the Bronx. Her profound humility and devotion to serve Christ in the poor inspired my work as a social worker and teacher of immigrants, but most of all, to serve my family in love. I realized that I was fortunate to have had such contact with Mother, and cherish her parting words to me in her letter, “Put your hand in Mary’s hand and she will lead you to Jesus”. Since Mother has left our midst, such firsthand accounts as Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s book “Mother Teresa and Me” are precious and serve to provide the emotional immediacy of an encounter with sanctity which can transform our hearts into fertile ground for Christ’s love to grow.

DVD: The Search for Santa Paws

Disney Studios DVD and Blu-Ray

Rated G

A prequel to the film “Santa Paws”, released to DVD last year. In “The Search for Santa Paws” Santa’s best friend Santa Paws remembers when their friendship began, and how he saved Santa when he was lost in New York City. Santa was searching for a remnant of Christmas spirit when he is involved in a hit-and-run and loses his memory. It is up to his friend Santa Paws to lead the search and rescue for Santa, helped by a trio of ethnic street dogs, his reindeer Comet (voice by Diedrich Bader) and a wise cracking cab driver.

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 “The Search for Santa Paws” is a  Santa Tale with plenty of magic and several nods to other Christmas movies; “A Miracle on 34^th Street”, “Annie”, “Home Alone 2” and “The Year Without a Santa Claus”. Touching on refreshingly traditional Christmas themes; the film includes mistreated orphans, a mysterious Santa Claus who has a special appeal to children, and talking animals who save Santa. The children and animals work together against the wicked Foster Home owner who refuses to celebrate Christmas or allow any joy into her Foster Home, to bring back Santa’s memory and preserve his immortality.

John Ducey is convincing as Mr. Huckle a man who is cynical about Christmas and wants to sell the toy store he inherited from his father. It takes his lovely wife Mrs. Huckle (Bonnie Somerville) to convince him to open the toy store one last time, and to hire an amazingly realistic Santa to draw customers.

 The film is whimsical and touching, and not just for little children, my teens were sleepy in their chairs till Kaitlyn Maher (America’s Got Talent) made a dazzling appearance as Quinn, the littlest orphan who plots with her best friend Will (The Game Plan’s Madison Pettis) to save Santa. This plot twist and the adorable orphans made the teenaged girls sit up and cheer at the triumphant conclusion which affirms the values of love and family through the use of Christmas magic.

Some reference to ‘magic crystals’ with spiritual power centered in the North Pole may be confusing to children, so some parental supervision is recommended. Disturbing scenes where orphans are mistreated and Santa’s health is failing.

For age 6 and up. 

Book Review: "Violet Dawn" by Brandilyn Collins

In the small town of Kanner Lake, shy and reclusive Paige Williams finds a dead body.  That becomes the focal point of the story, which revolves around the search for a missing person.  The person is considered missing rather than deceased, because Paige is so distrusting of the police that she conceals the crime. 

To be honest, the first half of the story moved much too slow for my liking, but things really pick up as we find out more about Paige's past, and  the reason why she found the body to begin with.  The conclusion is very attention-grabbing, especially as two characters find their lives threatened.

Character development is the best aspect of "Violet Dawn".  I really enjoyed the characters, especially Vince Edwards the police chief, Bailey Truitt who owns the local coffee shop, and reporter Leslie Brymes. 

There is a very subtle Christian theme throughout.

If you are looking for a good mystery without the objectionable content that is so prevalent in today's media, Ms. Collins is an author you should follow.

By Maria T DiVencenzo

Illustrated by Elaine S. Verstraete

Opening the Christmas tree box is an emotional experience in our home. Nestled inside last year’s newspapers are fragile handmade ornaments from our children, treasured gifts from distant friends or relatives that have passed away; each ornament laden with happy memories. Our girls get possessive over certain pieces collecting their own little pile to hang on the tree. They each have their “Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments, their ballet dancers, and baseball players, birdhouses and kitties, Santa, and Elmo, but mostly there are stars and angels, and images of the Madonna and Child. We have tried to maintain in our Christmas tree a balance between the lavishness of the Christmas season, with all its glitz and giving, with the stark reality of the humble manger which was honored to hold the Son of God.  We look for books and music that do the same, and have found such a treasure in “The Star of Christmas”.

“The Star of Christmas” is written from the point of view of a charming little girl who falls asleep under her Christmas tree, waiting, though the magic of Christmas, to hear the ornaments speak. She is awakened by the sounds of her Christmas tree ornaments talking. It seems they are arguing among themselves about who is the star of Christmas. At first the China Doll, claims to be the VMIP (Very Most Important Person) of Christmas because of her beauty. “Christmas is beautiful! It’s full of sparkle and shine, just like I am,” she says while dancing around the floor.

The little girl with the tousled curls and the sleeper pajamas gently explains to the China Doll and the rest of the ornaments, that, although they symbolize important aspects of Christmas, there is still a deeper meaning. We see how the dazzle, the gifts, magic, the songs, the love and even the giving and the peace of the season are not the center of Christmas. Like the mother of the toddler, who, on Christmas morning becomes engrossed with the wrapping of his first present, forgetting the toy inside, Maria T. DiVencenzo, takes us though the peripheral joys of the season, gently reminding us to enjoy the gift hidden beneath the trappings.

Elaine S. Vertraete’s extraordinary illustrations lend an intimacy to the story, enabling the young audience to share the tenderness of the little girl towards each ornament and emphasizing the simple, yet moving conclusion. Each illustration is bathed with that singular light that emanates from old-fashioned Christmas tree lights.

“The Star of Christmas” is one of the treasured occupants of our family Christmas boxes, and will be shared for years to come as we remind ourselves once again, who is the Star of Christmas.

Recommended for babies through age 7, although this could be a thought-provoking family read aloud.

Gresham: Narnia is about Evangelization

Of course it is. CS Lewis, besides being an Oxford Don was also one of the 20th century's greatest Christian apologists.

Douglas Gresham, the film’s executive producer and Lewis’ adoptive son, who describes himself as a “card-carrying Narnian Christian,” told Relevant Magazine that the purpose is for readers and viewers to come to know Christ through the character of Aslan.

“When you read the Narnia Chronicles, you should be able to get to know Aslan very well throughout the seven books,” he said.  “If that happens, as it should happen and does happen, you’ll then know his new name, his different name here in this world as a result of having known him as Aslan in Narnia.”

When you defend the faith, you evangelize in one way, when you write powerful fiction you evangelize in a more subtle, yet arguably, more powerful way. Look at the Harry Potter and Twilight series,the first  has increased interest in witchcraft and the other in vampirism and biting. Recently, I was horrified to see lip gloss  commercial advertising the "just bitten" look. Philip Pullman openly admitted that his "His Dark Materials" series was to bring children toward atheism the way Lewis' Narnia brought them towards Christianity.
Guess whose movie is doing better?

Read more at Life Site News. 

Round up of Christian reviews of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

Is over at Aslan's Country.com and includes us at Catholic Media Review.
Don't miss it.

Movie Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lucy and Edmund are transported back to Narnia through a picture, along with their cousin Eustace.  They arrive on the Dawn Treader, which is Prince Caspian's ship.  They join him in the search for seven missing warriors and a missing family on a remote island.  

In addition to their search, they must each deal with personal temptations meant to deter them from their mission.

As has been discussed in recent press, there are numerous religious references, particularly through Aslan, the Lion.  There is a scene where he heals someone, another where he promises to always be watching over Lucy and the others, and "Asland's country", a peaceful place that is a destination from which you don't return, is an obvious reference to heaven.

There is never a dull moment...it is continually entertaining and non-stop action.   I feel it is the best of the 3 Narnia movies.   My nephews, age 12, also loved it.

Excellent!  Don't Miss it!

http://www.narnia.com/

Review of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Life is dreary for Lucy (Georgie Henley) — and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) at the home of their Uncle Scrubb in Cambridge. The rest of their family is in the United States where their father is working on behalf of the war effort. Meanwhile, they are tormented by their spoiled cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) who is not happy that there are there, and mocks them for their talk of Narnia, which they miss more each day. Imagine Eustace’s astonishment, when a painting of a ship in the bedroom begins to leak seawater. Soon the room is flooded and all three children are swimming up towards the ship in the painting, the Dawn Treader. Lucy and Edmund are delighted to resume their lives in Narnia, which they left only three years ago in Narnian years. They are joyfully welcomed by King Caspian (Ben Barnes) and the indomitable Reepicheep (voice by Simon Pegs).

 Eustace is still adjusting to the fact that he is aboard a ship in a magical land, and treats Reepicheep as his nemesis. The cheeky little mouse cheerfully accepts the challenge of teaching the little monster how to behave like a proper Narnian knight while Lucy and Edmund learn why Caspian has taken the Dawn Treader out to sea.

Caspian is seeking the seven Lost Lords who disappeared during the reign of his Uncle Miraz. He has heard they fled for the Far Islands and wants to ask them to return now that he has brought peace to Narnia. What they find on the first island is most unsettling; the inhabitants are being sold into slavery to a malevolent dark mist from the Dark Isle. This mist threatens the Dawn Treader’s crew by unlocking their areas of temptation, and threatening their lives. It doesn’t take much temptation to waylay cantankerous Eustace, who easily succumbs to greed and finds himself transformed into a miserable, fire-breathing dragon. Will supercilious Eustace be able to accept help from Aslan? Will Lucy and Edmund allow their weaknesses to overcome their mission to reunite the seven swords of the Lost Lords? The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be their greatest trial to date.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader continues the theme we encountered in Prince Caspian where Aslan is an omniscient guiding presence, like the Holy Spirit who counsels, convicts and heals the sinner overtaken by temptation. Yet Voyage of the Dawn Treader does so with more conviction than Prince Caspian, and this will delight not only Lewis fans, but the Christian audience who are experiencing the stories for the first time on screen. Lewis himself considered this to be the most spiritual of his books, and Walden Media has leaned the lesson of downplaying the spiritual underpinning of Prince Caspian which was far less popular than the smashingly successful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This film remains true to the idea that fortitude of Lewis’ characters lies not in their own moral perfection but their reliance on the guidance of Aslan. The Narnia series has regained its spiritual heart, and audiences will be moved by the transformation of even the scaly Eustace into a young man of courage.

This is a film which will resonate deeply with Catholic sensibilities as deeply as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. The main complaint which Catholics had with Prince Caspian was the downplaying of Aslan’s role, cutting out much of his role, as Lucy is the only one who is guided by him.  In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the themes of individuals capitulating to their temptations will be familiar to Catholics, as well as the image of the royal meal (another reference to the Mass?), and the heavenly lady in blue who guides Narnians to victory over evil. Could this be a reference to the Blessed Virgin? Certainly the theme of chivalry throughout the series is drawn from medieval romances of Christendom.  The final scene in which Reepacheep's views heaven as the culmination of his service for Aslan is something which will inspire Catholic audiences. The spiritual content is what lifts a pure fantasy based on Homer’s Odyessy into the realm of allegory of the Christian life.

Fantasy involves extremes of good and evil, heroes and villains. In our politically correct society, where you cannot label anyone an enemy with the possible exception of drug dealers. fantasy provides a vehicle to express the battle between good and evil in all its violent glory. Children have dire need of true heroes, and the behavior of sports figures, actors and singers are blatantly immoral, so they fail to inspire the best in children's imaginations. Children need to live out their fantasies of what they will achieve in adulthood in an imaginary perfect world, where goodness triumphs and evil meets its just end. Good literary fantasy provides this vehicle. 

An attempt to modernize the concept of womanhood in Prince Caspian was not appreciated by book fans. Lewis was aware of the masculine tendencies of modern feminism and roundly rejected them.  Narnians did not consider Lucy and Susan any less valiant than their brothers who did the lions share of the fighting. After all, they had the courage to accompany Aslan throughout his torture and death, and were rewarded by being present at his resurrection. In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy is tempted by the desire to be as beautiful as she sees her sister Susan, and Aslan tenderly reminds her that she is beautiful as herself. This is an important lesson for girls today who are bombarded with images of artificially created beauty. Voyage of the Dawn Treader will rival The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the role of favorite film in the Narnia series. Perhaps this rivalry will be settled when The Silver Chair is released, as the success I predict for this film will certainly encourage a sequel. Walden has made a good match with 20^th Century Fox and Lewis’ nephew Doug Gresham, an advisor to The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, roundly approves of this film and assures us that Lewis would as well.

This film is available in 3D and would be very frightening for younger children; there is a vivid sea monster and frightening, dark images. No suggestive scenes or bad language. Highly recommended for audiences seven and up. 

"Little Star" by Anthony DeStefano: A Picture Book Review

If you are looking for an original, Christ-centered Christmas picture book, then “Little Star” by Anthony DeStefano might just be the one for you.

A little boy is looking out his window for the Christmas star and his father tells him why he cannot see it in the sky. He tells the tale of a little star who is often overlooked by the bigger stars. They are all talking about the upcoming birth of Jesus. When the great event occurs, the little star puts forth all of his energy to cast light upon the infant Jesus to keep the baby warm and help others to find Him. He burns himself out in the process, but is remembered forever for his place in history.

You can look at this book at many levels. Behind the story in the forefront lies a loving relationship between father and son. Parents who have been sharing the lives of the Saints with their children might also want to talk about the way the little star gave his life for Jesus as did many of the Saints. Children can also be invited to discuss bullying (as displayed by the bigger stars) and using their little talents to glorify God in their own ways.

“My goal was to try to encapsulate the whole gospel message in a simple Christmas story,” said DeStefano. This he has done, and has received rave reviews on Amazon.com and elsewhere.

A few months ago DeStefano’s first children’s book was published - This Little Prayer of Mine. He has also written a couple of bestselling non-fiction books — A Travel Guide to Heaven, and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To — both published by Doubleday. You Tube has a video of Pat Boone reading the new book to a group of children.

With realistic, colorful illustrations of the humans in the story mixed in with the fanciful cartoons of Little Star, Mark Elliott has captured the meaning of the story in a way that will be easily understood by children. My own four-year-old was a little scared of the pictures for some reason, but that is for you decide if you think the paintings will appeal to your children or not.

The author sent me his book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Everything Old Is New Again: Reviewing This Tremendous Lover

This is one of the most practical, down to earth books I have ever read about living one's Catholic faith in everyday life. Written by M. Eugene Boylan, a Trappist Monk, around 1945, "This Tremendous Lover" is actually a more timeless book than one might think. Human nature does not change from age to age and 1945 is not actually that long ago. Boylan clearly had practical experience in helping people look past their hectic lives in a culture often at odds with God. His insightful, accessible book gives straight forward advice on how to proceed toward holiness.

It is probably no surprise that Boylan always comes back to a few key points: knowing Jesus Christ in a personal relationship, turning away from pride, and embracing humility. He discusses seeking Christ through prayer, reading, in the sacraments, in conversation, and through our neighbor. He delves deeply into what it means to be a member of the body of Christ.

Because of its age, this book does have a few outdated assumptions that surface occasionally. For example, Boylan assumes that he must convince the ordinary person that their vocation is just as valid for seeking a deep experience with God as that of a priest or religious. That concept is one that we are all familiar with today, post-Vatican II, but at the time of original publication the point would have been very valid.

In the chapter about marriage and holiness, Boylan points out that the intimacies of married life are holy. Again, this is something that is nowadays taken to be a given and so might seem quaint as a reassurance. However, and this is an important point, even when the original assumption might seem old fashioned, Boylan's underlying theory remains sound. If one agrees to set aside prejudice against an attitude that might not agree with the way everyone thinks today, then the reader will discover a wealth of truth lying just beneath the surface for the taking. In continuing his discussion of married intimacies, Boylan says:

Let us once and for all get rid too of the notion, so harmful to the spiritual life, so heretical in its origin, and so widespread today, that there is anything intrinsically wrong in pleasure as such. God forbid! God made pleasure; man made pain. god share the pleasure of His creatures. All pleasure that is not inordinate, no matter how intense it is, can be offered to God. What is lawfully done to one's neighbor or to one's self is done to Christ. ... It is only when pleasure becomes inordinate—that is contrary to the will of God—that it is wrong. And no one can live without some pleasure, just as no one can live without some food and some rest.

Love demands expression, and love is nourished by expression, and that is true even of the most spiritual love. And the love of a man for his wife is a unique love and demands a unique expression, and God has provided an unique expression for it and has attached intense pleasure to it. And God has gone further still. For He has arranged that by that very act of expressing their love for one another, husband and wife become partners with Him in the work of producing a new creature. ...

This is the solid advice of a good theologian and a practical man. Surely this would have been very reassuring to those who read it when it was originally published. Just as certainly, in modern times it is beautiful to read such an outright declaration of the purpose of marital love and fidelity.

Time after time, Boylan gives practical advice that is elevated by a desire for his readers to find a deeper union with Christ. It is a challenge for any of us to fully live our lives seeking to follow in Christ's footsteps and learning to love him. With M. Eugene Boylan's help, we have a much better chance of finding the way with fewer missteps. Highest recommendation.

I received this book from Aquinas and More Catholic Bookstore.