St Bernadette of Lourdes

Directed by Jim Morlino

Navis Pictures

Not Rated

1 hour 17 minutes

Do you remember, as a child playing school or spaceships? Did you realize that you were developing your natural acting talent? All children have acted out the stories they read in a book, saw in their favorite film, or heard from their parents. Innovative film-maker Jim Morlino keenly believes in the innate acting ability which children express in playtime.  In an interview on the EWTN show “Life on the Rock”, Morlino described boys playing pirates and girls playing princesses in their backyards naturally and convincingly with few props. An off-Broadway and TV actor who left the field after conflicts with his blossoming Catholic faith, Morlino directed his own children in home movies using more and more sophisticated camera and sound techniques culled from internet tutorials. His first project was an adaptation of the Redwall series version of Robin Hood.  St Bernadette of Lourdes is his first foray into professional level filmmaking, complete with a score composed by Yale grad David Hughes. His directing talent, combined with the sincere acting of 166 children and the gifted performance of his daughter Genevieve who plays St Bernadette offers a fresh style of filmmaking.

The candidness of children acting out the rejection of Bernadette’s visions because of poverty is deeply moving. Bernadette’s expression of radiant joy during the visions of the Blessed Mother emanate from a pure heart and her own faith, not from mere acting craft.  Few young actors have had the freedom to express their childlike imaginations as their natural acting gifts are captured on film. That is what makes the youthful cast of “St Bernadette of Lourdes” so refreshing. Jim Morlino communicates the essence of the scene to his young actors, works out the camera angles and lets them express what is in their imaginations, and their hearts.

Playfulness and unexpected touches of humor keep the story line from being too dark for the children who act in it, yet there is little invention in the script, unlike the Oscar winning Hollywood production, “Song of Bernadette”. St Bernadette of Lourdes offers the viewer a unique point of view, that of the innocent souls of children. Morlino believes they require little direction beyond being told where to begin and end the scene, he allows their natural faith to shine through their performances. And shine they do, with startling clarity.

The film begins in an unanticipated point in history, in the ninth century when the Emperor Charlemagne had the Moors under siege in the fortress at the future site of the Grotto of Lourdes. It was a statue of Our Lady which ended the siege with the conversion to Christianity of the Muslim commander.  Morlino has a passion for history and has plans to do a drama based upon events after the French Revolution. This places the events at Lourdes in 1958, over a millennium later, into perspective of God’s plan. The children who act in this film have a mature sense of mission, no less than transforming the culture.

“The arts compose a hugely influential component of our culture. If we can inspire one child to take up a career in those arts, and to create stunning beauty that lifts men’s souls towards God, and in doing so, glorify Him, we will have succeeded.”

With performances like these, they are off to a good start.

Recommended for all ages.

Website to purchase St Bernadette of Lourdes is Navis Pictures. 

Book Review: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Civilization of Love

Just in time for her feast day, December 12, this book by Carl Anderson and Fr. Eduardo Chavez documents the visitation of Our Lady to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on Tepeyac. Anderson and Chavez recount the visitation using several sources, including the testimony of Juan Diego himself as well as his contemporaries.

I knew the outlines of the story but I didn't realize how the Virgin spoke to Juan Diego in his native language, using phrases and endearments that he would recognize. And, as she did later at Lourdes and Fatima, she chooses her messenger from among the lowest caste.

In fact Juan Diego protests that there are others who would be better suited to deliver her request for a church to Friar Zumarraga, the bishop-elect of Mexico. But the Virgin insists and Juan Diego obeys. Fr. Zumarraga's staff stonewalls Juan Diego and later lies about his actions, but he delivers the Virgin"s message and later the proof Fr. Zumarraga demands: flowers wrapped in his tilma. And the incredible image we know as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

An incredible image it is, too. Anderson & Chavez write about the scientific examinations the tilma has undergone over the centuries, how this simple garment has withstood deterioration, the lack of damage from acid and bombs. They also reveal the complex symbolism of the painting, incorporating images recognized by the Spanish and by the native population, including the fact that Our Lady is a mestiza: a mixture of Spanish and native. I found this section quite interesting and wish I had known more about it when the authorized reproduction of Our Lady of Guadalupe visited my parish several years ago. In fact, my one complaint is the lack of color illustrations in this section of the book.

Anderson & Chavez spend a lot of time on the historical events at the time of the Apparition (1531), both in Europe as well as the New World, further clarifying the extraordinary power of the apparition and why Our Lady of Guadalupe is so highly honored in the Americas, including the United States and Canada. And explaining, as well, the significance of Mary to the Catholic Church.

The final section discusses the hope the Virgin brings to us because she carries her Son with her always. She directs our attention to Him and models for us the behavior of a true believer. To quote from the book, "...she is the spiritual mother we all share, perfectly enculturated, a symbol of the "catholic" aspect of a Church where all are full members and all are welcome as equal heirs to the kingdom of God." We share Mary as our Mother and with her help, we are called to bridge the gap between cultures and countries.

The Appendices include The Nican Mopohua, the earliest written record of the apparition, as well as a Chronology, prayers, and a bibliography. There are extensive footnotes.

Carl Anderson is the Chief Executive Office and Chairman of the Board of the Knights of Columbus. Fr. Eduardo Chavez is an expert on the Guadalupe apparitions and was the postular of St. Juan Diego's cause for sainthood.

The book is well-written in language for the layman. Canonical and theological terms are explained without slowing down the narrative.

FTC Disclaimer: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book for review from The Catholic Company

On the March Hare scale: 4 out of 5 Golden Bookmarks

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civiliation of Love.

crossposted at The Mad Tea Party

A Musical on the Life of Mary Coming from the Vatican

This may surprise some; however, the Church has always been a patron of the arts, most of the world's greatest choral and orchestral masterpieces were comissioned by Catholic monarchs. I don't know about the music, jazz doesn't seem to be the type of music which I hear when I pray the rosary, however, the fact that the doctrine was monitored does give me hope that this play is worthy of Our Lady.
Jeff Mirus of Trinity Communications describes the play here.
HT Catholic Culture

Review of "Behold Your Mother"

“His soft spot smelled of lambskin
as I lifted him from his tiny bed,
He nestled close, wisps of hair glued with sweat,
his eyes closed with concentration.
First feeding, my favorite moment.
So still, before the house awakens, it is just you
and I and no one else in the world,
My little Lord”
If you were fortunate enough to nurse a newborn, this passage evokes tender memories, yet you may be taken aback by the last line, ‘my little Lord’” But why is it surprising? Surely this typical moment between mother and infant was repeated many times in the life of the Holy Family. The problem is, as cradle Catholics, we sometimes lose touch with the more intimate moments of Our Lady’s life, awed as we are by her purity and holiness. This often leads to an unintentional emotional distance from Mary, and sterility in our prayer lives. She is placed on a pedestal when she wants to hold our hand.

Because of her sinless nature, we may assume that obedience was effortless for Mary, yet in “Behold Your Mother”, the trials of Our Lady’s life are described with an immediacy that shows her extraordinary grace of her Immaculate Conception in action. We see that Mary’s “yes” in the Annunciation wasn’t a solitary act, but a constant challenge in her life as Mother of the Lord, one that is possible to imitate in our own lives.

We remember that loneliness and doubt touch every life, including that of Our Lady. She had a life where joys were always tinged with sorrow. We remember that the Flight into Egypt was exhausting, and that Our Lady may have pleaded for God to give her rest. We feel the anxiety of St. Joseph and Mary when young Jesus is left behind from the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and their bewilderment when they find Him so at home in the Temple, teaching the teachers. “Behold Your Mother” finally reminds us how much the Passion of Our Lord cost his Mother. That Man on the Cross was once her baby, He was beaten and bleeding, and there was nothing she could do but stay near Him and pray.

“Her obedience had thwarted Satan’s plan.
But the snake would strike again. . .
From the cradle to the tomb, her greatest Joy
was touched by sorrow. Her mother’s heart
knew full well the price of Love’s victory:
The apple of her eye.”
Have we ever pictured ourselves at the foot of the Cross with one of our children on it? “Behold Your Mother”, helps us to do so here,

“I can’t even wipe that precious forehead
I used to kiss each night.
Or bring a cup of water.
My Son, if I could take your place,
my broken heart for yours I’d do it. “
The last meditations take a few of the more well-known titles of Mary, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, and bring us into the moments when she touched human lives powerfully, yet always maternally, reminding us that once Our Lord gave her to us as mother, she was walked by our side, ready to help hear our burdens, and bring them to her Son.
After reading this book I had a renewed sense of Our Lady’s tender presence in my life, as my mother and friend, my companion as I mother my children and care for my husband. Because I feel more comfortable sharing the little things which life brings me, I find myself thinking about her, and turning to her more often in prayer.

Blessed Mother Teresa had written me a letter in 1990 while I was discerning my vocation. In the letter, she repeated advice from her own mother, “put your hand in Mary’s hand and she will lead you to Jesus”. The final meditation is just that, an invitation to let our renewed friendship with Our Lady lead us to the embrace of her Son Jesus.