Catholic Fire

Miracles from Heaven is based on the 2015 memoir of Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner), whose daughter suffers from a rare fatal intestinal disease and is miraculously healed by a freak accident. It is the story of this mother’s struggle to initially get her daughter diagnosed after doctors tell her there is nothing seriously wrong with ten-year-old Annabelle (Kylie Rogers), who suffers from constant, severe pain, and abdominal bloating despite diet changes and prescribed medication. Faith is the theme which runs through the film. The family, which consists of Kevin Beam (Martin Henderson), a large animal veterinarian, Christy, wife and mother, and three daughters, Abbie, 13, Annabelle (nicknamed Anna), 10, and Adelyn, 6, are a loving, happy Christian family from Burleson, Texas (near Fort Worth), who appear to be tuned into their faith. As Christians, they faithfully attend worship services as a family and hear their pastor give a homily on the importance of faith, telling them tha...

Image Source Lent is a season of  drawing  into a deeper intimacy with Jesus. Watching sacred films during Lent is one method I use to draw closer to Christ. Here are seven films I recommend watching this Lent: 1. Risen (2016) It opens in theaters on February 19, 2016. While I have yet to see this film, the reviews are wonderful! Catholic World Report reviews it as does Our Sunday Visitor and Lisa Hendey gives her endorsement.  2. Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine (2012) Filmed in Europe, the first full-length feature movie on Augustine uses a historic backdrop to tell the true story of one of the Church's most beloved and well-known Saints. Its message of sin, conversion, redemption is as timely today as it was in the 5th century of Augustine. It is the story of a gifted man who pursues fame and fortune without a moral compass - and the dramatic changes that occur in his soul when challenging events lead him to see the light of truth. It al...

The Letters is one film I am looking forward to watching, as I am a big fan of Blessed Mother Teresa, who will be canonized St. Teresa of Calcutta on September 5, 2016. The film will be released on December 4. Take a look at the official trailer: MOTHER TERESA, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is considered one of the greatest humanitarians of modern times. Her selfless commitment changed hearts, lives and inspired millions throughout the world. THE LETTERS, as told through personal letters she wrote over the last 40 years of her life, reveal a troubled and vulnerable woman who grew to feel an isolation and an abandonment by God. The story is told from the point of view of a Vatican priest charged with the task of investigating acts and events following her death. He recounts her life’s work, her political oppression, her religious zeal and her unbreakable spirit. Written and directed by William Riead, THE LETTERS stars the acclaimed four-time BAFTA nominated British Actre...

Lent is a season of  drawing  into a deeper intimacy with Jesus. Watching sacred films during Lent is one method I use to draw closer to Christ. Here are the films I recommend watching this Lent, which have served that purpose for me: 1. Babette's Feast (1987) Babette, a French Catholic woman flees to Denmark after her husband and son are killed. There, she works as a domestic servant for two aging Protestant sisters and ends up winning the lottery.  This film contains a beautiful message about God's great generosity and Jesus' total self-sacrifice as manifested through the charitable actions of Babette. 2. Les Miserables (2012) The musical version of Hugo Victor's tale of love and self-sacrifice comes to the big screen. Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, strives to build a new life of nobility and compassion, only to be pursued by the callous Inspector Javert, who doesn't intend to let Valjean escape his past. 3. Into Great Silence (2005) Direct...

This post is part of THE SONG Blog Tour, of which I am delighted to be a part, along with many other inspiring bloggers. To learn more and to join us, CLICK HERE . The Song is a beautiful love story based upon the writings of Solomon in his Song of Songs, which consists of a mosaic of love poems. It is filled with music, romance, and uplifting biblical verses. At the same time, it exposes us to the evil and ugliness of sin and its adverse effects on both the sinner and his relationship with God, as well as God's children.  The Song is a film that depicts the power of God’s passionate love for us and our love for one another, as well as the graces that accompany repentance, which offer forgiveness, healing, and redemption. As the movie opens, we are taken via a TV screen to a flashback of a country-western band performing on stage in 1981 Nashville, which transports us to the live performance. After their gig, the group is partying with heavy drinking. The star of the ban...

Gimme Shelter , a new pro-life, pro-family movie inspired by dramatic real-life stories, opens in theaters across the country on Jan. 24 ( GimmeSheltertheMovie.com ). Based on the inspiring true events, GIMME SHELTER centers on the courageous story of Agnes “Apple” Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens) and her incredible path to motherhood as a pregnant, homeless teenager. Forced to flee her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson), and turned away by her Wall Street father (Brendan Fraser), Apple finds herself on a desperate and isolated journey of survival. In the depths of despair, she meets a compassionate stranger (James Earl Jones), who ultimately leads her to salvation and unprecedented support in a suburban shelter for homeless teenagers. With gained confidence, and the warmth of her new home, Apple breaks from her inhibiting past, embracing the future with clarity and hope. "Gimme Shelter is a moving film with an uplifting message of hope and the dignity of human life – and the fact t...

Pick: FIREPROOF is an action-packed love story about a fire fighter, his wife, and a marriage worth saving. It is the third movie from Sherwood Pictures, the hope-filled, heartfelt moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church that continues to touch the world from Albany, Georgia. Fireproof is a must-see! Both my dh and I enjoyed it immensely! It is a power-packed film on love, God, and marriage. It is filled with drama, suspense, laughter, love, and faith. It will touch your heart. Don't miss it! Read Leticia's complete review here. Esther shares some Catholic resources for fireproofing your marriage here. Pass: An American Carol is a satire on left-wing filmmaker Michael Malone from Airplane! writer/director David Zucker, who is planning to abolish the 4th of July when he is visited by the spirits of George Washington, John F. Kennedy, General George Patton and the Spirit of Christmas Future, who urge him to repent. I enjoyed a few laughs, but An American Carol contai...

Bill and I have been watching DVD’s at a reduced price from a local video store nearby. Here are two I believe that you and your family will enjoy. When I Find the Ocean (2006) is the childhood drama of young Lily Strickland who sets out on the journey of a lifetime not out of her love for adventure but out of heartache. Longing for the father she lost to the ocean (a sailor lost at sea who was never found) and having no way to say goodbye, Lily strikes out on her own, beginning a journey of the spirit and of the heart. The year is 1965: Lily Strickland lives in Alabama with her loving mother Jenny (Redford) and her caring grandparents (Lee Majors and Diane Ladd). Lily's father disappeared at sea years ago, yet his independent spirit lives on in the young girl who never lost her belief in dreams. Lily’s mother has now found a new man to share her life with and Lily is the bearer of unpleasant secrets in his life which only she knows. With her faith and belief that her father will...