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Mary G
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We were fortunate enough to get to see a preview of The Nativity Story last night. The movie opens on Friday, Dec 1st so I thought I'd give y'all a heads up about it.
First, it is done by New Line Cinema (famous for Nightmare on Elm Street) but it seems to be really well done. It seems the Hollywood folks set a while back and decided that this Christian thing may be a good box office seller. So Catherine Harwicke and some others put together this answer to the Passion.
We took Maggie (6), Thomas (7) and Catie (15) -- all of us enjoyed it. It is almost a documentary with great shots of the Holy Land and great images of just what the Holy Family had to go through when traveling around and trying to get to Bethlehem. The guy who plays Herod is excellent! Joseph and Mary are well done also -- someone commented that it was too "human", but then that's what Mary and Joseph were!
I objected a bit to the violence -- the movie opens with Herod's soldiers rounding up the Holy Innocents and then the rest of the movie is a flashback. I REALLY wished they hadn't started with the violence, but it does point out just how bad the Roman/Herodian rule was and how poor and downtrodden Mary and her family were.
There is an absolutely lovely shot -- wish they had used it for the movie poster -- of Mary and Joseph in the cave-like stable, with the star lighting them up, the shepherds outside huddled around and the three Wise Men coming to pay homage. WHAT a beautiful image!
It's definitely worth a "see", but I don't think I'd take any younger than 6 or so (and if they're sensitive, maybe they should be older than that).
Pope Benedict hosted the premiere at the Vatican on Sunday night -- but I haven't heard his "take" on it yet.
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Lisbet
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Thanks for this review Mary! We hope to go see it on Saturday, I got free tickets for my submission to the diocision paper! I was slightly concerned that they may have portrayed Mary in a 'off' light. I look forward to seeing it!
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stefoodie
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I'm so envious of you gals. We were hoping to see this but there's no theater within 50 miles of us that's showing it. Waah. 
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Mary G
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Lisbet wrote:
| I was slightly concerned that they may have portrayed Mary in a 'off' light. I look forward to seeing it! |
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Mary is not shone is being all "peaceness and light" -- she gets frustrated with her family for betrothing her to Joseph. But she is obedient, hard-working and loving. So I liked the portrayal of her.
One odd thing that struck me is that they have Joachim alive. All the stories I've seen and read have Anna a widow and just living with Mary before the betrothal. In this movie they have Joachim and Anna -- really shows them struggling to make a living -- and Mary's cousins and grandparents living with them. This may be historically accurate, but it seemed odd to me......
I know they had lots of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish theologians and scholars as advisors to get it as close to reality as possible.
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MaryG
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JennGM
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Mary, Thanks for the review. I read some Protestant review and was concerned. I heard there was emphasis on Mary's humanity, especially the "unmarried pregnant" ostracized. Was she accepting to God's will, or fought it?
And I heard the birth scenes of Elizabeth and Mary were violent...is that the case?
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Helen
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There's a big discussion going on at this priest's blog, especially in the comment section.
I have a hard time believing that anyone can really portray Our Lady in the light she deserves. Does the world appreciate the magnificence of the Incarnation?
No, the Lord was crucified.
Who can appreciate the humility and grandeur of the INcarnation? I think Our Lady is in the best position to interpret and appreciate the fact of the Word was made flesh.
THe more honor one gives to the Blessed Virgin, the more honor is given to the Lord. Here at the home page of Mary Vitamin I explain the difference of honoring her and worshipping the Lord.
I don't think Our Lady experienced pain in childbirth. She is without sin. Her pain in childbirth occurs at the foot of the Cross when she becomes the mother of sinful humanity.
Our Lady is not petulant. Just once in Scripture is it recorded that she spoke her own will - How can this be? After that - nothing. Nothing along the Way of the Cross.
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Mary G
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JennGM wrote:
Mary, Thanks for the review. I read some Protestant review and was concerned. I heard there was emphasis on Mary's humanity, especially the "unmarried pregnant" ostracized. Was she accepting to God's will, or fought it?
And I heard the birth scenes of Elizabeth and Mary were violent...is that the case? |
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Jenn,
The unmarried pregnant part was shown, but I think it was an honest portrayal of what others would have thought at seeing a betrothed/but unmarried girl "showing". Mary was very accepting of God's will throughout -- and places her faith in Him; Anna and Joachim were portrayed as not being sure about Mary, but trusting in her becuase they knew her.
The birth scenes are childbirth -- not overly drawn out, but the pain AND joy/excitement are present. I agree with Helen, as I believe tradition does also, that being born without sin, Mary would not have experienced the pains of childbirth -- but you have to remember that this movie was done by a secular company with input from all who believe in Christ's incarnation; Mary's Immaculate Conception is a Catholic truth, not a Christian truth.....
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Helen
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Mary G wrote:
| The unmarried pregnant part was shown, but I think it was an honest portrayal of what others would have thought at seeing a betrothed/but unmarried girl "showing". [...]Mary's Immaculate Conception is a Catholic truth, not a Christian truth..... |
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Our Lady was married to St. Joseph. There is a confusion with modern terminology.
Our Lady was not an unmarried pregnant girl. (Mother Petrillo, a Franciscan of the Immaculate has a very good series on the life of Our Lady. I wonder if this series is available as a book?)
My understanding is that the marriage custom included a period of time where the spouses would not live together. But, they would be considered truly married.
Truth is truth - even if others do not understand or see it.
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Helen
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Helen wrote:
(Mother Petrillo, a Franciscan of the Immaculate has a very good series on the life of Our Lady. I wonder if this series is available as a book?)
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I can really be pathetic - Mother's name is
Mother Maria Francesca Perillo
I haven't found her articles on Our Lady's life online - yet - but searching her name came up withan address of the Pope
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Ave Maria!
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Helen
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Here's Mother Perillo's book:
Do You Know Our Lady?
I read her articles in the magazine Missio Immaculatae International
(sorry for the multiple posts)
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Helen wrote:
Our Lady was married to St. Joseph. There is a confusion with modern terminology.
Our Lady was not an unmarried pregnant girl. (Mother Petrillo, a Franciscan of the Immaculate has a very good series on the life of Our Lady. I wonder if this series is available as a book?)
My understanding is that the marriage custom included a period of time where the spouses would not live together. But, they would be considered truly married.
Truth is truth - even if others do not understand or see it.
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I once heard Mother Angelica explain the exact same thing to a caller who stated that Mary was an unmarried pregnant woman. She sounded offended that anyone would say such a thing. I had never understood the marriage custom of Joseph and Mary's time until I heard Mother Angelica explain it. Thank you, Helen, for mentioning it.
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Mary G
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Helen wrote:
Mary G wrote:
| The unmarried pregnant part was shown, but I think it was an honest portrayal of what others would have thought at seeing a betrothed/but unmarried girl "showing". [...]Mary's Immaculate Conception is a Catholic truth, not a Christian truth..... |
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Our Lady was married to St. Joseph. There is a confusion with modern terminology.
Our Lady was not an unmarried pregnant girl. (Mother Petrillo, a Franciscan of the Immaculate has a very good series on the life of Our Lady. I wonder if this series is available as a book?)
My understanding is that the marriage custom included a period of time where the spouses would not live together. But, they would be considered truly married.
Truth is truth - even if others do not understand or see it.
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Sorry for the confusing terminology. Helen, you're right of course -- Mary was not unmarried; in the Jewish tradition, she was betrothed but not living with Joseph in an intimate relationship. Thus, I think the portrayal of shock and shunning would be a logical response from her neighbors.
Here's a link to the USCCB review -- they give it an A-I rating "suitable for all ages".
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kjohnson
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I just got my copy of the National Catholic Register in the mail today and the front cover story is about this movie. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but heads-up to anyone who has the Register available to them.
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Katherine
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If you don't subscribe to the National Catholic Register you can view the article for free online at this link.... http://ncregister.com/site/article/1363
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JennGM
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Helen, maybe you can help me. Is it an article of faith to believe in the Virgin Birth? And if so, what aspects? Is it in the Catechism?
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JennGM
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JennGM wrote:
| Helen, maybe you can help me. Is it an article of faith to believe in the Virgin Birth? And if so, what aspects? Is it in the Catechism? |
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I should reword this question, as I see "Virgin Birth" as defined as: The conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church's confession of faith in the virgin birth affirms that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit without human seed (496).
I'm not wondering about the conception, but the actual birth...what are we obliged to believe?
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Don took Annika (13), and they enjoyed the film. I am not sure I'll take Paul (10), as it was rather frightening in places.
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JennGM wrote:
| I'm not wondering about the conception, but the actual birth...what are we obliged to believe? |
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Jenn, are you asking whether or not it is an article of faith to believe in Mary's ever-virginity or are you referring to the process of Christ's birth and how it relates to Mary's sinlessness?
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JennGM
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kjohnson wrote:
JennGM wrote:
| I'm not wondering about the conception, but the actual birth...what are we obliged to believe? |
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Jenn, are you asking whether or not it is an article of faith to believe in Mary's ever-virginity or are you referring to the process of Christ's birth and how it relates to Mary's sinlessness? |
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This stems from a conversation with my dh. I've been taught that it was a painless birth. And if you apply literally the idea of "virgin birth" then the baby can't really come down the birth canal, right?
But dh had never heard of any of that...she remained a virgin, and that's all we have to believe? As to circumstances and details, it's individual belief?
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The pain experienced by Mary during Jesus' birth is not an article of faith; that is, it has not been defined by the Church. Instead it is a matter of Tradition and goes back to the fathers of the Church. St. Ambrose, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Damascene and St. Thomas Aquinas all taught that it was not befitting of the Mother of God to be subject to the punishment of Eve. It's a teaching based on Tradition, but it has never been raised to the level of dogma as other matters of faith such as the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption.
But I think that it's not necessary to get into the particulars because we're dealing with a miracle...a mystery. Jesus could walk on water without sinking, 3 men could withstand a fiery furnace without being burned. Things like these are divine interventions. I have a beautiful Icon of the Theotokos in my bedroom. She is sitting with the Christ Child on her lap in the midst of the Burning Bush. The bush was on fire, but not consumed by the fire. That is why the Burning Bush is a sign of Mary's Ever-Virginity. She was a Mother who conceived by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to the Word, but her purity and virginity were never violated in any way. There is no way to explain it in human terms. It lies in the realm of mystery.
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Topic: Movie: The Nativity Story
