Arrival: Excellent Sci-Fi and Sneakily Pro-Life

Welcome to our next digital content series, Faith in Film! It's easy to find the message and moral of movies like The Passion of the Christ or Paul, Apostle of Christ. But to be perfectly honest, there's not a ton of great Christian movies or TV shows out there. A lot of them tend to be poorly written, poorly acted, and kind of hokey in the end.

The "easy way out" would be to only watch Christian media and tune everything else out, but we're not called to take the easy way out! The Next Generation of Disciples high school youth group has a Faith in Film movie night every other month, and we're very intentional about what we watch. We watch secular, non-Christian movies on purpose!

This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the quality is generally higher. Secondly, it is vitally important for Catholics to be able to engage in discussions about pop culture and the cultural zeitgeist. Rather than avoiding these conversations, we should jump in head first and proudly proclaim our Catholic faith therein! By viewing secular media through a Catholic lens, we can both enjoy ourselves more AND evangelize while doing it. This is the idea behind Faith in Film, and I hope you'll join us for it.

The first film we'll be talking about is Arrival, Denis Villeneuve's 2016 sci-fi epic. If you haven't seen it, fair warning: this post contains major spoilers. The central plot of the film revolves around the classic "first contact" premise. Twelve alien vessels show up all over the world (we mostly focus on the one in Montana), and nobody has any idea why they've come or what they want.

Our main character, Amy Adams' Dr. Louise Banks, is a language expert who's called away from teaching college courses by the US military to help translate the aliens' language and attempt to communicate with them. There's a lot of mystery and wonder the first time she enters the alien ship, as she and her fellow humans wear bright orange hazmat suits and tread carefully in the ship's altered gravity.

Dr. Banks spends a large chunk of the movie working to communicate with 2 aliens, or Heptapods as she calls them, whom she nicknames Abbott and Costello. Their language is conveyed solely through writing, and she's able to establish some rudimentary communication with them. However, that's not all that's going on with Dr. Banks.

The first 10 minutes of the movie follow Dr. Banks as she gives birth to a girl, raises her, and sadly watches her die from cancer at the age of 11. It's a sorrowful, sad beginning to the film, but it doesn't seem to have much bearing on the plot...at first. Throughout the film, Banks experiences flashbacks to conversations and memories with her young daughter. They're peppered throughout, and we get to see what triggers those memories for her.

We realize that things aren't as they seem in the film's third act, when the other countries that the alien ships landed in cut off all communication, and it appears that war is imminent. As Banks is being (forcefully) evacuated from the military encampment along with the rest of the personnel, she has another flashback of her daughter...except it's not a flashback. She says, out loud, "I don't understand...whose memories are this...who is this child?"

To make a long story short, Banks is seeing not the past, but the future in these visions. The aliens in this movie experience time in a nonlinear fashion (much like God in real life), and learning to speak their language imparts that same temporal dissociation upon the speaker. Once she realizes this, Banks uses her new knowledge to talk down the warmongering generals from other countries and bring peace to the world.

In the movie's epilogue, we see Banks given a choice. She knows the future, and she knows that her child will become sick with cancer and die. We see her and her new husband discussing whether or not to try for a baby, and we see all of that knowledge and discernment wash over her face. The very last line line of the movie is Dr. Banks saying, "Yes...yeah."

There are two main lessons here. The first, and the most obvious one, is that we need to get better at working together. The aliens purposefully split their language into 12 distinct parts and spread them across the world, hoping to force humanity to work together. It almost backfired, but the point is absolutely there! There is far too much division in our world today, both internationally and within our own country. We need to learn to respectfully disagree, find some common ground, and work together towards our shared goals!

Secondly, the movie has a strong (and perhaps even unintentional) pro-life message. A common pro-abortion argument is that babies with health conditions that will make their lives and those of their parents much more difficult are suitable candidates for abortion. Dr. Banks knew for a fact that her daughter would contract Cancer and not live past 11. If we follow the logic of this argument, then why did she still choose to have her?

The answer is simple: her daughter's life (and suffering, for that matter) had value. Her daughter was worthy of the respect and dignity that human life affords us all. Her daughter left a mark on the world despite how brief her time in it was. And her daughter deserved those 11 years of life.

I have no idea whether or not the filmmakers meant to include this message, but it rings true for those of us who pay attention to the film's ending! Even in massive, blockbuster science fiction movies, God finds ways to speak to us and share His Word with us. So the next time you're watching a movie, keep your eyes and ears open! You never know what He might be trying to show you.

We'll see you on Friday morning at 10:00am for our next edition of Faith in Film!

Gaudete!

Dear Friends in Christ:

THIS Third Sunday of Advent the word is JOY! Today is a JOYful Sunday…also known as Gaudete Sunday.

Gaudete is a word that derives from the Latin words “gaudium,” which means joy, and “gaudeo,” which means to rejoice or be glad.

The spirit of joy that marks our celebration today and throughout this week comes from the words of Saint Paul, and can be found as our Entrance Antiphon for the Mass today, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” (Phil 4:4-5)

Advent is a time of JOYful expectation and eager preparation for the Solemnity of Christmas as John the Baptist reminds us in his call in the gospels to “prepare the way of the Lord,” and “one mightier than I is coming!”

As we gather on this Gaudete Sunday, we have many reasons to be filled with JOY. First, and foremost, there is joy to be experienced in looking forward to the annual celebration of Christmas, but there is also joy in recalling the birth of Jesus on the first Christmas. The joy is heightened because He was born to save us from our sins. And, as we learned last weekend, there is also joy to be experienced in anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus, the other reason for our preparation in Advent. At His Second Coming, when He comes to judge the living and the dead, we pray and hope that we will be found worthy to receive the crown of righteousness (2 Tm 4:8) and a place in the Father’s house (Jn 14:2) to dwell with God and his angels and saints for all eternity.

On this Gaudete Sunday we also see a JOYful color in the candle that is lit and the vestments that are worn. Rose (this is the official terminology of the church for this color NOT pink) represents joy and may be used as the liturgical color for Gaudete Sunday. It should be noted that Purple or Violet remains the official color for the Season of Advent, because all of Advent has a penitential tone, a time to be absolved of sin and be in the state of grace ready for the Lord’s Coming. Gaudete Sunday offers a brief respite to focus on the uplifting, upcoming joyful celebration of the Nativity.

Gaudete Sunday also includes JOYful prayers! The prayers in the Roman Missal on the Third Sunday of Advent convey a joyful message. The immediacy of Christmas is addressed in the Collect, “O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity.” This is then followed by two explicit references to joy:

· “enable us … to attain the joys of so great a salvation”

· and “to celebrate them with … glad rejoicing.”

Preface II of Advent says, “It is by his gift that already we rejoice at the mystery of his Nativity” and that “he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise.” There is also the Communion Antiphon which is a joyful message, “Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us” (cf. Is 35:4).

Finally there is JOY in the scriptures for this Sunday. In the first reading Zephaniah says "Shout for joy, O daughter Zion…sing joyfully, O Israel…Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem.” (Zp 3:14); in the Responsorial Psalm the Prophet Isaiah exclaims “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” (Is. 12); and in the second reading St. Paul insists that we should “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). The gospel is John the Baptist’s practical advice on how to be prepared for the coming of the Lord!

Wait a minute! On this JOYful Sunday we encounter that stark, strangely dressed, strident saint of the desert? What is he doing here? The one who calls us to repentance? How does that fit in with JOY? Believe it or not, John the Baptist is the patron saint of spiritual joy. After all, he leapt for joy in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus and Mary (Luke 1:44). And it says that he rejoices to hear the bridegrooms voice (John 3:29-30). The Baptist was joyful because he was humble. In fact, he shows us the true nature of this virtue. Humility is not beating up on yourself, denying that you have any gifts, talents, or importance. John knew he had an important role which he played aggressively, with authority and confidence. He points the way for the coming of the Lord. He looks away from himself to the Lord…”one mightier than I is coming, I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.”

And what about John’s stark call to repentance? How can this be Good News? Because repentance is all about humility and humility is all about freedom…and freedom leads to inner peace and JOY, joy in the presence of the Lord.

Remember, it is up to us to make the remaining time of Advent (almost two full weeks) a time of spiritual growth and renewal even in the midst of the busyness these weeks bring.

What better way is there then to cleanse our souls from sin? Join us for ADVENT CONFESSIONS beginning at 6PM, NEXT SUNDAY, December 19th at Saint Thomas Becket Church. We will have visiting priests, in addition to Father Peter and myself, available for confessions in the classrooms of the education wing, which is accessible through Saint Thomas Becket Church or the Father Frisbie Hall until 7PM. Stop by and experience the mercy of God on our Advent journey. What a great way to prepare for the coming of the Lord! What a great way to be freed from the darkness of sin and allow the Light of Christ to shine in our lives. We invite you to spend some time in prayer in the Church before and after experiencing the gift of God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

FORWARD WITH FAITH…over the past few weeks I have been writing about how our parish family will be participating in the Forward with Faith campaign, partnering with the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation. Through the Forward with Faith campaign, we will not only meet the needs of our parish here and now, but we will also strive to build the strong financial foundation necessary to address future needs and strengthen our parishes, schools, faith formation programs and social service ministries here and throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford. And, HBF has at its core an emphasis on evangelization, to bring back those Catholics who have fallen away and to inspire non-Catholics to join us in a faith that is enthusiastic and joyful. Archbishop Blair believes strongly in ensuring that our parishes are prepared with the necessary resources to nurture the next generation of Catholics. That is why this campaign is not only, or even principally, about the Archdiocese. Fifty percent of funds collected through each local parish campaign will remain with the parish. Parishes that exceed their goals will receive 80% of those additional funds collected. This is an incredible opportunity for us to help our Archdiocese prepare for the future while taking care of our own parish needs at the same time. Moreover, the remaining funds directed toward the Foundation will be used to strategically invest in the spiritual and economic vibrancy of our parish communities through grant funding. Over the next few weeks, all of you will be hearing more about the campaign as we seek to invite everyone to participate in this extraordinary effort. For 150 years our Catholic Community in Cheshire was built on the sacrifices and dedication of those who came before us. Now it is our turn to make an investment in the future of the Catholic Church in our community. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct our efforts as we begin this historic journey together. Please join me in praying for our success throughout the Forward with Faith campaign.

FORMED.ORG… THE CATHOLIC NETFLIX IS FREE!!! Did I mention it is FREE TO YOU! Finally there is a technology platform for the delivery of award-winning Catholic content. Have you checked it out yet? Don’t wait!

OVER 200 families have signed up already! Why don’t you join us today?

A parishioner wrote me the other day and said “I wanted to say thank you for FORMED.org. I checked it out and got into learning more about confession and I went to confession the other day for the first time in over thirty years. Thank you for this gift to us and for encouraging us to check it out. I am sure glad I did.”

Another parent wrote me the other day an email and said she just wanted to thank the parish for FORMED.org since she and her children have been enjoying the content for kids available on FORMED. She particularly mentioned watching the Saints and Heroes Collection one video a week. She said, “they are well done and the kids enjoy them, thanks!”

What can you find on FORMED.org? Children’s programming that is age-appropriate, audio talks on the faith and spirituality, e-books and more. There are daily reflections, opportunities to pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and Stations of the Cross. There is content directed to couples being married, children in religious education and Catholic schools, parents preparing for the Baptism of their child, teens preparing for Confirmation, and so much more. Did I mention this is available to you for FREE?

My hope and prayer is that the content on FORMED will enrich, deepen, and inspire your faith.

To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:

· Go to https://signup.formed.org/

· Enter our parish’s zip code or name to select our parish

· Enter your name and your email address

That’s it! You’re in and once you have signed-up then you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store. I cannot wait to hear from more of our parishioners how you are using FORMED in your homes!

As always, remember to pray for vocations, pray for our young people, pray for our parish families and ask God’s blessings as we strive to build His kingdom here.Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.

Forward in Faith

Dear Friends in Christ:

Many people have been asking me when the Annual Family Commitment is going to take place this year. The answer is—it is not. Each year I am inspired by the generosity of our parishioners to the Annual Family Commitment and helping our parish to address very real needs that impact us all. Thank you for your support of your parish family!

So, why are we not having an Annual Family Commitment this year? Because we are participating in the Forward with Faith campaign partnering with the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation. So let me provide you with some background information as we begin this process here in our parish.

Founded in 2016, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation, Inc. (HBF) is a 501(c)(3) forward-thinking nonprofit dedicated to advancing the mission of the Archdiocese of Hartford. This is achieved by supporting the Church’s mission within the wider context of the spiritual, social, and material well-being of everyone in the Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties. HBF is dedicated to advancing the mission of the Archdiocese of Hartford by encouraging philanthropy and strategically investing in parishes, schools, ministries, and services that are integral to the Archdiocese’s vibrancy and long-term sustainability. To learn more about HBF visit www.hartfordbishopsfoundation.org.

The creation of HBF was in response to the call of Pope Francis for all of us to become Missionary Disciples first broached in his 2013 Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).

“The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept His offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.”

From there Pope Francis tasked us to do more, to welcome more, to embrace more by becoming missionary disciples. “I dream of a 'missionary option,' that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”

HBF seeks to do just that by partnering with parishes throughout the Archdiocese in the Forward with Faith campaign. Through this campaign, we will not only meet the needs of our parish here and now, but we will also strive to build the strong financial foundation necessary to address future needs and strengthen our parishes, schools, faith formation programs and social service ministries. And, HBF has at its core an emphasis on evangelization, to bring back those Catholics who have fallen away and to inspire non-Catholics to join us in a faith that is enthusiastic and joyful.

Before parish life paused in March of 2020, our parish was working with HBF to begin the process of participating in the Forward with Faith campaign. Since then, the Parish Pastoral Council was tasked by me to establish the Priorities we wished to address with the funds raised through the Forward with Faith campaign. 50% of the funds raised up to our goal ($1,170,000) will remain in the parish and 80% of any funds over goal remain here as well. These funds will be used for the following three priorities:

Priority One—Outreach Evangelization: Our parish is blessed with an active Adult Education Program, and we are forming a Young Adult Ministry. The Adult Education Program seeks to help adults grow in their faith through bible studies, evening programs, and special speaker programs. The Young Adult Ministry attracts young adults to come together with their peers to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. With your generosity, we will continue to seek ways to help adults of all ages to engage in their faith while living in the real world, which often is in opposition to their faith beliefs. Your generosity will bolster and expand our programs and enable us to bring in speakers of interest to our parishioners and on basic Catholic teachings.

Priority Two—Youth Ministry Mission Trip: The Next Generation of Disciples has grown in membership in the past year. (Probably the only ministry anywhere to grow during a pandemic!) A mission trip will be a significant venue for this to continue. It is our hope to fund a mission trip for our young people to experience the joy of helping others while putting their faith into practice.

Priority Three—The Church building at our North Campus needs additional repairs. Having completed the HVAC project and recently the pew and floor project, the next phase will address the ceiling and improve the lighting. Other improvements to our worship space include painting of the church and installing a new system for projection of videos. We also need to address the accessibility of the facility for those with physical limitations.

As you can see, the focus of the funds, first and foremost, will be evangelization and growth in the faith, then, if funds permit, improvements to the north campus church building. I remain hopeful, with your generosity, we will see these priorities being met.

Through your support, we will create in both our parish and the archdiocese new programs and initiatives to evangelize to all who wish to find a home in our Catholic Community. As Mother Teresa so eloquently stated in A Simple Path: “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”

Over the next few months, all of you will be hearing more about the campaign as we seek to invite everyone to participate in this extraordinary effort. For 150 years our Catholic Community in Cheshire was built on the sacrifices and dedication of those who came before us. Now it is our turn to make an investment in the future of the Catholic Church in our community. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct our efforts as we begin this historic journey together. Please join me in praying for our success throughout the Forward with Faith campaign.

Other Parish News:

The Annual Mass of Remembrance was held on Tuesday, November 2nd. I express a special word of gratitude to Sister Mary Rose, our Pastoral Associate, as well as Joan Roczynski and Paula Matthews, from our Ministry for Hope and Healing, for all of their efforts in coordinating this year’s Mass of Remembrance. At this Mass we lit a candle for each of the parishioners who have died in the past year.

Each candle had a picture on it of the Lord embracing another with the parishioner’s name below the picture. After the Mass, the families who were present were given these candles as a token of remembrance and as a reminder of our prayers for them as they continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. I was very moved by the prayerfulness of the whole experience that evening and as I looked out at so many faces I was recalling the memories so many shared with me at the time of their loved one’s funeral. It was a reminder to me of how blessed we are as priests to walk this journey of faith with you, our parishioners, through such significant moments in your families’ lives.

If you have a relative whose funeral Mass was celebrated here in our parish this past year and you were unable to be present for the Mass you can obtain the candle after Mass this weekend or you can call the rectory to arrange picking it up during the week.

Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

JOIN US!!! Our "No Turkey Parish Thanksgiving Dinner" will be held on Friday, November 19th! Please sign-up to join us by filling out the flyer that is in the bulletins this weekend, or call the rectory, or buy a ticket when you come to Mass next weekend.

In addition to a delicious Italian dinner, we will also have activities for the children and entertainment for all to enjoy. Please make an effort to come and join us as we gather as a parish family to give thanks to God for all His blessings.

The essay contest of recent years was a tremendous hit that we are doing it again! We are asking all school aged children to write a paragraph or more about what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving. We will select a few of them to be read at our No Turkey Parish Thanksgiving Dinner by the students! Essays must be turned in by Wednesday, November 17th, to be considered. These can be turned in through the collection, dropped off at the rectory, emailed to office@stbridgetcheshire.org, or given to the school or religious education office.

As always, remember to pray for vocations, pray for our young people, pray for our parish families and ask God’s blessings as we strive to build His kingdom here. Please know that I am praying for you, and I ask for your prayers for me, that together through the intercession of Saint Bridget of Sweden, our Patroness, and united in the Eucharist, we will reflect the presence of Jesus to the world.