HOW TO FIND FAITH AT THE MOVIES: Encountering Your Wise Ones (Part Two)

John Darrouzet - Movies 5b

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Previously, in John’s series of posts, HOW TO FIND FAITH AT THE MOVIES, he described the ordinary world of the person seeking to decide about matters of faith in The Fool’s Quest to Understand. In Issuing the Call to Adventure, he invited us to begin one’s faith journey by stating the issue of faith to be decided. In his third post, The Role of Reluctance, he examined how reluctance to decide plays a key role in our adventures. Now in this the second of his two-part fourth post, Encountering Your Wise Ones, he invites us to encounter the general advice of wise ones, especially  “The Pope and “The Popess” inside us.

Following the hero’s journey, as noted in my earliest post, as it unfolds within oneself on the Decision-Maker’s Path ™, we now find ourselves at the fourth milestone where the hero encounters wise ones in our continuing effort to decide one stated issue, for example:

Whether, since I will someday die,
I want to take only those courses of action that
satisfy my love of life?

This second Part of Encountering Your Wise Ones, follows Part One.

4.20. The Stranger: What is a perfect stranger advising?

There is a sense in which Jesus and Patton are alike. Neither fought their battles in a traditional way. They kept moving. They wandered over their battle fields, always with their endgame in mind.

Take a listen to Lee Marvin as “Ben Rumson” singing Wandering Star. I hope you get that sense of what it’s like being a stranger in a strange land, wandering about looking for the true goldmine.

When “Ben” runs into Clint Eastwood’s character, “Pardner,” a complete stranger, he finds gold. The movie Paint Your Wagon tells their story and the lessons learned from joining a wagon train and finding the right partners. For a time both Ben and Pardner share Jean Seberg’s character “Elizabeth” as their wife after they won her in an auction from a Mormon who brought her into the gold miner’s “No Name City” along with his other wife.

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The story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman also deals with this theme of encountering the stranger and the strangeness of having multiple spouses.

From the Samaritan woman’s perspective, Jesus is the stranger. From the P.O.V. of Jesus, the Samaritan woman is the stranger. When Jesus questions the Samaritan woman  about her five husbands, Scott Hahn interprets this to be a reference to the five gods of Ba’al, since the word for husband was baal. Jesus, as we know, goes on to offer the woman the water of life instead of encouraging her to settle for the water from the well.

When one is openly searching for true gold or the water of life, there are many mines (minds) to look into and many wells to consider. Finding the right “Pardner” is not always so obvious, especially when you have issues arising out of where you come from. Many may seem perfectly strange.

In 24 hours, you could wander through many belief systems intellectually.

Religions of the Hours

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Starting at 1:00 p.m., you could wander about and learn more concerning the systems of beliefs found in Shintoism; at 2:00 p.m., in Taoism; at 3:00 p.m., Hinduism; at 4:00 p.m., Buddhism; at 5:00 p.m., Confucianism; at 6:00 p.m., Pythagoreanism; at 7:00 p.m., Kabbalah; at 8:00 p.m., Unitarianism; at 9:00 p.m. Freemasonry; at 10:00, p.m. Agnosticism; at 11:00 p.m., Alchemy; at 12:00 midnight, Atheism; at 1:00 a.m., Animism; at 2:00 a.m., Astrology; at 3:00 a.m., New Age; at 4:00 a.m. Wicca; at 5:00 a.m., Thelema; at 6:00 a.m., Zoroastrianism; at 7:00 a.m., Judaism; at 8:00 a.m., Christianity; at 9:00 a.m., Islam; at 10:00 a.m., Sikhism; at 11:00 a.m., Hermeticism; and at 12 noon, Humanism.

 

The “Religions of the Hours” chart illustrates how the various religions can be considered as giving choices among apparent equals.

Yet, when you look at Roman Catholicism, for example as set forth here, where the Church is warning about New Age approaches to meditation, you may also discover that, for Roman Catholics, at the center of time, there is seemingly endless struggle between the dark forces of night in Satanism and the light of day in the human God: Jesus. (Val Bianco contributed a post called It’s the Devil, Stupid noticing this central point.) 

One of Pope Francis’ first tweets bears this out:

We must not believe the Evil One
when he tells us that there is nothing we can do
in the face of violence, injustice and sin.

Obviously, people can and do start and stop at different hours in their faith journeys and may well skip around and find the many other types of religions available for consideration.

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But beyond the wisdom of wise ones, is there anything or anyone else we seek? Remember that this is where St. Thomas Aquinas opens his Summa Theologicae with a stunningly simple question: “Whether, besides philosophy, any further doctrine is required?”

4.21. THE POPE: WHAT IS YOUR \”POPE\” ADVISING?

The answer to that question is clearly “Yes!” But what else is it? Whom do we turn to?

We have all experienced a most unusual time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the history of our Popes. During my lifetime, I have reflected many times on the wisdom of our Popes, and now look forward to getting to know more about our newly elected Pope Francis. But it was the movie The Shoes of the Fisherman that got me to focus more on the role of our pope in helping form my conscience.

 

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Take a look at this movie and you will be astonished at how prophetic its themes are in helping describe the profile of the kind of Pope the world needs and wants.

At the same time, looking back on history, I have come to a deep awareness of how much the idea of having a “Pope” has changed. Before King Henry VIII revolted against the Church, you may recall, he was given the title Defender of the Faith by Pope Leo X because of his efforts to oppose Martin Luther concerning the sacraments, including the sacrament of marriage. But when Henry VIII couldn’t get his way about his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he not only broke from the Church in 1530, but he made himself head (pope) of the Church of England. (See The Rise And Growth of The Anglican Schism.) The Protestant Reformation, even more than Cartesianism and all of its progeny in modern philosophies, may have been the force that opened the door to the rise of relativism in our times.

As you might expect and may have experienced, this results in many claiming to be their own “Pope” or “Popess” in matters of their faith, putting aside tradition and historical concerns.

At times, the advice of relativists seems to be “get lost and find your self,” with people suffering the consequences of the paradoxical situation they find themselves in. The paradox can be resolved, though, as suggested interestingly in the song Presence of the Lord, by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood.

Roman Catholics have ready and public access to profoundly developed advice in the Deposit of Faith. It finds voice in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Canon Law, just to mention two critical ones. These sources build on what the Bible and especially The New Testament offers as their starting point. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in contrast to each being our own pope or popess, addresses such relativistic approaches in terms not only of its paragraphs about the Pope, but especially in terms of the dignity of the human person’s conscience.

In two pertinent parts, the Catechism provides:

1776. “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man\’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.\”

(Do you share my wonder if an American had a hand in numbering this paragraph?)  

1782. Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. \”He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.\”

We also have the writings of our Roman Catholic Popes to fall back on. Below, for example, are links to the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. (An app I have found handy for my phone makes them available too.)

I have organized Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals in a way that shows how they may be used along the major stages of the hero’s journey, and impliedly the Decision-Maker’s Path ™ , for a perspective consistent with our overall effort in this series of posts and our Catholic Stand blog as a whole.

The 14 Encyclicals of Pope John Paul II

1. The hero is seen in his ordinary world: The Redeemer of Man (HISTORY)

2. The hero is called to adventure: The Gospel of Life (LIFE)

3. The hero is reluctant: On Human Work (BUSINESS)

4. The hero encounters wise ones: Apostles of the Slavs (EDUCATION)

5. The hero crosses the first threshold: The Splendor of Truth (SCIENCE)

6. The hero meets test and helpers: On Social Concern (POLITICS)

7. The hero reaches the inner sanctum:   Mother of the Redeemer (MEDICINE)

8. The hero endures the supreme ordeal: Mission Of The Redeemer (LAW)

9. The hero seizes the sword: On the Relationship Between Faith and Reason (FAITH)

10. The hero takes the road back: 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum (ART)

11. The hero experiences a death and resurrection: On the Mercy of God (SOCIAL)

12. The hero returns with the elixir: On the Church’s Commitment to Ecumenism; On the Eucharist in Its Relationship To The Church; and On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World (FAMILY)

Listing them this way invites their reading in this order. Reading them in the original does involve some pretty heavy lifting, so I include a link to versions of the Pope’s encyclicals in laymen’s language here.

Leila Miller reasonably asserts The Pope Is Not As Powerful As You Think. On the other hand, perhaps Pope Francis is more powerful than many expected.

At the same time. the wisdom Roman Catholic Popes bring to our attention is not a Gnostic philosophy, but over 2000 years of thoroughly vetted, Roman Catholic theologyhistorical experiencesacraments that integrate personal mind, heart, soul, spirit with God and our neighbors with ourselves; and the fulfillment of all desire 

Moreover, while our Popes are more transparent than the heads of most other religions and philosophies, the depth and breadth of their advice is still limited to its general essentials. Until our consciences grasp these essentials in existential awareness, we may know what is advised and still not benefit from it. For example, how many of us understand the essentials put before us by Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount, but have not actually decided to put its blessings into practice? Perhaps Pope Francis will demonstrate the Jesuit way of being Pope, as suggested in the excellent book Contemplatives in Action.

4.22. THE POPESS: WHAT ACTIONS IS YOUR \”POPESS\” TAKING?

Meanwhile, imagine you can sing like Anita Baker. Imagine you are singing Giving You the Best That I’ve Got as a response to discovering that Jesus loves you. Ponder the romantic lyrics as if you are speaking to Jesus. Suddenly, the philosophical and theological understanding we arrive at intellectually in our minds yields to our existential reason of the heart. Our hearts, looked at in this way, may well be our internal “Popess” who wills only one thing. What is that one thing?

Is there a movie that depicts the one thing? Take a look at Places in the Heart.

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Sally Field’s character demonstrates the female hero or heroine. She reminds me that one’s journey of faith is not all about philosophy, theology, doctrine and dogma alone as if we only live in our heads. She urges us to act to save the family farm.

Jesus notes this tendency of women to act, and not just think about things, when he sees and comments on The Widow’s Mite.

As I meditated on this encounter, I was almost immediately taken back to the practice the women in my family taught me from an early age: saying the Rosary.

When I considered the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries of the Rosary as a way of seeing the life of Jesus from the perspective of his mother Mary, I saw how Mary’s journey itself fit the hero’s journey and can assist us along the way.

Mary’s Heroic Journey

 A. Mary, the joyful heroine, shares her ordinary world with us.

1. The Annunciation

2. The Visitation.

3. The Nativity.

4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.

B. Mary, the luminous heroine, shares seeing Jesus called to adventure.

6. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.

C. Mary shares facing the reluctance of Jesus.

7. The Wedding at Cana.

D. Mary shares her encounters with her wise son.

8. Jesus\’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

E. Mary shares her own passage through the threshold when she hears about the transfiguration of Jesus.

9. The Transfiguration.

F. Mary shares her encounters with tests and helpers along the way of her son’s ministry all the way up to his Last Supper.

10. The Institution of the Eucharist.

G. Mary, the sorrowful heroine, reaches her inner sanctum shares what she feels when she learns of Jesus’ agony in the garden.

11. The Agony in the Garden.

H. Mary shares how she endures the supreme ordeal of seeing Jesus scourged.

12. The Scourging at the Pillar.

I. Mary shares how she “seizes the sword” seeing Jesus crowned King of Kings.

13. The Crowning with Thorns.

J. Mary shares how she “takes the road back,” experiencing the Death of Jesus.

14. The Carrying of the Cross.

15. The Crucifixion.

K. Mary, the glorious heroine, shares how she experiences the Resurrection of Jesus.

16. The Resurrection.

L. Mary shares how Jesus returns her to Heaven with the true “elixir” that discloses her intimate role in gaining our access as well.

17. The Ascension.

18. The Descent of the Holy Spirit.

19. The Assumption of Mary.

20. The Coronation of the Virgin.

 

St. Francis De Sales, it is said, saw two ladders to Heaven: a rather steep one leading directly to Jesus and another far less steep leading towards Mary.  Jesus told St. Francis, \”Tell your sons to come by the other ladders.\” Is the easiest way to Jesus is through his Mother Mary?

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Next time we will cross the first threshold into the existential adventure of dealing with our issue; but for now please try to unpack the general advice given you by your own wise ones about the issue of faith you are trying to decide.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

HOW TO FIND FAITH AT THE MOVIES

Using

The Decision-Maker’s Path ™

By John Darrouzet

(Ordered List of Themes, Questions,

Musical Warm-Ups, Movie Links, and Meditations)

 

No. Theme Question Musical
Warm-Up
Movie Meditation

HOW TO FIND FAITH AT THE MOVIES: Encountering Your Wise Ones

4.17. Approach How does sin affect your approach? I Walk the Line Seven Jesus and the Tribute Money
4.18. Contemplation What are you observing in others? Sailing The Lives of Others The Pharisee and the Publican
4.19. Confidence What stories are showing your issue? Roll With It Patton Jesus Speaks in Parables
4.20. The Stranger What is a perfect stranger advising? Wandering Star Paint Your Wagon Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
4.21. THE POPE WHAT IS YOUR \”POPE\” ADVISING? Presence of the Lord The Shoes of the Fisherman The Sermon on the Mount
4.22. THE POPESS WHAT ACTIONS IS YOUR \”POPESS\” TAKING? Giving You the Best That I’ve Got Places in the Heart Jesus and the Widow’s Mite

 

© 2013 John Darrouzet. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

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7 thoughts on “HOW TO FIND FAITH AT THE MOVIES: Encountering Your Wise Ones (Part Two)”

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