In this month, we celebrate our Mother Mary. During May, we celebrate multiple Marian feasts: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (May 13); Our Lady of Fatima (May 13); Our Lady, Queen of Apostles (the Saturday following the Ascension- May 23); Mary, Help of Christians (May 24); Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces (May 31); and the Visitation (May 31).
A tradition within the Church has been the May Crowning (History of May Devotions to Mary) Mary, the greatest saint, is crowned queen of heaven and of earth. In our own homes, we can have our own crowning. If you have a Statue or an image of the Blessed Virgin, along with some flowers, you can remember her role as our queen mother.
Additionally, OLMC is partnering with Catholic Action for Faith and Family in a virtual May Crowning celebrated by Fr. Anthony this Wednesday on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, live at 12 pm. Join in this Wednesday. More information.
This week our family feature is “Remember the Titans” (PG). The run time is 1hr 53 min; you can rent or purchase it here.It may not be suitable for all young children. There are thematic elements about racism in the 60's, some locker room talk in the form of moderately offensive "yo mamma" jokes, and some violence and tragedy (car accident) that may be hard for youngsters to watch not in animated form. Lastly, there is one joke where the new guy kisses the team captain to establish himself in the team hierarchy.
"Remember the Titans" is a sports movie, but at its heart its about empathy, integrity, and teamwork. It also presents a beautiful motif about how struggling and hardship makes us stronger and brings us closer together.
1. It is easy for us today to look back and know that racism was completely wrong, but the people living in that time did not have the luxury of hindsight like we do. The issue of racism seemed controversial in those times, so the average person would just go along with the crowd and not feel like a bad person. What are some potential issues today that seem controversial but really are not?
2. In the movie, the Titans went through a lot of hardship. First, they dealt with the internal struggle of a new head coach, then they had a grueling training camp, then they had to deal with racism when they got back, and finally, the hardship when their team captain got into a serious car accident before the finals. Did these struggles help or hurt them? Anyone could have easily crumbled under similar hardships, what or who prevented them from crumbling?
3. Throughout the movie we see some excellent role models, and then we see how their example spreads. First, there is Coach Boon who strives to treat all the kids equally. Then Coach Yoast comes around and the two coaches learn to trust each other. Their example spreads to Julius and Gary, the two team captains of the team, and through their example, the rest of the team comes together. Finally, the team itself become a role model for the school, their families, and the whole town. Who are your role models and what do they teach you? How can you live their teachings so that you yourself can become a role model?
Reflect on this Bible passage: Mark 13: 9-13.
"Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them. But the gospel must first be preached to all nations. When they lead you away and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say. But say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
4. Throughout the movie, there is a lot of persecution, but for me the most interesting persecution is the persecution of Gary. He loses his best friend, he loses his girlfriend temporarily, and even his mother was not happy with his choice of Julius as a friend. At any time, Gary could have abandoned Julius and been accepted by the "crowd" again, but he refused, standing up for his principles. How did Gary demonstrate integrity on and off the field? Are we prepared to sacrifice fame, fortune, popularity, or even friends to stand up for Jesus' teachings? Are you prepared to be hated in the name of Jesus? It's easy to stand up to your enemies, but how does Gary stand up to his friends? Does he scold them? Or does he simply state what he believes with firmness and conviction? Is he judgmental about them, or is he patient?
(Note how "not being judgmental" doesn't mean just "going along" with the bad things. It means judging the sin, but not the sinner).