The Apostle

At the St Genesius Film Club in Dublin last night we watched a most amazing movie, perhaps one of the most moving I have ever seen. L'Apotre is a 2014 French film dealing with a young Muslim man's struggle with his gradual conversion to Christianity (Catholicism) and the consequences of that decision for himself, his family and his Muslim community. The film is directed by the young gifted director Cheyenne Carron.

As you can imagine the film is controversial. It deals with its subject matter very sensitively and is certainly not given to stereotypes, reaction in France has been hostile and its release was very limited. Following the Charlie Hebdo killings it has not been shown in France, though it is now availabel on DVD.

The film compares Islam and Christianity, in particular each religion's understanding of charity. The protagonist Akim is a devout Muslim, at the beginning of the movie he is among a group of young men, which includes his brother Youssef, preparing to become Imams. Akim and Youssef's maternal uncle Rachid is the local Imam. By and large there is a positive depiction of Islam here: Rachid is a good teacher, a good man and sensitive towards people of other faiths - we see him correct more hot-headed Muslims. He knows his Quran and explains the various teachings in the suras and verses very well. Akim is certainly taken with this.

However everything changes for Akim when he encounters a murder in the locality. A woman is killed by a neighbour's son. Her brother is the local Catholic priest and Akim hears that the priest, though distraught at his sister's death, will not leave the area because he wants his presence to be a consolation and help to the parents of the murderer (this is actually based on a real situation the director herself encountered). Akim is struck by this act of charity, and it is his reflection and investigation of this act and the faith which inspires it which leads to his comparing it with Islam and his eventual conversion.

One of the wonderful things about the movie is its emphasis on the Catholic faith. There is a beautiful baptism scene - Akim is invited to attend by a new-found Catholic friend, and this ceremony is a revelation to him, and to the viewers I'm sure as it is beautifully done. As Akim reads Scripture his pondering the words out loud remind you of the beauty of the Word of God. The director herself seems to be meditating on the Scriptures as much as her protagonist, allowing the viewer to glimpse the heart of the Christian faith. 

As he finally accepts Christianity, Akim tells his mother, she senses he has a secret and she believes that he has fallen in love - he has all the traits of it. He agrees with her, it is obvious at this stage that this is the correct language to describe what he been happening to him. He has fallen in love with Christ and with the Christian faith. For me that sums it all up. That is what being a disciple of Christ is all about: falling in love with Jesus and living that love in his Church.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Apart from anything else, it is a beautiful exposition of what it means to be a Christian and what is expected of a a Christian, and on that alone, it is inspiring.

What is also interesting is that the actor playing Akim, Faycal Safi is himself a Muslim. See an brief interview with him here.

Here is a trailer, without subtitles, but it gives you an idea of what the movie is like.

The Conversion of St Paul

I was visiting a painter friend of mine, Richard Moore, who is working on a couple of commissions for us: a painting of St Genesius to be presented to the Holy Father during our pilgrimage to Rome in April, and a series of paintings depicting the life and martyrdom of St Genesius, which he is doing in watercolour.  I was stunned by the beauty and dynamism of the works, and the portrait of Genesius for the Pope was very engaging.  When the works are finished I may upload some of them on to the blog.

Richard normally paints landscapes and city scenes, but a couple of years ago we engaged him to do a realist painting of St Genesius to compliment the Icon: the image of the martyr I use on my blog (above right) is a detail from the painting - the model was an Italian actor.   As we were discussing the series of watercolours, I asked him how he was going to depict that dramatic moment when Genesius was touched by the Holy Spirit and converted: Richard went silent, he was deep in thought.

What a challenge!  To depict in an image the dramatic turn of a human heart, an overwhelming encounter with God - an upheaval    It is so easy to fall into melodrama, and even easier to stumble at the final hurdle and fail.  The greatest artists are those who can capture that moment.

The Conversion of St Paul, the feast we celebrate today, is an event which offers such a challenge to the artist.  Some chose not to show Paul's face, just the dramatic fall, the twisted body, the shock on the faces of Paul's companions.  But this event presents all of us with such a challenge - not merely to try depicting the event on canvas, but rather to see it in the context of our own lives - a moment of conversion for all of us. 

How would we react to such a revelation?  Such revelations, though not as dramatic as Paul's, are part and parcel of our daily lives as God reaches out to us and calls us into a deeper relationship with him, and anoints us as his missionaries in the world.  How do we respond to that call?  How do we as Christians manifest in our daily lives the same light that floored the bigot Saul and made him the Apostle Paul? 

Now there's something to reduce all of us to silence as we work it out, prayerfully.  Happy feast day. 

The Lesson From St Matthew

The call of St Matthew has been a story which has always fascinated me.  Apart from the generosity of the Lord in admitting into his service one who had a notorious past - always a consolation to a sinner like myself as I reflect on my own call to the priesthood; the manner of the call of the Apostle is very interesting.

We all know what happened - it is the story offered to us in the Gospel reading today as we celebrate the Apostle's feast day - and from St Matthew's own hand too.  The Lord simply passes the tax collector as he is siphoning the money from the Jews and calls him: "Follow me", and Matthew just gets up and follows him.  What happened in the heart of this man?  Though we read from St Matthew's own account, he tells us nothing of what led him to get up straight away and leave all to follow Jesus.

Conversion is a most mysterious process - one which happens in the mystery of grace and at the deepest level of our being.  Most of the time it is a long process as in the case of St Augustine, Blessed John Henry Newman and GK Chesterton, but we also have sudden conversions - rare events which shock the protagonist as much as the observer; two of the Apostles experienced such conversions, St Paul and St Matthew.   As those who are converted slowly struggle to take the final step, sudden converts seem to be born fully grown and determined.  Paul needed a time of blindness and a period in the desert, but St Matthew is already prepared to fly into the Lord's service, becoming one of the twelve and being admitted into the secrets of the Sacred Heart.

We will never know, I suppose, what happened in St Matthew's heart - not here on earth anyway, because he may not have known himself at that time: perhaps he only knew that here standing before him was his Lord and what he was offering was much greater than what he had been living up to then.  It may have taken a surge of faith, a leap into the dark as the philosopher Kierkegaard would say, or perhaps there was already a hunger which suddenly found its satisfaction in the one whose voice touched his heart.  It was a personal encounter between Christ and Matthew, an encounter between them in the very core of his soul.

As we reflect on this mystery, though, we might look into our own hearts to rediscover what led us to follow Christ.  Perhaps we had a conversion - I believe all of us must have one, even cradle Catholics - that moment when we hear the voice of the Lord and make the decision to get up and follow him.  Meditating on this today, we might experience that moment again, relive it so as to be renewed in it, for it was a moment of grace.  In these difficult times, we need to harness that moment, perhaps daily, in order to continue to serve and follow him with confidence and hope.  To remember that being a Christian is as much a personal thing as a public thing - we are called to follow the Lord at level of our being, in every moment of our lives - in intimacy and in public witness.  This is why the call of St Matthew is so fascinating because so little is revealed and yet we know that there is so much going on: so too in us.

As he got up and left his counting table, St Matthew did not know what lay ahead, and neither do we; but as he walked behind his Lord he was sure that all would be well as long as he stayed close to Jesus: this is also true for us. 

Ordinariates

Great news yesterday from Anna Arco in the Catholic Herald.  The leader of the Forward in Faith movement, a group of orthodox Anglicans, Bishop John Broadhurst, Bishop of Fulham, has announced that he is entering the Catholic Church; he hopes to be a member of the Ordinariate established by Pope Benedict XVI before the end of the year (his keynote address can be downloaded here).  According to Damien Thompson, this makes four Anglican bishops who are preparing to enter the Church.  This is wonderful news.  Bishop Broadhurst has been working for many years trying to find a solution to the problems posed within Anglicanism by recent innovations.  He will be an asset to the Church and will help many others who are discerning entering with his wisdom and example.  We must accompany him with our prayers. 

One question I am asking myself is: are these Anglicans converting?   Can we use that word, since many of them already accept most of the teachings of the Catholic faith (the primacy of the Pope may be a difficulty for some)? For many years they have believed in the Real Presence as the Catholic Church teaches, they love Our Lady with that gentle passion which is traditionally English and beautiful; they embrace the saints and venerate them as we do.  They love the liturgy and have been celebrating it in a "Roman manner" (if I can say that), and they have been deferential towards the Holy See, desiring union in their hearts for many years.  Ironically their faith has been more Catholic than some within the Church as it is.  But is this conversion?  I don't think so.  In official terms they are entering full communion with the Catholic Church and the successor of St Peter.  We could say they are coming home, or taking their rightful places in the family of the faith. 

I think Pope Benedict's visit to the UK has helped these Anglicans and convinced them of his sincerity and the warmth of the welcome he will give them.  Contrary to what the press maintains, Benedict is not poaching, but as a loving father opening the door even wider to help restore unity among Christians.  I also think Blessed John Henry is working in heaven and obtaining myriad graces for all concerned.

Whole Anglican parish in Kent also coming into the Church: see here.