Monthly Archives: March 2020

Bartolom Esteban Murillo, The Resurrection of the Lord, c. 1655 (Public Domain)

COMMENTARY: Turn to the Savior of the world who conquered death when fear or anxiety strikes.

The global coronavirus pandemic has made it clear how interconnected, vulnerable and fragile mankind is--and how undivided we are in our unity against death. As fear of this disease haunts Americans' minds and hearts to the point it's paralyzing our nation, I'm reminded how many times Christ told us, "Be not afraid," and I feel compelled to ask a serious question. If we as Catholics truly believe that when we receive Christ in the Eucharist were receiving the fountain of immortality, shouldnt we be more stouthearted in the face of this news than the secular culture around us is?

As we journey through Lent, joyfully anticipating the bright new day of Christs Easter Resurrection, this seems an appropriate time to take stock of our spiritual lives and remember what that word salvation really means. When the prophet Isaiah 12:2 says, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation, whats he talking about? What exactly has Christ saved us from?

Well, of course, the short answer is that hes saved us from death.

Hold on a minute. Didnt Christ come to save us from sin? Yes, but theres more to it than that, explains Wyoming Catholic College Byzantine chaplain Father David Anderson. St. Athanasius says the problem with us isnt ultimately sin. God could have forgiven all the sins of the world gratuitously without the Incarnation. But to get rid of death, which is the source of sin, God had to become incarnate and take upon himself not only sin but also death. He points to a quotation in the Book of Wisdom: God created man for life and immortality, but by the envy of the devil, death [not sin] entered into the world.

So our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, the eternal Son of God, comes to die voluntarily in order that he might destroy the power of death, Father Anderson continues. Thats what we are preparing for now as we journey through Lent toward the greatest celebration of the year the destruction of death. The destruction of death includes the destruction of sin, but sin is the symptom and death is the disease.

In the Byzantine tradition, Father Anderson adds, hundreds of times in the course of the Paschal celebration, were going to sing, Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death. Sometimes that word trampling is translated as conquering. But the original word in Greek literally means he stomped and smashed it to bits.

Furthermore, Father Anderson reminds us, eternal life doesn't begin only at some point "after we die." Eternal life in Christ begins now.

In a reassuring March 13 letter on the coronavirus, Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago reminded the faithful that every test sent is by the will of God and that much information we receive through the mass media is incomplete or incorrect.

We are a people of faith, and that is why we see Gods Providence in this event which is teaching todays world to stop, listen and understand the language of God, the language of his mercy and love, Bishop Benedict wrote. Observing that this situation gives us a unique opportunity to love one another, he added, Let us protect ourselves, not only from this virus, which can destroy our body, but also from the virus that can kill our soul, through panic, anger, censure and confusion.

As the coronavirus reveals just how vulnerable we are as a race and a nation, fears of sickness and death have many Americans running scared. Thankfully, as people who know the meaning of salvation, weve been given the faith and hope to rise above fear and be for those around us a center of calm in the midst of the storm.

Sue Ellen Browder writes from Lander, Wyoming, home of Wyoming Catholic College.

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Christ Provides the Antidote to Fear Amid Coronavirus - National Catholic Register

Watching The Vampire Diarieswas often like a mad rush because so much happened in each episode. The momentum kept the fans watching for eight seasons, even after the central character, Elena was gone or "asleep." We were pulled in by the main characters' arcs and friendships. Additionally, the storylines were dramatic and interesting, pulling us in, making us want more.

RELATED: The Vampire Diaries Universe Top 10 Love Triangles

However, not every storyline was stellar; some became dull, or problematic, or even too dramatic. Which are the most hated storylines?

Damon finds out that his and Stefan's mother has been banished and imprisoned in a Gemini-coven prison world. He wants to bring her back, but she won't come without the heretics, witches-turned-vampire. When the group works to bring her friends back as well, Mother Salvatore appears to prefer the heretics to her sons, further rubbing the salt into both Stefan and Damon's wounds.

The heretics could have been interesting characters, but other than Valerie, the rest weren't given much screen time or allowed for much character development. We had Mary Louise and Nora, two heretic lovers who were never able to express their love in the world that they came from. So much more could have been done with their storyline. Additionally, all the heretics seemed to be devoted to Mother Salvatore, as if she were their mother. This loyalty was never really fully explored.

The Silas storyline was extremely dramatic. We learned where the doppelgangers started from--Silas and Amara. We also learned that Qetsiyah had cursed them, especially Amara who had to suffer supernatural beings walking through her in order to get to the other side.

Due to this role, Amara was desperate for a cure to her immortality. All of this could have been very interesting, and part of it was. However, the majority of this storyline became too melodramatic and diverted from the more interesting drama of our core group.

Stefan knew Valerie before either was a vampire. She was his first girlfriend prior to his all encompassing love for Katherine. We find out that Valerie still has a torch for Stefan, and that she had been pregnant with Stefan's child, losing it in a miscarriage. Knowing this complicated Stefan's feelings.

RELATED: The Vampire Diaries 10 Most Shameless Things Stefan Ever Did

Meanwhile, he had been assuring a jealous Caroline that she had nothing to fear about his past with Valerie. In the end, Stefan leaves Caroline (partly to save her), but he abandons her in that he doesn't even stay in touch. During this time, he is attached to Valerie. She is her girlfriend. He may have stayed with her due to their history, but it was clear that these two didn't have much of a future.

Once Stefan left and Caroline had the twins, she couldn't leave the twins. As much as she assured herself and others that she wasn't technically their mother, she felt attached to them. They had been magically transferred to her womb when their biological mother (Jo) was murdered, and Caroline carried them, giving birth to them. She couldn't help but love them, wanting to be in their lives. When she tried to convince herself that she loved Alaric, their father, it didn't ring true. It was more of a marriage of convenience and mutual respect, than that of love.

However, Alaric did seem to feel true romance for Caroline. This felt a little strange, especially since he had been a teacherat her school when Caroline was a high school student, and her best friend, Elena, was his first wive's daughter. This relationship had the yuck factor all over it.

This is another storyline that could have been more interesting. After all Jeremy inherited his powers as a vampire hunter, and his sister's friends are vampires--Elena became one, too. We do have moments when Damon is teaching him how to use his powers, which are light and fun. However, over all the brotherhood of the hunters proves dull.

RELATED: 10 Shows with Vampires If You Miss The Vampire Diaries

They were supposed to be presented as terrifying, even to the original vampires. It was hard to see Jeremy as anything other than Elena's sometimes annoying little brother. We would have loved to see Jeremy struggle more with his power and what it meant to him.

Rayna was a more interesting hunter than Jeremy. Built from the powers of multiple shamans, Rayna had an immortal focus on killing those she marked. Once she had marked you, you had very little luck of surviving. True, they tried to make Rayna more interesting by focusing on her history and her inability to change her hunting ways. Rayna even gave her powers to Bonnie, leaving Bonnie to sacrifice once again and with a thirst to kill her friends.

The problem with the Rayna storyline is that it got drawn out for so long and prevented our favorite characters from sharing the same space.

Of all the quick and nonsensical deaths, Tyler's is one of the worst. He ties with Vicki's. However, at this time, we finally got to know Tyler, see him grow, and see his connection to his friends. Elena had sent him off, telling him to get the future he deserved. Damon, wanting everyone to give up on him since he is under the influence of the Siren, kills Tyler.

Damon thinks that this is the one act that can't be forgiven by his brother and friends. Of course, his act doesn't work, and they all are Team Damon. Still, this quick killing of Tyler seemed a poor send-off to a beloved character--purposeless.

Alaric was transformed by Esther, the original witch and Klaus's mother, into an enhanced vampire. He is no ordinary vampire though, Esther gave him the power of an original vampire and enhanced that power even more. Alaric resurrected as a shadow of himself, now hating any vampires and any friends of vampires.

RELATED: The Vampire Diaries 10 Hidden Details about Mystic Falls You Didn't Notice

On one hand, it was interesting to see good-guy Alaric turn evil. However, he wasn't an evil part of himself, but rather a completely different character.

Bonnie becomes an extremely strong witch in her ability to adapt and grow. However, her friends both count on her and take advantage of her. She is made to sacrifice a lot for her friends: her family, her love, her powers, and even her life. She constantly lives or dies for others. Finally, in the last couple seasons, she seemed to be living her life, having her own narrative.

Still, this character deserved better than to be the one who constantly sacrificed for others. Her role shouldn't just be the friend. After all, she is the recipient of a long legacy of witch powers, a Bennett witch. More should have been done with that.

Finally, many fans had what they wanted--Damon and Elena as a couple. For seasons, Elena fought against her feelings for Damon. And for seasons, Damon had been trying to convince Elena to be with him instead of his brother, Stefan. It caused friction and tension between the two brothers, and it created an epic love triangle. After Elena becomes a vampire, she realizes that she loves Damon, choosing him over Stefan. Fans should all cheer, right?

Wrong. Since Damon made Elena a vampire, she became sired to him. Whatever Damon told her, she followed. This cheapens their relationship, and partially makes it seem that it's not an equal one, that Damon has power over Elena. She changes for him. Not a good sign to the beginnings of a relationship. Luckily, their relationship was able to change and develop. However, this wasn't a good way to start. Thus, their passionate session made fans cringe rather than feel happy for them.

NEXT: The Vampire Diaries The 7 Doppelgangers, Ranked

Next10 Things That Happened in Season 1 of Game Of Thrones That You Completely Forgot About

Heather Frankland is a writer, teacher, and public health advocate. She has had creative work published in literary journals and online websites. She enjoys analyzing her favorite shows and movies and is happy to exercise that talent at Screen Rant, previously exercised in long conversations over beer with friends.

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The Annunciation with St Emidius, by Carlo Crivelli - 1486 National Gallery, London

Gospel of 25th March 2020 - Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'

Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her.

Reflection on the Painting

In the summer of 1995 I moved to London, where I have lived ever since. One of the very first paintings I saw was this magnificent canvas by Carlo Crivelli, at the National Gallery. The burst of colours (and this photograph doesn't entirely do justice to the picture), the detail and symbolism of the composition moved me. Still when I see this painting now, it reminds me of the start of that new chapter in life. Like an old friend reminding you of good times, art has the power to remind us of past times.

We see the ray of light from the Holy Spirit descending upon Mary. The closed passage into the depth at the left and the flask holding pure water in Mary's bedroom refer to Our Lady's virginity. The two other figures in the foreground are the angel Gabriel and Saint Emidius, carrying a model of Ascoli Piceno, a town in Marche, Italy, of which he is the patron saint. It is not unusual to see a local saint effectively intervening and being depicted as part of a biblical event. The apple in the foreground represents the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden, and therefore serves as a symbol of sin. The cucumber, balanced on the edge of the painting towards the viewer, symbolises the reversal of sin: resurrection and redemption. The peacock is associated with immortality, because it was believed that its flesh never decayed.

A man on a bridge is reading a message handed to him by another man, delivered by the carrier pigeon in the cage beside them, a clever analogy of the message of the Annunciation itself. Around them the town goes on, oblivious to the events depicted. Only a small, innocent, pure child peering round the corner seems to be interested in what is happening. A whole world goes on its way, apparently oblivious to the new Christian chapter in history which has begun in this very scene. Only Mary is complete in her way of being ready, humble and available to respond to the Lord

Today's story - https://christianart.today/reading.php?id=369

Christian Art Today - https://christianart.today/

Tags: Christian Art Today, Patrick van der Vorst, Carlo Crivelli

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For three seasons of Doctor Who, David Tennant's Tenth Doctor won Whovian hearts with his distinctive wit and depth as the most tortured Time Lord in the universe. This combination of humor and narrative complexity has made Ten one of the most beloved Doctors to date, and indeed, some of the most memorableWho storylines were conceived in this era.

RELATED:Doctor Who: 10 Most Shameless Things The Tenth Doctor Ever Did

Showrunner Russell T. Davies, along with writers like Davies's future successor Steven Moffat, helped create a world of intricate (sometimesquiteintricate) and mindblowing plots. Here are the top ten Tenth Doctor episodes, ranked according toIMDb:

The Doctor is not always a fan of his own longevity, but it's no surprise when mortal beings jump at the chance for immortality. In this first installment of a two-part story arc, the Doctor and his companion Martha (Freema Agyeman) insert themselves into an early-twentieth-century community to evade the Family of Blood, which wants to obtain the Doctor's Time Lord life span.

RELATED: Doctor Who: 5 Reasons Martha Was A Better Companion Than Clara (& Vice Versa)

To prevent this, the Doctor becomes human and assumes the identity of a teacher named John Smith. Martha is perhaps the real hero in this story, as the Doctor essentially orders her to "invent a life story for me, find me a setting, and integrate me." Stuck with a Time Lord who doesn't know who he is and has no power? Pretty tough luck for a companion.

This one-off episode from season four follows the Tenth Doctor as he attempts to discover the source of terror on a shuttle traversing the planet Midnight. Written by Russell T. Davies, the episode is an instance of the oft-used format inDoctor Who: isolation in an enclosed space, with a group of strangers that the Doctor must persuade into following his lead. In this case, the strangers run into some slight trouble with, well, getting possessed.

As the crew members lose their calm, the Doctor doesn't always maintain his, either. "If we're going to get out of this, then you need me," Tennant's angry Ten exclaims at one point. Considering how irrational they all become, who can blame the Doctor for getting a little unhinged?Fun fact: guest-star Colin Morgan began playing the title character in BBC One'sMerlinsame year "Midnight" debuted.

In this penultimate episode of season four, the Tenth Doctor andDonna (Catherine Tate) are joined by a litany of pastcompanions in their quest to save the planet and over a dozen others that have gone missing.

RELATED:The Sarah Jane Adventures: 10 Worst Episodes Of The Doctor Who Spin Off

"The Stolen Earth" is actually a crossover episode between Whoand its two majestic spin-offs,TorchwoodandThe Sarah Jane Adventures. As such, it boastsa tremendous cast that sees Rose (Billie Piper), Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen), and Martha (Freema Agyeman) assisting the Doctor once more. In this episode and its second part, "Journey's End," the Doctor battles the Daleks, who are perhaps his most iconic enemy in the Whoniverse.

In defense of the Family of Blood, who wouldn't want to live as long as a Time Lord? Unsurprisingly, the Doctor reigns victorious over the Family in this follow-up to "Human Nature," but not without some striking emotional revelations. "Family of Blood" features a heartbreaking speech from Martha when she says of the Doctor, "He's just everything to me, and he doesn't even look at me, but I don't care, because I love him to bits."

Considering all that Martha does to help the Doctor (especially when he doesn't even remember who he is), the moment is particularly devastating.

How often do you get to see the Doctor regenerate into the same incarnation? That's (sort of) what transpires at the start of this season four finale, which constitutes a sufficiently emotional follow-up to "The Stolen Earth." The injured Doctor partially regenerates to get back in tiptop shape, and explains in a hallmark moment of wit, "Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as I was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to. Why would I? Look at me."

RELATED:Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Broke His Own Rules

This clever event is followed by the successful defeat of the Daleks, but also the tragic end of Donna's time as the Doctor's right-hand woman. In one of the most disturbing companion departures, her memory of the Doctor and all their escapades must be removed. Although season four was Tennant's last as the Doctor, he did not regenerate into Eleven in this episode; instead, a few standalone episodes were released over a year after season four, culminating in the "The End of Time."

Past, present, and future collide in this wacky episode that invokes both space traveland corsets. After discovering a 51st-century spaceship in which he can see an 18th-century French girl through a fireplace, the Doctor must figure out what's so special about her -- and, of course, how to save the day.

The episode is a brilliant combination of the historical period pieces and futuristic space plots thatWhoexecutes so well.

In the perpetually-traumatic finale to season two, the Doctor and Rose Tyler are separated indefinitely by the aftermath of a battle involving the Daleks and Cybermen. When one Cyberman says, "Together, we could upgrade the universe," you know it's going to be a tough battle!

RELATED: Doctor Who: 10 Reasons Why Rose Tyler Was The Best Companion

Although Earth is saved, Rose and the Doctor end up stuck in two different universes. Much more than a wall separates them, but both gravitate toward the physical area in which Rose was pulled into the parallel universe. Tennant delivers an incredible performance, touching the wall with an eerily vacant look in his eye, butBillie Piper's delivery is even more affecting as she sobs uncontrollably in her new world. While Rose and the Doctor's reactions may differ, their trauma is most certainly equal.

The enigma of River Song (Alex Kingston) and the Doctor begins ... and then ends, in a sense ... during the first installment of this two-part story arc, where viewers see the two meet. This is their first encounter from the Doctor's point of view, that is. As Whovians know, "first" is highly relative when dealing with the chaotic nature of relationships onWho, especially the inherently nonchronological saga of the Doctor and River Song.

The episode kicks off when Donna and the Doctor arrive at an unusually empty library, where they encounter the homicidal and shadowy Vashta Nerada. Alex Kingston's debut as River Song is a powerful one, as her sensitive reaction to the Doctor quickly convinces viewers that their relationship is terribly complex -- even if we have not seen any of it.

The follow-up to "Silence in the Library" includes one of the most momentous moments inWhocanon: River Song's death. It's a rare moment that becomes even more traumatizing when you progress through the show, because at this point, viewers had only seen River Song in one other episode. River's subsequent character development, including her relationship with not only Ten but Eleven, and Twelve, is one of the most complex and rivetingWho storylines.

RELATED:Doctor Who: 10 Most Devastating Deaths Of The Modern Series, Ranked

For one, River is later revealed to be the daughter of Amy and Rory Pond, two of Eleventh Doctor's principal companions.OnlyDoctor Whocan kill off a character before you even know her,thendevelop her and make you swoon. Kind of similar to the Doctor's experience, huh?

The persisting critical and audience acclaim for this haunting episode is no surprise, given that it introduced one of the most sinister villains inWhohistory: the Weeping Angels. Written by Steven Moffat and guest-starring Carey Mulligan, the story follows Mulligan's Sally Sparrow as she grapples with the "timey-wimey" effects of the Angels. The Weeping Angels have appeared in severalWhoepisodes since, including a season seven episode that concluded Amy and Rory's time as companions to Eleven.

NEXT: Doctor Who: 5 Best And 5 Worst Eleventh Doctor Episodes

Next10 Movies To Watch If You Love Saving Private Ryan

Kat is an English major at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. As a lifelong television and film enthusiast, she's a fan of innovative visuals and morally ambiguous characters (preferably, both at the same time!).

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Doctor Who: The Top 10 Tenth Doctor Episodes, Ranked According to IMDb - Screen Rant