The Building of a Civilization of Love

The third area of commitment that comes with love is that of daily life with its multiple relationships. I am particularly referring to family, studies, work and free time. Dear young friends, cultivate your talents, not only to obtain a social position, but also to help others to “grow”. Develop your capacities, not only in order to become more “competitive” and “productive”, but to be “witnesses of charity”. In addition to your professional training, also make an effort to acquire religious knowledge that will help you to carry out your mission in a responsible way. In particular, I invite you to carefully study the social doctrine of the Church so that its principles may inspire and guide your action in the world. May the Holy Spirit make you creative in charity, persevering in your commitments, and brave in your initiatives, so that you will be able to offer your contribution to the building up of the “civilisation of love”. The horizon of love is truly boundless: it is the whole world!

- Pope Benedict XVI, WYD 2007 MESSAGE, Growing in love each day


3:12. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect: but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus.
3:13. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth myself to those that are before,
3:14. I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus.


-St. Paul to Philippians

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Watch Bella!

That's a new film reported to be very inspiring to anyone specially young people. According to this article:


Bella, which is produced by Metanoia Films, tells the story of a young single
waitress in New York City who becomes pregnant, loses her job, and struggles
with the decision of whether or not to keep her child. In the meantime, she
encounters a mysteriously compassionate Latino chef, who has suffered a tragedy
in his past, and is perhaps the only person in her life who really cares about
her. During the course of the film, a decision is reached that will change both
of their lives.

So you should plan to watch it, and recommend it to others to enlighten or confirm them (or yourself if needed) in the pro-life cause. To strengthen the culture of life and of pure love; there is not insanity reported in the movie:
“Bella is not only an artistic triumph, but a moral and spiritual one as well,”
he stated. The film is ideal for anyone who is an adolescent or older since it
does not contain violence, sex or blasphemy.
According to the same CNS, this movie has itself and interesting story:

Mexican actor gives up fame to make movies that touch lives OTTAWA (CNS)

-- If the story of the rich young man from the Gospel of Matthew had a sequel updated for modern times, it might resemble the life of actor Eduardo Verastegui, a
Catholic who stars in the film "Bella." In the Gospel account, Jesus tells the
young man to sell all he has and follow him, but the man goes away sorrowful. In
the modern-day sequel, Verastegui sells all he has and is prepared to give up
his budding acting career to follow Jesus. Verastegui had reached the zenith of
Mexican celebrity as a soap star and singer who had toured at least 13 countries
to sold-out crowds. His resume includes music videos and films. But while
studying English in Los Angeles, he found himself drawn to a deeper faith in
Jesus through the example of his Catholic teacher, and began to see all the
reasons he had wanted to be an actor -- fame, money and pleasure -- as empty and
vain. In 2004 he met movie producer Leo Severino while attending daily Mass. Not
long after, Verastegui and Severino co-founded Metanoia Films to produce movies
that could change lives and hearts. "Bella," released in 2006, is Metanoia's
first film. It won the coveted People's Choice Award at last fall's Toronto Film
Festival.

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