a gypsy caravan

Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz

I have been reading all I can, lately, about this modern day saint.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the film Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz for rent at our local Catholic bookstore.   Now that I have viewed it and had a couple of days to digest it, I thought I would post about it here for anyone interested in learning more about this holy and heroic man.

Leonardo Defilippis is the sole actor in the film and he portrays Kolbe masterfully.  I found it difficult to watch him also portray Satan, Adolf Hitler and various other evil characters.  Although theatrically he did a wonderful job, it is never easy to watch someone portray both good and evil.

The film begins with Kolbe's vision of Mother Mary at age ten and progresses through his discernment to the priestly vocation and his foundation of the Militia Immaculata.  We learn about the ministry of the MI, its publications and their combined affect on the country of Poland.   The film follows Kolbe during his encampment in Auschwitz and his martyr's death in a starvation bunker.

Quotes from Kolbe's writings as well as photos of Kolbe himself are interspersed throughout the film, adding a realistic touch to the dramatic presentation by Defilippis.

The film is not for young children, due to the discussion of Hitler's abortive/contraceptive mentailty towards Jews and Catholics as well as actual photos and film footage of the concentration camps and their victims.

Overall, I learned quite a bit about Kolbe and his devotion to the Blessed Virgin by watching this film.  I also  have a better understanding of the role of the Militia Immaculata during Kolbe's time as well as in modern society.   Two of Kolbe's quotes have remained in my mind after watching this film.  First, he told his fellow priests, "I do not fear death, only sin." He reminded them to always "Love the Immaculata."

More information on St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Knights of the Immaculata (Militia Immaculata) and the Consecration to Our Lady as recommended by St. Maximilian Kolbe.  Homily given by His Holiness Pope John Paul II at Canonization of Maximilian Maria Kolbe.

American Musical Culture

Becky, at Farm School, has put together a comprehensive post with recommendations on picture books, music and movies celebrating American culture. This is timely for us right now as we are beginning a study of American folk music.

When Ben was a baby, I sang to him incessantly because it was one of the only things that soothed him. I ran out of songs after some weeks and bought myself a couple Pete Seeger cassette tapes (back then) which I played until they fell apart. I wanted to learn some new tunes to sing to him and Pete has Oh So Many. I also purchased Mike and Peggy Seeger's American Folk Songs for Children which is a double disc set of many traditional and Appalachian folk tunes sure to please the small folk.

Now, years later, we received a Pete Seeger disc from Caddie's godparents as a gift. The kids and I are hooked again. Our favorite is The Children's Concert at Town Hall which contains some great "must know" songs like Michael Row Your Boat Ashore, Abiyoyo, This Land is Your Land, and many others. I am also fond of his Greatest Hits CD that has many songs like Guantanamera, We Shall Overcome, Turn Turn Turn, and more. That one is not for children as there is a curse word in one song but it is a great collection of folk songs, nonetheless. Some of the tunes are politically charged, some date back to the Civil Rights movement, many highlight the plight of the working class. Any of you with the tiniest bit of hippie-chick in you will certainly enjoy these tunes. :)

Anyhow, wait'll ya see Becky's list. She obviously put a lot of time and thought into it which I certainly appreciate.

Signing Time

A few weeks ago, we stumbled across the Signing Time DVD's at our local library.  I remembered that they come highly recommended by Lissa's family as a fun and effective way to learn American Sign Language.  Our library had Volume 1 and Volume 3 in stock so we took them home to watch. 

We have since renewed them after our initial borrowing period expired.  The kids ask to watch them over and over again!  I sit down with them and watch as well.  Signing Time certainly is a lot of fun with positive messages, pleasing images and fun songs to enforce the words.  Mary has especially taken a liking to them and signs the words while dancing about the living room. 

I also hope that our babysitter, whose family uses ASL and who translates at Mass using ASL will teach the children some more signs as well.  What a beautiful language to learn to speak!

Our library has a suggestion box for books, movies and audiobooks that patrons would like the library to purchase for circulation.  We plan to cast our vote for all the Signing Time volumes!