James Martin Wrap Up!

Last updated on: March 16, 2017 at 10:46 pm by Elizabeth Scalia

James Martin Wrap Up! 2017-03-16T22:46:33+00:00 Elizabeth Scalia

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Fr. Martin has managed to answer a few of the final questions before he has had to call it a night – a little sooner than I thought, as I had things mixed up, sorry!!

Continued from this post:

From Shannon: A little late to the feast, but what fun! All this talk of saints reminds me of a little movie called “Millions” where the saints were just a regular part of the main characters life. The readers I had in Catholic school were full of stories about the saints, though tweaked a bit. St. Tarcisus was a kid, on his way home with Communion for his grandmother, when the neighborhood kids wanted him to play baseball. He refused, they beat him up. Scary story.

Many many years later, I came across the story again, but Tarcisus was a grown man, a deacon, carrying Communion for the sick…. Nevertheless, I think I got the point!

From Fr. Jim: Funny enough, “Millions” is one of my favorite new movies, and a charming way of looking at devotion to the saints. Yes, St. Tarcisius and his story have always struck me as one of the most surprising of all the saints’ stories. (Which is saying a lot!) He is a reminder to anyone who thinks that being a saint means leading a dull life.

Question from NewHampshireGal: If Jesus excepts all, why can’t the Catholic church?

From Fr. Jim: Dear friend, yes, Jesus does accept all of us. As for the church, I’m not sure exactly what your question might mean exactly, but the church accepts all who are ready to live by its way of life, which is its understanding of the call of Christ.

From Klaire: Thanks for all of your great inspiration and words of wisdom. I was wondering…When I watch clips of you on Colbert, I think: Why don’t you just make this a regular thing (in it’s own show)? Colbert seems to have a pretty orthodox understanding of the faith, and the audiences always seems very responsive to you two together. Could this maybe me the “new evangelization -the ‘meet them where they are’?” Jesus never said we weren’t allowed to have fun and a few laughs in learning. I hope you consider it. The world is starved, especially America for the “true faith.” Perhaps a style like you and Colbert (orthodox but on the lighter side), could draw the crowds over to EWTN for the “ok, now it’s time to get back into “spiritual shape”, letting EWTN teach where most of us left off in 3rd grade catechism.

America is starved for the truth of Christ, and IMO, a few bites can go a long way, especially if tied in with pop culture.

From Fr. Jim: Glad you enjoyed me on “The Colbert Report.” It’s really a lot of fun to be invited on the show. In general, I always try, as far as possible, to accept invitations to appear on TV or radio, because it is a wonderful way to reach millions of people, no matter what the program. And it’s usually lots of fun as well. You might not know this, but Stephen Colbert is a devout Catholic who teaches CCD at his parish. Plus when it comes to Mr. Colbert, it’s important to remember that the “character” you see on the show is just that–a character. In real life, Mr. Colbert is much more relaxed, down to earth, and warm. But, as for a repeat performance, it is up to them when to invite me back! As for appearing on TV more regularly, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but my primary mission, which comes from my Jesuit superiors, is to America magazine–which I very much enjoy!

Unfortunately that’s all the time Fr. Martin is going to have today, (everyone can keep chatting, though, of course) but you can catch him tomorrow – all day – as he winds up the week with Julie at Happy Catholic – the perfect place for a tired priest hawking a book to end up!

Everyone who participated today has had their name dropped into a bag, and the one whose name I pull out will receive – (tada!) – an autographed copy of My Life With the Saints (which – ahem, James, I do not even have, myself – hint,hint!), and that lucky winner (drawn by Buster) is:

NewHampshireGal!

Congrats NHG! If you send me your name and mailing address, I’ll forward it to the Loyola Press folks!

Remember: From now until June 8, you will be able to order My Life With the Saints at a 35% discount. Mention marketing code 2683 when ordering it either online at www.loyolabooks.com/martin or calling 800-621-1008. Below I’ve provided links at Amazon to some of his other books, as well.

A final word from Fr. James Martin:

Dear friends,
Many thanks to The Anchoress for inviting me to be a part of such a wonderful (and tiring, but in a good way!) day on her blog.

From my previous visits to The Anchoress, I knew that your questions would be provocative, insightful and challenging–and they did not disappoint.
Since some of them cohered around spiritual practices, and especially “Ignatian prayer,” perhaps I could close our reflections by saying that a key insight that I’ve learned as a Jesuit is that God takes people where they are–and that includes in your prayer life. So if you are inclined to “Ignatian contemplation” (using one’s imagination to enter into a Scripture passage) that’s great. (In my book My Life with the Saints I have a lengthy discussion about that.) If you like lectio divina (meditating on Scripture) that’s great, too. If it’s “centering prayer” (a kind of prayer of quietly being in God’s presence) that helps you feel closer to God, then that’s great, as well. There is no one style of prayer that is “best,” though there may be one that works best for you. Trust that the way that you like to pray is the way that God desires to be with you. Above all, trust that God desires to be with you in your prayer–and in the rest of your day as well!

Anyway, thanks again to the Anchoress, and thanks to all of you readers for your wonderful questions.
Please do keep me in your prayers!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. James Martin, SJ

I also want to thank all who participated – I have always maintained that I have some of the best and most thoughtful and civil readers in the blogosphere, and you prove me right again, unsurprisingly.

Thanks, Fr. Jim – come back any time! But…maybe take a vacation first!

Bookchat

Misc.

Previous Post

June 5, 2008

After-lunch chat w/ Fr. Jim continues...

Next Post

June 5, 2008 Chesterton on Media Credibility

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Remaking" Ourselves 'Remaking' America 9/10 Mindset 9/11 trials Abortion ACORN Adoration Advent Advent 2008 Advent 2009 Advent 2010 Alternative Energy Alternative Media America American Catholic Church American Church American Genius Ameridolatry ANCHORESS BOOKSHELF Anglican-Roman Reconciliation Answers & Questions Anti_Semitism Archbishop Hilarion Ayn Rand Bad Mass Barack Obama Baseball Benedict Benedict & Islam Benedict in UK Benedict XVI Benedictine Bill Whittle Birth Control Blogs and Blogging Blogs and Blogging Bloodless Coup Bobby Jindal Bookchat Breitbart Bride at every wedding... Bride at every wedding... Buckley Bullies Bush Bad? Bush Good Buster Capitalism Catholic Fiction Catholic Vocations Catholicism Celibacy Chaput Charitable Stuff Chesterton Chile Chris Christie Christians in Exile Christine O' Donnell Christmas Christmas Gift Ideas Church Hates Science? Church hates women Communion of Saints Compline Conclave 2013 Confession Constitutional Stuff Conversion Crisis & Opportunity Critical Thinking Crooks and Liars Crucible of Faith Cuba Culture of Life Culture of Life/Death Culture of Treason? Dancing Death Dialogue re Islam Dick Meyer Divorce and Remarriage DOJ Domestic Terrorism Dominican Order Don't try me too high Dowd Dumb Democrat moves Dumb GOP moves Economic woe Education Egregious Harry Reid Elder Son Elder Son's Sweet Girlfriend Elderly Election '10 Election '12 Election '16 Election 2004 Election 2006 Election 2008 Election 2010 Election 2016 Elena Kagan Elitism Embryonic Stem Cell Research End Times? English language Enhanced Interrogation Erosion of Rights Eucharist Euthanasia Exorcism Extraordinary Synod Facebook Faith Faith and Reason Faith Friday Faith Perspective Faithful Friday Fascism Again Fascism in America Fatima FCC Feminism Film First Things Forgiveness Fr. James Martin Francis and Islam Francis in America Frassati Fred Thompson Free Speech? Freedom of Worship FutureChurch Global Pandemic GOP Congress Haiti Head Covering Health Care Here and Queer Hermits Heroes Hitchens Holy Spirit Holy Week '09 Holy Week '10 Hoo-Hah & BS Hoo-Hah & BS Icons Illegal Immigration In The Arena Interviews Interwebz Iran Uprising Iraqi Christians ISIL ISIS Islamic State Islamification/Islamofascism Islamification/Islamofascism Isra-El It's all about me! Me! ME! James Burke Jerry Lewis Jesus Christ Joblessness John Boehner John McCain John Paul II John XXIII Juan Williams Just Words Katrina/Rita King is a Fink Latin Mass Leadership Lectio Divina Lent Lent '08 Lent '09 Lent 2010 Lent 2011 Limbaugh Listen to Lizzie Litigious Society Liturgy Liturgy of the Hours Mainstream Media Manliness Marriage Mary Media Excess Medical Merton Michelle Obama Mighty John O' Connor Misc. Miss Ella Missionaries Mitt Romney Monasticism My brother S My Irish Aunties Mystic Monks Nanny Statism Nature NEA Neri New Media Newman Noonan Notre Dame NPR Stuff Nun News Obama Bad? Obama Good? Obama White House Oil Spill Online Retreat '08 Online Retreat Days Oratory Orthodoxy Our Hillary! Parenting Passionists Patheos Patheos Book Club Patrons Paul Ryan Penance Penn Jillette Philosophy PJTV Podcasts Poetry Politics-free zone Pop Culture Pope Emeritus Pope Francis Prayer Predictions Priesthood Pro-Life Public Sector Unions Purgatory Questions about Catholicism Quotes of the Day Quoting the News Race in America rants Recipes Remarried Catholics Reposts by request Retreat thoughts Rome Rudy Giuliani Russia Saints Sarah Palin Scandal Scott Brown SCOTUS Scriptural stuff Secularism Send in the clowns Serving up hot links Sexuality Sherrod Shroud of Turin Sisters and Nuns Social Entrepreneurship Social Media Social Security Socialism doesn't work Sports and Faith Stem Cells Strange Gods Suffering Synod Tea Parties Tea Party Terri Schiavo The 9/11 Commission The Catholic Answer The Constitution The Desert The Fourth Estate The Pelosi The Perpetual Adolescents The Rosary Third Party? Timothy Dolan Touch of evil TSA Tsunami TV/Pop Culture/Music TV/Pop Culture/Music Twitter Uncategorized Unemployment Unintended Consequences US Military Vaginal Musings Vatican Vespers video faves Vile Joe Biden Voter Fraud War by Litigation War on Terror War, What it good for? Why can't weeee be ... World Youth Days Year of Faith Year of the Priest

Select a Month August 2016 July 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God create on the first day?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Land Plants Light Animals