Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guests: 1) Scotty McCreery, 2) Brooke White, Part 1 Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guests: 1) Brooke White, Part 2 and 2) “Les Miserables” segment with Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and more Great songs are often inspired by pain, even great Christmas songs. Yet music has a way of turning pain into a relatable way of connecting with others, a form of consolation, and even an opportunity to create a more hopeful situation. When “American Idol” winner... Read more
The new film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (opening Dec. 14) has got action and adventure galore, just like “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy that preceded it. But the director and actors who worked on the movie are well aware of the deeper themes that lie at the heart of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), who authored all the original books, published between 1937 and 1955. At a recent press conference about the film in New York City,... Read more
(This article was originally posted in Dec. 2011) Christmas is the time of year we celebrate the harmony between God and man that Jesus’ birth restored. It’s the kind of harmony that’s reflected in the choir-sung Christmas music that fills our churches, radio stations, and iPods. It’s also present in the beautifully blended voices of The Lower Lights whose new Christmas album, Come Let Us Adore Him, is a work of spiritually transcendent beauty. With a folk and bluegrass-flavored sound... Read more
Two videos today to set you in a good mood for the weekend. Keeping alive the buzz for the opening of the new film adaptation of the musical “Les Miserables” is a flash mob performing “One Day More” at a wedding in Copenhagen for newlyweds who are fans of the show. I don’t imagine your average wedding has this many talented people attending, but this group has a future in show business if they’re not professional performers already. The second... Read more
I have a confession to make. I occasionally listen to Christmas music during the summer. If I’m stressed or feeling down, a little “Jingle Bells” or “Silent Night” is a perfect antidote regardless of the time of year. I used to think I was the only crazy person in the world who did this, but I discovered a kindred spirit after interviewing Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Matthew West on Christopher Closeup. West, who released an outstanding CD in 2011 called “The Heart... Read more
Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are known for playing heroes on the silver screen – Jackman as Wolverine in the “X-Men” series, and Hathaway as the morally-challenged-but-trying-to-do-the-right-thing Selina Kyle in “The Dark Knight Rises.” It’s their current collaboration in the film adaptation of Broadway’s “Les Miserables,” however, that reflects faith and genuine heroic virtue in timely and timeless ways. The night I saw a screening of the film (which opens Dec. 25) was the same day the story about New... Read more
The following column was written by The Christophers’ Jerry Costello: Sister Mary Rose McGeady passed away toward the end of the summer, and kids everywhere are the poorer for it. So are we all, in fact, because Sister Mary Rose took a vital institution and almost single-handedly pulled it back from the brink of ruin. That institution was Covenant House, and Sister Mary Rose made it work again by sheer determination. “There is no greater joy,” she once told an... Read more
People today are filled with a lot of anxiety about a lot of different things, one of which is all the troubles going on in the world. Of course, people in the past were no different so we can find some wisdom on how to deal with this anxiety from the saints. The following is an excerpt from a book called “The Love That Keeps Us Sane: Living the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux” by Marc Foley, O.C.D.... Read more
Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guest: Dan Lord Joy is one of those qualities in life that we all want, but aren’t always sure how to find or even define. A lot of people might see it as a feeling, an emotion you experience when you’re doing something pleasurable. There was a time when Dan Lord would have agreed with them. But through a lot of trial, error and soul-searching, he ultimately came to see joy not as a feeling, but... Read more
What do Jesus, a country song about divorce and a research study about gratitude have in common? More than you might think. The study came to my attention yesterday when I read Ashley Crouch’s reflection on the benefits of gratitude over at the “Verily” magazine blog. Ashley stated that “a report from the Harvard Medical Association found that gratitude helps us refocus on what we have instead of what we lack. Those who count their blessings have less likelihood for... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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