The Myth Pilgrim

J.R.R. Tolkien's legacy extends beyond just the Lord of the Rings. This episode, Tolkien expert Danny Cote Davis explores Tolkien's faith, his mystical worldview and why he is considered by many today to be a model evangelist.

Here is a link to Danny's documentary "Tolkien About Faith, The Call of Beauty"  

Here is a prayer for Tolkien's canonisation cause: “O Blessed Trinity, we thank You for having graced the Church with John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and for allowing the poetry of Your Creation, the mystery of the Passion of Your Son, and the symphony of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him and his sub-creative imagination. Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Wisdom of God Incarnate, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with You. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore [….], hoping that he will soon be numbered among Your saints. Amen.”

Aladdin is a tale about being set free! Are you feeling stuck in some circumstance? Learn how the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Love set each of the main characters free…

Excerpt: the main theme of Aladdin is about 'being set free'! Think about it - all three of the main characters start off feeling trapped … Princess Jasmine is trapped as a prisoner inside her own palace walls, Aladdin is trapped as a common thief in the slums, and the Genie is trapped inside a lamp which is trapped inside the cave of wonders! Yet by the end of the movie, they’re all set free from their respective prisons! And as I was reflecting on what exactly sets them free, I had a cool aha moment when I realised that between the three of them, they exercised all of the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love. For Jasmine, it was faith, for Genie, hope and for Aladdin love....

Link to the Magic Carpet "A Whole New World" scene

This is a testimony of the time the Holy Spirit suddenly called me to drive out from Darwin all the way to Uluru ... alone! Relive the life-changing graces with me, as I journey literally into the heart of the Australian desert!

I've uploaded some of the photos of my Uluru pilgrimage on the website! 

Here is a list of the my favourite tracks I had playing in the car during my pilgrimage (and this episode!)

• Sunlands (Octopath Traveller) 
• Wiyathul (Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu)
• Now we are free (Gladiator)
• Under the Stars (The Lion King)

The persecuted church and the Battle of Hogwarts scene have a lot in common, especially during our times. Recognise the weapons of the Enemy, and like the students, prepare to take up arms!

Excerpt from episode
"... so how does this siege of Hogwarts scene parallel the church today? In a number of ways: the first will be the fact that both Hogwarts and the church are besieged by supernatural forces that are both malicious and intelligent. Secondly, that it is those who are unprepared and un-initiated that are called upon to defend our respected institutions. And thirdly, that in the midst of all the ferocious battle, the more urgent task is to recover lost treasure, hidden somewhere within the bowels of history. For Harry, this is the lost diadem of Ravenclaw, but what is the equivalent treasure for our church? Pope Benedict might have a surprise for you…"

Links to organisations mentioned in the episode:
Open Doors Australia: https://www.opendoors.org.au/
Voice of the Martyrs: https://vom.com.au/

Aside from both having dramatic haircutting moments, what does St Catherine of Siena have to do with Mulan? Hahaha come appreciate how this ancient Chinese heroine can deepen your love for one of our favourite Saints!
 
Excerpt from episode:

"...the second parallel between Mulan and Catherine is their rising to the defence of their respective Empires. For Mulan, this feature is very obvious in the role she plays in defending Imperial China from the Hun invasion. Certainly she is credited for doing this by the Emperor himself, who bestows up her the late general’s sword and the imperial medallion. But, is Catherine of Siena’s influence any less significant? Well, let’s have a look, and I’ll let you decide that. Consider firstly that Catherine’s contribution wasn’t just merely in the defence of her home country Italy, but the defence of the entire church of the Holy Roman Empire..." 

How does death and resurrection form the heart of the LOTR? How can self sacrifice be so desirable? This episode, I interview British Tolkien expert Danny Cote Davis, who sheds light upon Tolkien's vision of life and death through the Eucharist and Mother Mary!
 
Practical Pilgrim reflection: 

• To watch Danny's documentary: Tolkien about Faith: The Call to Beauty
•  A trailer for the amazing Silverion Camps 

Except from episode
 
"Danny and I then went on to discuss what he felt was the quintessentially Catholic theme in the LOTR. Here, the theme of the glorious death first arises, the idea that for a Christian, death is never the enemy, nor is it something even to avoid. Rather, the full embracing of death is the authentic hallmark of a Christian, whether that death means literal bodily death, or the death of self will, or a worldly way of living. Dan now breaks open how the three main characters in LOTR, Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn, were willing to embrace the glorious death … and by doing so, embody the threefold offices of Christ as priest, prophet and king."

Br Lawrence MGL and Fr Dave Tremble MGL have tag teamed once more to write The Lonely Little Cave, an original story written during and for the Easter Triduum. Enter into the story of the Little Cave, whose emptiness, loneliness and uselessness becomes the very means of encountering our Lord! May it inspire you to enter deeper into the mystery and drama of Easter!

Excerpt:
"There was once a lonely little cave in a hillside. The cave was unhappy because it always felt empty. Nearby, a majestic Gum Tree taunted it day and night saying “Look at my branches, they house many pretty birds. But you Cave, are a useless hole!” And so, the cave believed it was a useless hole. The presence of a nearby River also taunted the cave. She seemed to gloat “I am always moving and changing, and see how many fish swim in my waters! But you Cave, cannot change. Nobody wants to be with you!” And so the cave believed that it couldn’t change, and that nobody wanted to be with it..."

Music credits:
The beautiful dove's song is actually a cover of Nayru's theme from the Legend of Zelda. Used with permission from the artists. Two versions were used:

• Luke Pickman (Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJB0-F02N-mL3G-FrQfb4CQ)
• Christine Slagman  (Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc_R2OPK8CUHOeiqm8I0x4g)

Heaven, paradise and the soul can be abstract concepts even for Christians. The Secret Garden however, offers many beautiful images that can help us explore these concepts. Join Mary Lennox and discover the sacred place within you!

Excerpt from episode: "And during those winter times of our lives, when all we see is a dead looking garden, a friend reminds us it is only dormant, and to hang on for the springtime that’s coming. As Donna Roberts reminds us: “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

Soundtrack from this episode: OST from The Secret Garden (1993), composed by Zbigniew Preisner

This episode, discover why the Lion King's Mufasa is such a profound icon of God the Father. Learn how divine tenderness and wrath can both be expressions of the same love.

Practical pilgrim exercise:
Here is a link to Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde

Excerpt from this episode:
"In my opinion, Mufasa is one of the most iconic celebrations of fatherhood in pop culture, precisely because he is able to capture both the strength and the tenderness of the Father’s heart. Unfortunately due to way fatherhood is modelled in western culture, one or both of these fatherhood traits ends up distorted, which in turn affects our image of Abba father. This distortion is something this episode ambitiously tries to remedy. Further … it is especially fitting on this Year of St Joseph that we explore the Father’s heart, because as Pope Francis reminds us, he paved the way for Jesus himself to know the heart of his heavenly father. So, St Joseph pray for us, that we may be delve deeply into the mysteries of fatherhood."

Lion King OST track used in this podcast:

• Everything the light touches - Hans Zimmer
• The elephant graveyard - Hans Zimmer
• The Kings of the Past - Hans Zimmer 

Feeling distracted and unfocused? Lent is the season to rediscover the ascetic life! Let the wisdom of Jedi masters help you renounce unhealthy attachments to (i) created things (ii) success (iii) and the future.

Excerpt from episode: “…For if ever a pop culture figure rises to cult status, very often it is because they are deeply resonating with an absence in our culture. What voids might the iconic Jedi knights be filling for our culture? Today, we’ll start with the idea that Jedi stir within us a desire for what Christians called the ascetic life, one that is simple, focused and detached from the many distractions of the world. For by golly, we know how attached and distracted we really are…”

Thanks to Joshua Chiu for his beautiful piano and violin cover of the Force Theme, played during the episode.