Five weeks spent in Chicago visiting and retreating. Last week saw three movies, a record for me since I might see one movie per year. How I loved Les Miserables. But before it started, I had my doubts. Three teens sat right next to me, one with a "hoodie " on and the other with jeans just barely on his waist. Both were texting friends to tell them where they were sitting. I was feeling very uneasy given the fact that the movie is two and a half hours long with constant singing about pain and suffering. Not a typical movie for teens.
I was amazed. From the beginning until the end they were silent and still. The story is a compelling one if you give it a chance. Love triumphs over all and the poorest of the poor, the "Miserables" are are forever transformed by God's Love.
The reaction of these teens meant more to me then the film, which was fantastic. Good movies can move the human spirit, lifting it to new heights of hope and meaning. The last line that Jean Valjesn sings is, "to love another person is to see the face of God," tells the whole story...our story. When we love we triumph. Love is the doorway into the Kingdom.
I saw the movie on Christmas night and was given an unlikely and surprising gift by three teens who taught me to stop judging people by their age or clothing.
What a wonderful Christmas gift. Buen camino. Padre
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Hello Fr Frank,, I just got back to following your blog after the Camino.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the movie and I've started reading the book (actually, listening to and audio book when I do my morning walks).
Interesting historical point that I discovered... the last part of the movie is about the student uprising in Paris in 1832. At the same time, Frederick Ozanam was starting the St Vincent de Paul society in Paris.