Apr 13

Apr 13 On This Holy Thursday: The Eucharist and Lembas (Triduum Series)

On this Holy Thursday, Catholics celebrate Christ’s institution of the Eucharist, or the Last Supper as it is commonly referred to. Tolkien himself held a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, which Catholics believe to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Tolkien spoke of the Eucharist many times throughout his Letters.

In honor of this blessed Holy Thursday, I wanted spend a bit of time today in reflection on the Eucharist. And as this is a community inspired by the life and works of Tolkien, it felt appropriate to look at the influence of the Eucharist on Tolkien's life, his letters, and his fictional works.

Apr 11

Apr 11 At Home in Middle-Earth: The Heroism of Life-Saving Hospitality

Kaitlyn Facista

Tolkien & Catholicism, Living Like a Hobbit

To the man who wrote of quaint hobbit-holes and grand kingdom halls, friendship and hospitality were valued in a heroic sense. He is often quoted, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” And oh, how true it is.

Apr 4

Apr 4 At Home in Middle-Earth: Becoming Strongholds of Goodness

Kaitlyn Facista

Tolkien & Catholicism

This quote has been stuck in my head for some time now (as I'm sure you've noticed since I write about it so often), and it's come to mean quite a lot to me. It's the kind of quote I'd like to paint across a giant canvas and hang above the entry way of my home. Evil things do not come into this home…

Mar 21

Mar 21 The Ring & The Cross: Why March 25th is The Most Important Date of all History

Kaitlyn Facista

Tolkien & Catholicism

Tolkien created Middle-earth with painstaking detail and wove importance and meaning into nearly every page of The Lord of the Rings — and the dates of important events are no exception. Chiefly, March 25th marks the date when the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. Being the most important event of The Lord of the Rings, this date is sure to hold some significance, don’t you suppose?

Mar 6

Mar 6 A Tolkienian Perspective: “How Does Christ Battle Evil?”

Kaitlyn Facista

Tolkien & Catholicism

I so loved the comparison Bishop Barron made between Jesus and Frodo in his discussion of The Lord of the Rings. The way that evil is ultimately defeated, by both Christ and by the Fellowship, is so unexpected. Evil isn't conquered by a greater evil, it is conquered by good -- the ultimate expression of goodness: self-sacrificial love. The love that holds nothing back, that offers oneself entirely no matter the consequences. He "allows the evil of the world to spend itself on him."

Feb 26

Feb 26 How Tolkien's Middle-Earth Introduced Me to Catholicism

Kaitlyn Facista

Tolkien & Catholicism

Christianity is so thoroughly woven into every aspect of The Lord of the Rings; it must have been written, I had decided, by someone who was thoroughly steeped in Christian truth. I had known he was a Christian, or assumed as much given his themes of redemption and his Christ-like characters. But I had assumed, like me, he was a Protestant Christian.