Holy Saturday, the still in-between of such great sorrow and the greatest joy, has always been a quiet mystery to me. Jesus is dead, buried in His tomb. His mother is broken hearted, as are his Apostles and friends. A hush has fallen upon the earliest of Christians, one that they may perceive as the end of all things. And even still today, we might fall into despair.
Tolkien's profound love for Our Lord is nestled in nearly everything he wrote. And today as we remember Christ's Crucifixion, this simple reflection of Christ in Frodo's "I'm thirsty, Sam" guided me down such a beautiful path to Christ that I couldn't help but share it with you.
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.
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.
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…
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?
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."
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.
You're probably wondering what an emo album from 2006 and a virgin martyr from the early Christian Church have to do with one another. Though their stories are set nearly two-thousands years and philosophical worlds apart, Saint Lucy and the My Chemical Romance album, The Black Parade, both speak to the power of commitment, perseverance, and a heart on fire for their beliefs.
Today was a good one. We just walked our neighbors home and are settling in for the night after a long day of feasting with friends, our fifth annual Facista family Hobbit party! Every year gets better, bigger, busier, and more wonderful. I'm thankful for days like this, celebrating my favorite author and unofficial patron saint, the changing season, and any excuse to throw a huge party and invite all of our friends.
This year, I was a complete failure at actually documenting the party. But I swear, it was awesome! I wanted to share the photos I did manage to take and some sources that I found inspirational when planning this year's party! (Is it too early to start planning for next year?!)
Because Hobbit Day is on the first day of fall, for our color scheme we went with traditional fall hues like orange, brown, and hints of green…
