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Director: Nathaniel Nose *Cast: Carl Weyant, Josh Perry, DJ Perry, Rance Howard, Taymour Ghazi. 2019. 115 minutes.

The movie takes its inspiration from the legend of Longinus, a blind Roman soldier who is believed to have been miraculously cured of blindness when he thrust the lance into the heart of Christ at the climax of the Crucifixion. The blind Longinus is retained in the Roman legion on account of his father’s influence. He is stricken with guilt and is almost suicidal after he is publicly named as ‘Christ slayer’ by his colleagues. He is confused about the event and its significance as he was actually bullied into thrusting the lance into Jesus’ side and then both taunted and revered for it. A deep moral and spiritual crisis engulfs the man.  Unable to take it any longer, Longinus leaves Jerusalem for his home village, accompanied by his loyal servant Albus, in search of peace of mind. He leaves his job, his father and his sweetheart behind. The journey is haunted by his increasing awareness of the divinity of Christ who many acknowledge as having risen from death, but the authorities wish to suppress the truth. The two travelers are joined by a Stranger who is a consoling presence all along. The Stranger acts as a protector and spiritual guide to the two and when they reach the village, Longinus is received by his mother and other relatives. The climax of the story is when the Stranger takes Longinus into the river where he baptizes him and he miraculously regains his eye sight as he emerges from the water. But the Stranger is gone. Longinus now realizes that the stranger was indeed the Jesus whom he had slain and who is now risen. Longinus later joins the apostles and proclaims the Gospel in the Roman Empire, to be martyred and beatified by the church.

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My good friend Kevin Sullivan—who, with his wonderful wife Crystal contribute our Couplespeak column every month—worked at a legal firm. He retired early to do full time ministry, together with Crystal. They have helped so many people, especially young couples. They also do retreats for prisoners and others.

Kevin is disturbed and shocked at the damage pornography is doing—to couples, to youngsters, to families, to the future of men and women, to the church. He sent me an article about this problem, with shocking statistics.

That is how this issue was born. I had another topic in mind for this issue. But Kevin’s wisdom and passion for helping people prevailed.

Then I found that this is not simply an American or Western problem. I didn’t know India is a huge consumer of porn. In fact, two of our well-known secular magazines (Outlook and The Week) devoted recent cover issues to this topic. Did you know that during the 2020 lockdown porn consumption in India almost doubled?

The problem is serous and widespread. People of all ages and backgrounds seem to be drawn to it. The majority of addicts are young, since they are more at home with computers and smart phones. Gender-wise, the division among addicts seems to be 70% men and 30% women.

I am grateful to some genuine friends who helped me put together this special issue—Kevin himself, who got the ball rolling; Fr Aneesh Chacko SDB, who wrote an unusually clear and helpful article on this addiction, and also listed and reviewed uptodate books on this addiction; Fr Jose Parappully SDB, who wrote about its impact and remedies, and a very honest woman religious who volunteered to write about how she got trapped in it, leading to severe depression and thoughts of suicide, and what helped her to become free. I added a small piece on the Indian situation and Indian laws about pornography.

Further, for those who like to watch helpful videos on the topic, here are two I would recommend. They are both found on YouTube. Put the title given here in YouTube and click:

“The Horrifying Truth about the Porn Industry” by Father Daniel P Horan OFM (837,726 views,

30 May 2020); “For Any Woman Struggling with Pornography and Masturbation” by  Mari Pablo (14,700 views, 8 Sept 2021). Both are engaging speakers.

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 The problem is huge—and largely hidden. Many more people are addicted than we may think. They need help—before they destroy themselves or their marriages and families.

Read. Learn more.

If you are addicted, get help before it is too late.

If you are a spouse, parent, teacher, formator, superior, know it affects many in your care—including children.

You are incredibly blessed if you have loving relationships—family, friends, religious community, colleagues—people you care about and whose love you are sure of. There is nothing to match genuine love and goodness. Love and meaningful work protect us from many addictions—including porn.

Those who are not so blessed, are in greater danger—of this and other addictions. No wonder people who are isolated or lonely or emotionally stressed, with no one to confide in, become addicted more easily. This can happen among youngsters, or in marriages, families, religious communities or single life in general.

Be more aware. Learn and teach to use social media for doing good. Know that probably more people within your own circle (family, friends, religious community or ….) are addicted and need help, but they may be afraid or hesitant to seek the help they need.

Read the articles and see. For more information, thirteen books dealing with this issue are presented, too.

May you be free of addictions. May you be a loving liberated person who will help to set many others free.

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This is a double issue, but without extra pages. The Post Office did not allow us to add pages, or to post an extra issue in the middle of the month, as we had planned to do.

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Like many others, I too want to read more books. I thought about how this wish could be fulfilled without having money to procure the books I want to read.. A mere desire to read is not enough. Most people are uncertain about what to read and do not know how to follow up their particular interests. A good start is necessary.  I used to read books, but not many. I used to follow the free resources (videos, articles, book recommendations) posted on wordonfire.org, a catholic website founded by Bishop Robert Barron, the Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles. It is through this website I virtually met Brandon Vogt, the content director of Wordonfire Catholic Ministries.

HITTING A JACKPOT

I researched a bit to know more about the person of Brandon Vogt. I was amazed at the findings. I wondered how a busy man like Brandon could put his hands on many things – reading, authoring books, writing blogs, parenting, managing multiple websites and podcasts. If you want something to be done, ask a busy man. If you wish to be inspired, seek wisdom from those who inspire.

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Fr Aneesh Chacko SDB

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The reading habit made me a good reader and a well-focused student who likes to learn every day. I read books for my spiritual development, l read books for my profession, I read to cook, I read for parenting and so on. Reading makes me a better human day by day.

My parents helped me develop the reading habit from my childhood itself. They used to get me the weekly children’s magazines to keep me engaged in some activities and I also have to keep a small pocket dictionary to find meaning for those stories by myself. Since we didn’t have a television or mobile phone at that time, those books were my good companions to spend time with.

This small habit made me a very fast reader. I can understand the meaning of words very easily, my speech and understanding capacity increased and I was able to finish reading even the toughest and largest books very fast (except the Holy Bible!)

BOOKS WITH THE MOST IMPACT

I want to share 3 books other than our Holy Bible that impacted me much in my life.

The first book is Word of God by an unknown author! (The author called himself a servant of God). This book I have read a number of times and this book turned my life completely towards God.

The next book that made me cry day and night was a book written by Maria Valtorta, Poem of the Man-God. Even today the mind picture that was created inside me by this book lives in me.

The next book that changed my complete understanding towards our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was a book written by Benny Hinn, Good Morning Holy Spirit. This book was like a magnet that continuously attracted me. It changed my spiritual life a lot and my personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

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Dr Priscilla

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“Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.” – Francis Bacon

Why should we read books at all? What sort of books should we read? What are the benefits of reading? How to develop the reading habit? What suggestions can we make to improve the habit of reading? These are some of the questions I shall try to answer.

“Some studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business.” –  Francis Bacon

The difference made by reading books

When I was doing my Higher Secondary education at Santhome Higher Secondary School, I used to visit a bookstall at Luz Corner, Mylapore. The book shop was on the roadside near the pavement. I came across a book, Panorama, A Selection of Poems, which I bought for a very low price. I still have that book with me. Reading a book of poems was a new experience for me. I started writing poems later. Reading the poems of W. B. Yeats, G. K. Chesterton, Robert Frost, Lord Tennyson, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, William Shakespeare, John Milton – was like opening of a treasure house. I used to buy useful books for the pleasure of reading and getting into greater ideas. Later, during my Major Seminary days and even after becoming a priest, the thirst for reading has not stopped. Reading has shaped my thinking pattern, it has increased my knowledge, it has made me a different person.

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Fr Antony Pancras

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1. What difference has reading made to your life?

Reading has made all the difference in my life. It has helped me to be in touch with myself and to experience tremendous inner joy which does not depend on the place I am in, the company I have or the work I do. If we give the keys to our happiness to every place, every other person, every material thing, we will never be happy. My reading habit has helped me to discover that inner joy within me.

Nourishing my mind with good material gives me a good feeling about myself. Just can’t imagine where I would have been in my inner journey, if I didn’t have the opportunity to read. I never feel lonely or bored because when I am alone, books give me the best company.  I grew in patience with myself and others over the years as reading gives me the food for thought. Though I have a long way to go, reading helps me to grow in self-confidence, convictions and courage.

It has helped me to experience God within and to deepen my faith in Him. I was able to grow closer to the Divine presence within, to solve problems amicably, make right decisions, and to guide others most of the times.

2. Any book or author that has had a deep impact on you?

Not just one book, but I like to mention a few books by my favorite authors: The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle has helped me to leave behind my baggage from the past and to grow in consciousness. Dr.Wayne Dyer’s Inspiration, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Lives,’   Louise Hay’s You can Heal Your Life, Heal your Mind, and  few books of  Robin Sharma on Leadership have had a great impact on my life’s journey. I basically prefer the authors who have made great inner transformation in their own lives.

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Sr Marina Thomas SU

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1. What difference has reading made to your life?

Literature, history and philosophy nurtured me, made me good at vernacular and English languages and developed a passion for knowledge that has never subsided. My teaching career and writing benefitted immensely from this one habit. I remember some of my students commenting that I never would stumble for a word when I talked in class and could connect a lot of things engagingly; how was this possible?  Now I know the answer. Even now, picking up a book is a pleasure and a challenge. I have never felt bored in the world of books. I have a growing library of my own.

2. Any book or author that has had a deep impact on you?-

I graduated from Dickens and Mark Twain, to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, later to the great ancient classics. I most love the Russian masters in the novel. St Augustine City of God and Confessions, á Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ had a profound influence on me. C S Lewis follows close. Biographies are my current interest.

3. How did you develop the reading habit?

One of my earliest memories is about a book that I never read! It was thrust into my hand, a translation of a book by Pope John 23. When I was barely four years old, my father, an amateur photographer and journalist, took my photo, sitting on a stool and seriously staring into the book which I could not read! The picture was published on the cover of a children’s magazine and later framed and hung on the wall of our drawing room. The image remained with me, and I think it perhaps made me feel that reading books was a big thing! Indeed, reading was the greatest gift that my father gave me, starting with his small library of all kinds of books and journals, religious and secular. In school he insisted that I read books by getting special access to the school library, where I read Dickens, Shakespeare, etc. in abridged versions. In high school I joined the town Municipal library. College was a treat, because my college had the largest library in the state, and I had kindred spirits around me who loved reading.

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PROF GIGY JOSEPH

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1. What difference has reading made to your life?

Empowerment, of course.

I am a senior citizen, a retired professor. I can’t imagine what or how I would have been if I hadn’t had a passion for reading. Knowledge is the basic requirement to be an effective teacher. Reading is the means to this goal. As a teacher, even now, I am expected to clear doubts, and provide information on everything under the sun, and solve problems real and imaginary. All this is made possible mainly through knowledge acquired from relevant books and authors. But for my reading habit, I would cut a sorry figure answering “Sorry” to every query, every doubt. My profession made it mandatory to keep enriching myself knowledge-wise, besides genuinely increasing my love of reading.

2. Any book or author that has had a deep impact on you?

I put this question to my daughter. Pat came the reply, “Of course, the Bible. Though I have been reading it regularly, even now, every time I open the Bible, something NEW strikes me.” I thank the Lord for this answer.

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PROF (Retd.) PHILOMINA MATHEW

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1. “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” — Richard Steele
2. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The one who never reads lives only one.” ― George R.R. Martin
3. “You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” –Paul Sweeney
4. “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” —Rene Descartes
5. “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ― Ray Bradbury
6. “A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” –Neil Gaiman
7. “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” — Victor Hugo
8. “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” —Margaret Fuller
9. “One of the greatest gifts adults can give—to their offspring and to their society—is to read to children.” —Carl Sagan
10. “Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book.” – Jim Rohn
11. “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.” –Abraham Lincoln
12. “When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” – Desiderius Erasmus

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1. The more one reads, the more one has access to knowledge and to newer ideas. The more knowledge one has, the more application of it happens. It simply means: more reading, more knowledge; more knowledge, more application of it. By reading more, one’s capacity to think and rationalise gets widened. One has access to new thoughts, ideas; its application too increases.

 I can definitely say that by reading my attitude, behaviour pattern, approach towards people and perception of reality has changed. I have benefited very much from my reading habit. It has brought me new awareness.

2. There are several books that really surprised, moved and touched me. But I would like to pick up just two books that had profound impact upon my life. They are The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey and Consecration to St Joseph, written by Donald H. Calloway.

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Sr Sowjanya SJA

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