HE IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN
AS HE SAID HE WOULD

Our Webmaster Tim Novecosky is just back from his Mission in Mexico. He went with a few other VMers, including Fr. Terry, Chris Vonesh, Sheila Trainor, and Julie Foran. Welcome back all! That is why this update is a couple of days late on Monday May 15.

That terrible movie that will be released and launched this weekend will continue to get much debate. Bruce Clark sends along a great piece of advice. In that same section below, we are providing links to a few contributions from other Vmers.

Not only is Dan’s Keyboard making an appearance this week with VM340 “Opus Dei Must Be Doing Something Right”, but he also sent one last week. However, it came in too late to make it in VM339, so be sure to scroll down as well. It is called VM339 “You, Sex-Educator”.
Dan, also sent along ‘And an added piece of gossip...John O'Brien, son of writer Michael O'Brien, when asked (at a men's breakfast at Annunciation) if there was a chance his Dad's "Father Elijah" might be turned into a movie, told me: "...funny you should ask, I've just finished writing the script, and yes, there are people who want to see it become a movie...please keep this in your prayers."’ God Bless, Dan

This week’s Lighterside is called “Worried about squirrels in your bird feeder - try this one on for size!” Thank you Cathy Egan for sharing it with us.

Please see Graham's Corner for details about an information session to be held in Ottawa on Wednesday May 24 at 7 pm regarding Augustine College (Ottawa) and St. Stephen’s University (St. Stephen, N.B.), two Canadian schools of higher learning that set Christ at the centre of all they do.

Do you live in the Archdiocese of Ottawa? If so, how is your Archbishop? Is he getting close to retiring? When might that happen? Are you praying for his imminent replacement? Should you be?
PLEASE PRAY for archbishop Gervais, his decision, and then his replacement. Let’s all pray that God’s will be done and that Mother Mary’s right bishop will shepherd us here!

Please be sure to visit our Upcoming events page. Your editor of VM is very proud of this fine looking page.

pass this on!

WHAT ARE WE DOING MAY 19TH?

May 19th is the date the Da Vinci Code movie opens. A movie based on a book that wears its heresy and blasphemy as a badge of honour.

What can we as Christians do in response to the release of this movie? I'm going to offer you the usual choices -- and a new one.

Here are the usual suspects:

we can ignore the film...

The problem with this option: The box office is a ballot box. The only people whose votes are counted are those who buy tickets. And the ballot box closes on the Sunday of opening weekend. If you stay home, you have lost your chance to make your vote heard. You have thrown your vote away, and from Hollywood's point of view, you don't count. By staying home, you do nothing to shape the decision-making process regarding what movies will make it to the big screen.

Or we can protest...

The problem with this option: It doesn't work. Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they make all Christians look like idiots. And again, protests and boycotts do nothing to help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make *more* movies that will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up.)

Or we can discuss the film. We can be rational and be ready with study guides and workshops and point-by-point refutations of the lies promulgated by the film. ...

The problem with this option: No one's listening. They think they know what we're going to say already. We'll lose most of these discussions anyway, no matter how prepared we are, because the power of story always trumps the power of facts (why do you think Jesus taught in parables?!). And once again: rational discussion of history does nothing to affect Hollywood's choices regarding what movies to make.

But there's a fourth choice.

On May 19th...
Just go to another film!

Save the date now. May 19th, or May 20th. No later than Sunday, May 21st -- that's the day the ballot box closes. We'll get a vote, the only vote Hollywood recognizes: The power of cold hard cash laid down on a box office window on opening weekend.

Use your vote. Don't throw it away. Vote for a movie other than DVC. If enough people do it, the powers that be will notice. They won't have a choice.

The major studio movie scheduled for release against DVC is the DreamWorks animated feature Over the Hedge. The trailers look fun, and you can take kids. And your friends! And their friends! In fact, let's all go see it.

Let's rock the box office in a way no one expects -- without protests, without boycotts, without arguments, without rancour. Let's show up at the box office ballot box and cast our votes. And buy some popcorn, too.

May 19th. Mark your calendars now: Over the Hedge's opening weekend. Buy a ticket.

And spread the word. Forward this e-mail to all the Christians in your address book. Post it on your blogs. Talk about it to your churches. And let's all go to the movies.

From: Madeleine Thomson … THE DA VINCI CODE — FULFILLING A PROPHECY? Click here to see what Mark Mallett has said.

From: Linda Ganly … Christians can answer DaVinci Code questions. Hi All, This is an article from one Christian website which can be a wonderful tool to refute misinformation which will arise after the airing of this film. A great website for bible studies, also. Click here to open the article and when you click on any link in blue (in the article), and you will be on their website. (Also, no pesky ads will follow in your mailbox.)

Please see Graham's Corner for an announcement about the Michael Coren show THIS WEEK.

Visit Tim’s TidBits, where you will see a couple of more related articles.

A great new way for kids & big kids to learn about the saints –
http://amazingsaints.cartoonmario.com/

Please look into this for me!

Jamie Lepper
804 Maley St
Kemptville, ON
K0G 1J0
613-258-9795

Please write your MP to find out what the heck is going on! Regardless of where a person stands on an issue, whatever happened to objective news reporting?

Click here to see the feature sheet!

I have a VM posting if you feel it's suited for your site. See attached.

Thanks, hope all is well...
Laura Kelly

CHRI's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 16 May at Parkwood Presbyterian Church… click here for more information!

Inside CHRI – May 2006
By Lillian Culumovic, Director of Development
Click here to read the monthly newsletter

Birthdays coming up this week are:
May 12 Jennifer Backs, shares her birthday, with many VMers having an anniversary. The Barretts {Sylvie & Frank} and the Dacquays {Christine & Guy} were married on the same day May 12, 1984. However the Dacquays were married in Winnipeg, MB., and the Barretts were married in Montreal. They were even married at the same hour, 2:30pm, although in different time zones. The similarities don’t quite end there. Both couples spent honeymoon time in Lake Louise/Jasper. They are still planning to look through their Honeymoon photo albums to see if they can find each other.

May 13 – Hey John Lawlor, why don’t you tell us why this day is special to you!
May 17 – Do you know who is celebrating their 26th anniversary? Marc & Rosemary – do I have the number correct?
May 18 – the Great JPII was always willing to share his birthday with a couple of golfers. Cyril Dowling shared the birthday. And three other brothers have this date as the anniversary of their priesthoods. Know who? Fr. Mark, Fr. Randy & Fr Fernando … who wants to guess the year?

AND LAST WEEK – I ERRONEOUSLY MENTIONED THE WORNG BECKY
MEA CULPE MEA CULPE MEA CULPE BECKY BARLOW … May 5th is YOUR birthday. That other Rebekah was mentioned in February!

What was going on in VM – one year ago?
Now when I do this – should I be choosing the VM that has the same volume number as above (2006-19), should I be using the one that is about the same date, or should I be using the one that is exactly 52 issues ago?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

2005-19 is the same one for the date may 13 http://virtualministry.com/Archives/VMArchive2005/VM290/VM290.htm