Drive-By Blessing

Categories: parish-life, cinema, feast-days

Date: 22 July 2007 06:17:40

As yesterday was the feast of St Elijah / Elias [on the New Calendar], after Divine Liturgy today Father stood outside, in full liturgical garb, blessing cars with the aspergill [instrument for sprinkling holy water in liturgical services] as they drove past -- as we don't have a church of our own, nor a car-park large enough for all cars. It must've been a sight to see for the various passers-by. If you are wondering why such a thing is done on the feast of St Elijah, recall to mind his mode of departure from earth.

After Divine Liturgy, it was off to see Lucky Miles.

That link gives a summary of the movie:

It's 1990 and an Indonesian fishing boat abandons Iraqi and Cambodian refugees in a remote part of the Western Australia. Whilst most are quickly caught by officials, three men with nothing in common but their misfortune and determination escape arrest and begin an epic journey into the heart of Australia. Pursued by an army reservist unit, our three heroes wander deeper into the desert, desperately searching for civilisation amongst the stones of the Pilbara.

The movie, which was inspired by several true stories, is wondrous: you would not expect to find much humour in such a story, and a very relevant story to our times still, but it is there -- from all characters. And the actors, all of them, are simply terrific: I truly felt drawn in to their lives and felt for them, desperately wanting them to succeed. It was also interesting to see new-comers' reactions to Australia and its people, and to its harsh landscape in particular.

Well worth a look.