It's like The Lord of the Rings out there

AED · Oct 16, 2021

andree said: ↑

I love this thread.

I watched the LOTR again recently and was left wondering if Tolkien was a mystic or perhaps he read the 3rd Fatima Secret? I notice new biblical connections every time I watch it.

I made a connection just recently between that awful huge spider that Frodo had to get past in order to get to the fires of Mordor and the world wide web (www) of our times. In a recent report about the antichrist, Michael Brown referred to the internet as having a huge hidden spider hiding behind it, waiting to pounce and that's what happens in the LOTR. The internet used to be very cool, but it's increasingly controlled, censored and surveilling users. The spider appears in the last movie, the Return of the King, like the equivalent of the current end times since we are nearing the end of this age.

The battle scene with the elephants reminded me of the battles in the book of Maccabees

"And the number of his army was a hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants, trained to battle...And they distributed the beasts by the legions: and there stood by every elephant a thousand men in coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads: and five hundred horsemen set in order were chosen for every beast... And upon the beast, there were strong wooden towers, which covered every one of them: and engines upon them: and upon every one thirty-two valiant men, who fought from above; and an Indian to rule the beast."

Yes I loved this too!

There is a message given in the locutions to Fr Michelini about how the battle on earth in the end times will culminate in a final confrontation that will involve humanity and all of heaven against all of hell. I had just read this passage when I watched TLOTR again and thought of it when I saw this wonderful battle scene with the souls. I've started praying for the holy souls more regularly since then and asking for their intercession for us in this battle.

I haven't read the books but think that Peter Jackson did a brilliant job with the movie. I wish there were more movies like this!
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I agree.
I could never get into the books. .y youngest son loved them and begged me to read them. I tried but too convoluted or so I thought.
Then I went to the first movie--Fellowship of thd Rings. I came in cold knowing nothing. I was utterly enchanted. But then it ended at a climatic moment. I was like "WHAT?????Wait a minute!!!" I was told I had to wait for the next two volumes to be filmed. I ran right out and bought all 3 books. Read them cover to cover and loved them! Go figure.

Ananchal · Oct 16, 2021

The books are HIGHLY descriptive which no doubt helped in the creation of the movie but does take a long time to read thru - I found myself whipping through3-4 pages of scene descriptions going yea yea yea now back to the story

AED · Oct 16, 2021

Ananchal said: ↑

The books are HIGHLY descriptive which no doubt helped in the creation of the movie but does take a long time to read thru - I found myself whipping through3-4 pages of scene descriptions going yea yea yea now back to the story
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maryrose · Oct 16, 2021

PurpleFlower said: ↑

If you own or can rent The Lord of the Rings, you should watch it soon with an eye for the comparisons to our world right now. Not only is it sobering in its portrayal of what seems to be happening in real life, but it will fire you up with its beauty and hope in the face of great evil.

For instance, something I've come to realize while watching it has affected me pretty deeply and given me new courage. Throughout the story you see evil amassing a great army. Just as in our own history, there always seems to be far more evil than good. Saruman's army of orcs numbers in the tens of thousands, up against a mere few hundred men of Rohan. And the "good" are a hodgepodge of weak, proud, and flawed men, as in real life. But two things stood out to me. First of all, the elves come to make their stand with men. I see them as symbolic of angels. The men are never as alone as they think they are, for the elves are always in the background praying and healing or joining them just in the nick of time. It's moving to see the elves' allegiance to the far inferior and deeply flawed men.

Second, and this is the very important (for me) observation... The men and their kings are so flawed that they are too proud to call for aid. They manage to summon up courage to fight, but they don't have the courage to humble themselves enough to call for help. You see this multiple times, and you see that they have doomed themselves to fail in the face of such great evil. But who DOES call for help? A small handful of people. Gandalf, a couple hobbits, and Aragorn. When the hobbits manage to light the fire that signals a call for help, triggering fire after fire to be lit across the mountains, I always cry... It's such a powerful scene. And how do the fires spread? Because of the few lonely people still keeping watch on their mountaintops, even in a world where all hope seems lost. Because they too light their fires, it makes it to the city that can send help.

When Gandalf brings help, he comes from the East at sunrise... It is God's help coming to bring renewed courage and strength to the wearied men who seem to have lost the battle.

Who does Aragorn ask for help? The great army of deceased men residing in the mountain. They are like souls in Purgatory, who in return for being released from their debt, come to fight by the side of the living.

A small handful of people humble enough to ask for help bring entire armies that defeat evil again and again, right at the moment when all seems lost. It's the power of prayer. God has allowed this...the intercessory power of prayer from the small and humble supplies the grace for the rest of the struggling world. Those of us who can't be out there on the battlefield... It's our time to call for aid. Let's not find ourselves distracted or asleep when it's time to light the fire on our mountaintop.
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My all time favourite book and film. I must watch it all again. The lava flow from the volcano always reminds me of the closing sequence when the ring is consumed by a flood of lava

AED · Oct 16, 2021

maryrose said: ↑

My all time favourite book and film. I must watch it all again. The lava flow from the volcano always reminds me of the closing sequence when the ring is consumed by a flood of lava
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Yes! Exactly. I had forgotten.

Donna259 · Oct 17, 2021

this is a great thread. I was just listening to a scholar on EWTN about the interwoven personal relationships of Chesterton, Tolkien and CS Lewis.....very interesting.

andree · Oct 20, 2021

Muzhik said: ↑

Something else about that reforged sword: there's an apocryphal story that says the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, after the Fall, the Tree started spreading out its roots with new trees sprouting from them, until a forest arose.

When God wanted Noah to build an Ark, He led Noah to this forest for the wood. The wood was strong, easily worked, and as the pieces were nailed together the boards began to sprout branches and roots, binding the construction together into a living ship.

When the Ark set down, the tree once again put down roots, and once again a forest grew. The locals thought the woods were cursed and never went there. Years passed, and eventually a survey team from the local government showed up. They were amazed at the trees, as they had never seen anything like them before. They forced some of the locals to cut down some of the trees to take back with them. The locals were amazed at how they weren't killed when they first struck the trees with the axe, and at how easily the trees were felled.

The tree logs were loaded along with some old nails they found there. After some weeks of travel they arrived in Jerusalem for a few days of rest, and stored the logs and nails with the local garrison.

Now, the garrison's carpenter was worried because there was to be an extra unscheduled execution that day and there was no more lumber available. So when he found the logs along with the nails, he didn't hesitate. The cross was forned and the nails were used to fasten the criminal to it.

And so, in the words of the old Latin hymn, the tree responsible for man's downfall became the source of man's redemption.
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Well, apocryphal or not, I just love this story! Thank you for sharing it.

It makes sense that God would assemble on Golgotha all the people and other important things of creation in that most central moment in history.

I thought of the purple scapular by Marie-Julie Jahenny which is said to protect the homes in which it is found. The nails used on the cross are venerated on that scapular and this story makes a connection with the protection of Noah's ark.

Another thought came to mind: Scott Hahn taught in his course Our Father's Plan that God made a series of progressive covenants with humanity in salvation history, starting from Adam to Jesus through anointings where people were in contact for the passing on of annointings. Following this idea, if the wood of the Cross was from the original tree of life in the garden of Eden and the nails from the ark, then there could have been a similar transfer on Golgotha from that first tree of life to the new and eternal tree: the Virgin Mary.

Has anyone else noticed in shops that the image of a tree of life is very present these days?

sparrow · Oct 20, 2021

The tree of life is everywhere now. I have a door mat with it, my earrings have it and my sister painted me a large tree of life that will go on the wall outside my home. I have always been drawn to it but it has also become very popular lately..

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It's like The Lord of the Rings out there

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