The Friday Five

When I was a kid, seems there were a lot of holy movies shown on tv during the Easter season, not just the blockbusters The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. My five holy movie picks to enjoy year round

1. The Silver Chalice Paul Newman's film debut. He plays Basil, a Greek silversmith who is commissioned to fashion a chalice to place the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper. His task is to sculpt the faces of all 12 apostles and Christ from descriptions given to him. He is able to sculpt the faces of the apostles, but he agonizes over his failure to sculpt Christ's image. Paul Newman absolutely hated this movie. Described himself as prancing around in a cocktail waitress dress. He might have hated this movie but this is my favorite. If you get Turner Classic Movies they are airing this movie at 2:30 pm EDT on Sunday, April 4. Check your local listing.

2. The Robe starring Richard Burton as a Roman centurion in charge of the Crucifixion. When he wins Christ's robe while gambling, he goes mad and his life changes forever. The movie also stars Jean Simmons and Victor Mature as Marcellus' (Burton) slave, Demetrius

3. Demetrius and the Gladiators, the sequel to The Robe. Victor Mature reprises his role as Demetrius. He is in charge of keeping Christ's robe from falling into the hands of the emperor, Caligula. Demetrius is forced into the gladiator arena after assaulting a Roman soldier. He denounces his faith and his hope for salvation. Fox Movie Channel is airing this movie on Friday, April 2 at 6 AM. Check our local listing.

4. The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima In 1917 three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal report seeing a vision of a "beautiful lady" who tells them to pray the rosary for world peace. Word gets out the children have witnessed Mary, the mother of Christ. Crowds begin to gather at the site. The children are threatened by the government and the Church, but they remain steadfast in their story. Forbidden to visit the grotto for the lady's final appearance, the children disobey. The crowd gathered on October 13, 1917 and many witnessed strange apparitions in the sky. I haven't seen this movie in 40 years. Might have to put this on the DVD list.

5. The Fourth Wiseman starring Martin Sheen as Artaban, the fourth magi who takes 3 precious gifts with him to present to the newborn Messiah. Along the way, he gets sidetracked and spends the next 33 years seeking Him out only to miss him. Sick at heart, Araban sees his life as a failure.

Do you have any holy movies to add to the list?