Media Mindfulness Blog

It was a subtle theme threaded through the first season of "Andor." The word is always said on its own, at once a command and a sign of striving onward. It resonates with viewers for its physical and spiritual parallels to everyday life, and it echoes familiarly in the ears of those touched by Scripture.

Shadow and Bone Season Two bursts with complex characters with complex relationships, but there is one theme running through nearly all of them: in this deeply wounded and dangerous society, vulnerability can get you hurt, betrayed, or killed. Even so, many characters refuse to be vulnerable with others and as a result, they cannot be healed.

Was the Darkling of Season One beyond hope of finding love, peace or belonging? Sr Orianne explores what Alexander is capable of, why he keeps falling short, and what we can learn from his mistake.

Sr. Orianne explores a surprising and powerful connection between an iconic scene of "Your Name" and the reality of our own baptismal names.

In Episode One of "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Empire tracks Jedi, Obi-Wan by following his good deeds. The Grand Inquisitor tells how best to detect an escaped Jedi: “compassion leaves a trail.” Oh, that we would leave such a trail.

Shang-Chi is a story about family inheritance. Sr. Orianne explores the reality of inheriting both good and bad from those before us, and what it means to hold both in the light of our baptism.

Sr. Orianne Pietra René reflects on the theme of waiting in "Dune" and how it can help us live the Season of Advent.

Ideas of how a woman should be have changed throughout the years and this has been reflected in portrayals of women on screen. What hasn’t changed is what women are. The most timeless films are those which avoid dictating how women should be and succeed in touching on the truth of what women are. This is exactly what happens in the "Lord of the Rings" films. See how Arwen, Galadriel, Eowyn, and Rosie, can be inspirations for all women.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have appreciated Loki from the very beginning. Loki’s character is well-written, intelligently crafted, and brilliantly acted, but that’s not the root of people’s soft spot for him.  At the end of the day, something in Loki speaks to us of ourselves.

After losing a loved-one during the Pandemic, Sr. Orianne shares how musicians are helping us to step out into a re-opening world that will never be the same again.