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Recommended chapter:
Book VI, Chapter 3 – “Mount Doom”
Here, we see the moment of ultimate surrender, betrayal, and unlooked-for salvation. Frodo cannot finish the task; grace must intervene. Gollum, a figure of both corruption and grace, becomes the unexpected instrument of deliverance. As with Christ on the Cross, victory comes through sacrifice.
Easter: Resurrection, Renewal, and Joy
After the silence of Holy Saturday comes the joy of the Resurrection. Evil is defeated. Light breaks through. The King returns.
Recommended chapters:
Book VI, Chapter 5 – “The Steward and the King”
Book VI, Chapter 6 – “Many Partings”
Aragorn is crowned as the true king, bringing healing and peace to the land. Friends are reunited. Wounds are acknowledged but transformed. The entire realm breathes again. It is the season of joy—of Alleluia. The world, long held captive by darkness, has been reborn.
Ordinary Time: Faithfulness in the Everyday
Ordinary Time isn’t “ordinary” in the sense of mundane. It’s ordered time—days structured around growth, conversion, and daily discipleship. In The Lord of the Rings, we see this reflected in the hobbits’ return home.
The great battles have passed, but now comes the quiet heroism of rebuilding, forgiving, planting gardens, raising families, and remembering.
Recommended chapters:
Book VI, Chapter 8 – “The Scouring of the Shire”
Book VI, Chapter 9 – “The Grey Havens”
Appendix B – “The Tale of Years”
Sam’s return to family life, Frodo’s contemplative retirement, and the slow working out of redemption echo the call of every Catholic in Ordinary Time: to be faithful in little things. To bear wounds with grace. To await the final journey West.
Conclusion
Tolkien never intended The Lord of the Rings to be an allegory. But as a deeply faithful Catholic, he infused his myth with the rhythms, values, and mysteries of the Christian life. By reading the story alongside the Church’s liturgical seasons, we uncover a new dimension of beauty and meaning.
So this year, as you journey from Advent to Easter, from darkness to light, from the Shire to Mount Doom and back again—consider bringing The Lord of the Rings along for the pilgrimage. Let Tolkien’s story illuminate the Church’s story. And let both draw your heart closer to the true King who has already triumphed.
You can find the full article here:
https://www.churchpop.com/how-the-lord-of-the-rings-mirrors-the-liturgical-year-uncovering-the-hidden-catholic-calendar/
https://x.com/Church_POP/status/1996006701401588149
CIA @CIA - At CIA, DS&T and DDI officers are on the frontlines of harnessing advanced tools, and cutting-edge digital and cyber tradecraft, enabling the Agency's foreign intelligence mission.
Ready to turn your expertise into real-world security solutions? Visit http://cia.gov/careers.
https://x.com/CIA/status/1996238289896939938
Clemente4141 @clemente4141 - Told my friend about this and his PSA went from 8.8 to 3.7 in 6 months. His oncologist was stunned. Said he has never saw this kind of reduction. Cancelled his followup biopsy. Doc never asked what my friend was doing…
https://x.com/clemente4141/status/1996165269673197762
Collin Rugg @CollinRugg - NEW: Raccoon gets drunk at an ABC liquor store in Ashland, Virginia, and passes out in the bathroom.
Hanover County Animal Protection says the raccoon "ransacked" the store before passing out next to the toilet.
"Officer Martin safely secured our masked bandit and transported him back to the shelter to sober up before questioning," Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter said in a statement.
"After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer."
Video: WAVY TV 10.
https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1996000721297347062
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