Ruvi Simmons

There is only one answer here that matters: The Godfather. The greatest work of the cinema, period, but made from a fun pulpy novel.

In the summer of 2000, as the Harry Potter series was quickly becoming a global sensation, legendary Yale critic Harold Bloom gave one of his most unpopular takes, calling 35 million readers wrong

Friends, yesterday, I had the opportunity to offer a prayer at an Easter lunch hosted by the White House. What follows is the text of that invocaton: Heavenly Father, almighty and eternal God, provident Lord of history, we come before you today in an attitude of humble gratitude. We are thankful, Lord, for this opportunity to be together in fellowship, for the faith that unites us, and for the blessings of liberty that we enjoy as Americans. But we are grateful, above all, on this holiest week of the year, for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ, who is God from God, light from light, true God from true God; who is the Yes to all the promises made to Israel; who is the Lamb standing as though slain; who is the Alpha and the Omega; who is the Lion of Judah; who is the desire of the everlasting hills; and who is the Word made flesh. Father, you so loved the world that you sent your only Son that all who believe in him might not perish but might have eternal life. On Good Friday, you sent him indeed to the very limits of godforsakenness that he might gather back to you even those who had wandered furthest away. On the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the world—injustice, cruelty, hatred, violence, betrayal, and denial—that he might swallow them up in the ever-greater divine mercy. On Easter Sunday, Father, you raised him from death, showing your victory over all of the powers of darkness. Having met the risen Jesus, St. Paul could therefore say, “I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature could separate us from the love of God.” We bless you, Father, for you have given us the privilege of declaring the kingship of Christ to the world and calling all people to be subject to him. And so, Lord, conform us to Christ your Son. Clothe us, we pray, with his compassion, his meekness, his love for the poor. Father, we ask you to bless our country. Make us prosperous and safe, but above all, make us morally upright and order our freedom toward your truth. Bless our troops, especially those who are most directly in harm’s way. Protect them and make them righteous warriors. And finally, Father, bless our President. Give him the grace, the courage, the wisdom, and the prudence he needs to perform his duties according to your will. We say, with gratitude, that we are a nation under God. We acknowledge that in you we live and move and have our being. We know that our freedom and rights come from you. Continue, Lord, to shed your grace on us and to hold us in the palm of your hand. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.