This documentary, as stated in the promo video, is one of a kind and it does not disappoint. In this day and age when secularism, relativism and neo-paganism attack the Catholic Church from all sides, a catholic convert from Bible Christianity Steve Ray does an excellent job of bringing to screen those places and events that are deeply rooted in the human and Church history. Breathtaking bird-eye views, clear and interesting story-telling makes it an interesting watch from start to the end. Steve's idea to make it a travel-log documentary, a brief course on apologetics and a historical overview focused on symbolism of the Biblical events is unique and really works together well.
This very first episode of the ten part series "The Footprints of God" (last two episodes are to be made in 2017 and 2018/2019) is devoted entirely to Peter, the apostle. Steve Ray goes to all known places where Peter lived, worked, walked with Christ - in Israel and his burial place in Rome. He links the biblical words and events with the actual places revealing their significance. It is a trustworthy source of information as the film has endorsement from ecclesiastical authorities: Nihil Obstat seal by a Censor Librorum and Imprimatur by Bishop Carl F. Mengeling.
So what's so special about Peter? Well, Peter's authority is the main line of attack on the Catholic Church from inside all other Christian denominations that at their inception rebelled against the Church and Peter's authority. And I do mean ALL of them, without exception. It is precisely the authority of Rome where Peter's seat is that they rebelled against in the first place. Luther, Calvin and Henry XIII - founders of Protestantism and Anglicanism, Photius and Cerularios - authors of the Great Schism of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and many others before them and after, and their followers even to this day - they all refused to follow Peter's authority, effectively God's authority, and through their influence, power, lies and persuasion dragged huge numbers with them into the abyss of their heresies and schisms.
Now, Simon, whom Christ gave a new name Peter (from the Greek "Petros", in turn from Aramaic "Keifa" meaning Rock) was a simple fisherman, whom Christ made the head of the twelve Apostles and who later became the first Bishop of Rome, the Pope. He was the one Christ gave the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (meaning the power to rule Christ's flock on Earth) and he is the rock on which Christ has build His Church, meaning that Peter, in all of his successors, will defend and protect the authenticity of the Catholic Faith until the end of times. Why did He pick Peter? Steve Answers that question: he was a strong, rough and uneducated man but of great faith and of a big and a humble heart. I would add to Steve's words quoting St. John Chrysostom from memory, an early father of the Church (IV c. A.D.), that Christ picked Peter, an uneducated and rough man instead of a learned and arrogant scholar, so that after Peter's betrayal, followed by his repentance and profound contrition, and once made the head of the Church, he will be as forgiving of the faults of others as Christ was of his faults and being already once humbled by Christ, would never rise above all others in the Church, but be a servant of all just like Christ was (one of Pope's titles, by the way).
Even more interestingly, if we look at the parallels in a wider Biblical sense to the Protestant refusal to follow God's authority delegated to Peter, they are doing the Devil (yes, that horny one that managed to persuade almost everyone he doesn't exist) a huge favour and effectively his most important job for him. It was the Devil (a.k.a. Satan, Lucifer), one of the most powerful and certainly the most beautiful of all archangels in Heaven who rebelled against God's authority. "I will not serve" he said to God and other angels and through lies, deception and persuasion managed to drag with him a third of all angels into the abyss of what then became Hell. That was before the creation of Adam and Eve, by the way, and today it is still his utmost desire and goal - to turn away as many people from God as possible. (He hates us, humans, by the way, even more than he hates God, so don't expect any nice treatment if you get there).
The above information on Protestants and the Devil is not in the film, of course, but will hopefully give some background and perspective to the story about this great and humble man, Peter the fisherman, so well told by Steve Ray. I would highly recommend this film, and the whole series in fact, to anyone who wants to get their facts right about the faith and Church history, and to any Christians who believe in "the Bible alone" and have no understanding of the deep and profound historicity of the Faith.
This very first episode of the ten part series "The Footprints of God" (last two episodes are to be made in 2017 and 2018/2019) is devoted entirely to Peter, the apostle. Steve Ray goes to all known places where Peter lived, worked, walked with Christ - in Israel and his burial place in Rome. He links the biblical words and events with the actual places revealing their significance. It is a trustworthy source of information as the film has endorsement from ecclesiastical authorities: Nihil Obstat seal by a Censor Librorum and Imprimatur by Bishop Carl F. Mengeling.
So what's so special about Peter? Well, Peter's authority is the main line of attack on the Catholic Church from inside all other Christian denominations that at their inception rebelled against the Church and Peter's authority. And I do mean ALL of them, without exception. It is precisely the authority of Rome where Peter's seat is that they rebelled against in the first place. Luther, Calvin and Henry XIII - founders of Protestantism and Anglicanism, Photius and Cerularios - authors of the Great Schism of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and many others before them and after, and their followers even to this day - they all refused to follow Peter's authority, effectively God's authority, and through their influence, power, lies and persuasion dragged huge numbers with them into the abyss of their heresies and schisms.
Now, Simon, whom Christ gave a new name Peter (from the Greek "Petros", in turn from Aramaic "Keifa" meaning Rock) was a simple fisherman, whom Christ made the head of the twelve Apostles and who later became the first Bishop of Rome, the Pope. He was the one Christ gave the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (meaning the power to rule Christ's flock on Earth) and he is the rock on which Christ has build His Church, meaning that Peter, in all of his successors, will defend and protect the authenticity of the Catholic Faith until the end of times. Why did He pick Peter? Steve Answers that question: he was a strong, rough and uneducated man but of great faith and of a big and a humble heart. I would add to Steve's words quoting St. John Chrysostom from memory, an early father of the Church (IV c. A.D.), that Christ picked Peter, an uneducated and rough man instead of a learned and arrogant scholar, so that after Peter's betrayal, followed by his repentance and profound contrition, and once made the head of the Church, he will be as forgiving of the faults of others as Christ was of his faults and being already once humbled by Christ, would never rise above all others in the Church, but be a servant of all just like Christ was (one of Pope's titles, by the way).
Even more interestingly, if we look at the parallels in a wider Biblical sense to the Protestant refusal to follow God's authority delegated to Peter, they are doing the Devil (yes, that horny one that managed to persuade almost everyone he doesn't exist) a huge favour and effectively his most important job for him. It was the Devil (a.k.a. Satan, Lucifer), one of the most powerful and certainly the most beautiful of all archangels in Heaven who rebelled against God's authority. "I will not serve" he said to God and other angels and through lies, deception and persuasion managed to drag with him a third of all angels into the abyss of what then became Hell. That was before the creation of Adam and Eve, by the way, and today it is still his utmost desire and goal - to turn away as many people from God as possible. (He hates us, humans, by the way, even more than he hates God, so don't expect any nice treatment if you get there).
The above information on Protestants and the Devil is not in the film, of course, but will hopefully give some background and perspective to the story about this great and humble man, Peter the fisherman, so well told by Steve Ray. I would highly recommend this film, and the whole series in fact, to anyone who wants to get their facts right about the faith and Church history, and to any Christians who believe in "the Bible alone" and have no understanding of the deep and profound historicity of the Faith.