An Interview with Victor S.E. Moubarak

Jackie, the creator and founder of this site suggested that another male guest writer would add a nice balance. I immeditely thought of the author and blogger Victor Moubarak. He has graciously given me permission to post one of his Fr. Ignatius articles every Tuesday on Association for Catholic Women Bloggers. This interview is reposted from Victor's blog to give you the background for the upcoming series of posts featuring the delightful and ever wise Fr. Ignatius.

TIME FOR REFLECTIONS

UBI CARITAS ET AMOR. DEUS IBI EST.

Interview with Vic Moubarak

Interviewer: Let's start by asking about Father Ignatius. Tell us more about him.

VM: Father Ignatius is a character from my first book "Visions" published in 2007.

Int: What is the book about?

VM: It's a fictional story about three children who see an apparition of Christ in the park. They tell their priest, Father Ignatius, and news soon spreads throughout town with various consequences. Some people react badly to the news and try to discredit the children and their families.

Int: And Father Ignatius?

VM: He has a crisis of Faith and doesn't know what to believe anymore. But Christ continues to appear again and again and the story spreads wider involving many members of the community.

Int: Why did you write the book?

VM: It's a modern day story of what happened at Lourdes and elsewhere. I thought, what if Christ appeared here and now. What would people make of it? Would they really believe? The book challenges readers to re-assess what they believe and why they believe it. Imagine you are a parent and your child tells you he or she has seen Jesus. How would you react?

Int: Where is the story set?

VM: I chose an un-named northern town in Britain, but it could be anywhere in the world. I also chose a time period of mid to late 1950s. This is deliberate.

If Christ appeared today in the 21st Century the chances are the news would hardly make a couple of column inches in the papers. Many people today are just not willing to believe. I suppose that many have become more hardened in their beliefs and perhaps a little cynical; or should I say, perhaps a little confused about their Faith and beliefs. Also, I find that it has become more fashionable to proclaim that one does not believe in God anyway.

So if Christ appeared on earth today, in modern times, it would take spectacular miracles on a large scale for a sustained period before most people believed in Him. I suppose modern hearts have hardened in this respect.

So I chose the 1950s when people were perhaps more likely to react to such news; especially in a small town where nothing much happens. The story makes the reader think: What if I was there when this happened? How would I have reacted? Would I have believed my children when they said they saw Jesus? Or would I tell them to keep quiet about it?

I've written the plot in such a way that the reader becomes involved as one of the characters in the story and identifies with the story as it develops.

Int: Why did you call the priest Ignatius?

VM: I wanted an unusual name but well recognised. I said the priest was born on 31 July, and was named after St Ignatius by his devout parents.

Int: What is his surname?

VM: He hasn't got any. I tried to focus on the main theme of the story, the apparitions of Christ and their consequences; so I did not name the town, the priest, or even described him either. I leave all this to the readers' imagination. They can decide what he looks like. The story and the events which follow challenges the reader to ask himself: "What do I really believe? How strong is my Faith? Would I have reacted differently if I was there then?"

Int: Is the character of Father Ignatius based on anyone you know?

VM: Yes, it is based on a number of priests I have been priviledged to know over the years. Some sadly no longer with us.

Int: Where is the book "Visions" published?

VM: In the USA but it is available world-wide in bookshops and the internet. Also in Kindle and other electronic gadgets.

Int: Have you written another full-length book featuring Father Ignatius?

VM: Not about him specifically. The main story in "Visions" is the apparition of Christ. He is the central most important focus of that story. That's a book in itself and I do not at the moment plan a sequel.

After "Visions" I wrote over 200 short stories about the life of Father Ignatius. Stories covering many issues regarding Faith, Christianity, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the many challenges of today's world. A number of these stories are based on true events.They have been published in a series of books and are available electronically in Kindle and as FREE downloads.

Int: Free?

VM: Yes, once you download the books on your computer at no cost you can copy them to CD or other electronic devices or print them as you wish. You can also share them with other readers. There is a small charge for the Kindle versions though.

Int: You've also written and published several humourous short stories too.

VM: Humour is important. Laughter is good for you. It releases dolphins within you and they swim and tickle you from the inside. I read that in a medical paper which I wrote.

Int: Thank you for your time.

VM: Pleasure. God bless.

NOTE: More information about books by Victor Moubarak at top left of this page.

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