Media Spirituality

Communication Spirituality

Come Holy Spirit!Come Holy Spirit!

I will place a new heart within you…a heart of flesh (Ez. 36:26)

With the human heart there is a deep yearning for God most immediately felt when the person confronts the reality of his or her own solitude.

Jesus of Nazareth must always be at the heart of our proclamation –

"Our message is always the same –

but how we present him to a changing world and how we communicate his message

needs to be continually reformulated and adapted to the moment and the context."

Archbishop Claudio Celli

Vocation of the Communicator

The vocation of the Catholic communicator consists in offering answers to the search for God.

Holiness

A great synthesis in Jesus Master as he defined himself “way, truth and life” (John 14:6).

The Medium is the Message

“You are the artist of yourself.” Blessed Alberione

Communication

Intrapersonal Interpersonal Group Organization Mass media (mediated) Extrapersonal (digital;

high tech;interactive)

We are living through a time of profound change in the world of communications.

The challenge today is to understand that the new technologies are not just instruments of communication but are profoundly affecting the very culture of communications.

Four levels of Consciousness

Bernard Lonergan, Desires of the Human HeartHow we arrive at truth and value: Be attentive ------------ experience Be intelligent ------------- understand Be reasonable ------------ judge Be responsible ----------- decide

“Transcendental Imperatives”

Communication from I to usfrom I to us

A Social & Cultural Revolution

Eight Tasks of Theology

First Four Research the past ------------ experience Discover meaning ------------ understand Construct history ------------- judge Evaluate significance --------- decide

Called to evangelize the communication of today with the communication of today.

The Congregation in the next six years can be imagined as starting from the mission of evangelizing the communication of today with the communication of today. Don Sassi

What is spirituality?

Spirituality Refers to the quest for interconnectivity. Relates to the relationships between people

and within communities. Reaches beyond self and others.

It is a human activity that expresses profound experiences and inner longings in terms that are meaningful.

What is Charism?

A specific manner of being, a specific mission, a specific spirituality.

What is Theology?In Eastern Christianity, there is more emphasis on prayer

than on intellectual thought and study as a means to learn about God, and so as the proper form of "theology". Many of the early church fathers described the theologian as a person who "truly prays."

theology n. , pl. , -gies . The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational

inquiry into religious questions.

Seeking a Spirituality for a Technological World Spirituality for a media culture is a way to be

mindful of the world we live in, our reactions in this world, and our communion with those in the "real" world in which we live in each day.

signs of the time

“What is needed is witnessing,”

says Fr. Silvio Sassi, “the type of witnessing that sustains the message with the example of one’s own dedication to an alternative, other-centered power.”

Theology of Communication is based in the very heart of the Trinity

We have come into being through an act of communication.

We come to know who we are through the other.

We are invited to relationship with God who is communion and communication.

Jesus as self expression of God the Father heals our communication.

From Aetatis Novae

Self communication of God in Christ History is ordered to becoming a kind of word of

God Human vocation is to bring about by living out the

ongoing, unlimited communication of God’s reconciling love in new creative ways.

We do this through words of hope and deeds of love, our very way of life communication lies at the heart of the Church community.

Pentecost is the restoration of communication Pentecost is the restoration of communication through the gift of the Spirit.through the gift of the Spirit.

There was one speech until Babel.

Humanity is isolated today while surrounded by means of communication. First we are strangers to ourselves and in need the other…

Following Jesus, the new people of God is to be a sign of communion and communication.

God’s love is God’s eternal God’s love is God’s eternal self-communication to us. self-communication to us.

God takes the initiative to enter into communication with us.

The whole life of Jesus was communication as way, truth and life.

Jesus not only gives us the image of the perfect communicator as our way and truth (fidelity). Jesus also gives us the ability to communicate – to restore communication as our life through grace (sacraments).

Communication for us is giving of self in love.Communication for us is giving of self in love.

Communication Spirituality

To communicate is to imitate the divine. Communication spirituality is a way of life

that harmonizes Gospel values with the means presented to us in modern

communication technologies.

Pauline Spirituality

Paulines are called to be prophetic signs with radical roots in Christ. Sent to announce the gospel message we enter into a covenant with the divine initiative.


Humility TrustPoverty of Spirit


Communication is essential for Paulines beginning with a shared life in the

Trinity.Trinity.

The two great sources of our strength are the Word of God and the Eucharist.

How to develop a spirituality for today Relationship with God Living in the presence of God A way of life that brings faith and life together Love for self - Love for others Love for God, Father, Son, Spirit Finding God in the world, people, creativity… Contemplation, Ways of seeing, Taking the time…. Lectio Divina, Cinema Divina

Eight Tasks of Theology

First Four

• Retrieve the past ------------ experience

• Discover meaning ------------ understand

• Construct history ------------- judge

• Evaluate significance --------- decide

Retrieve the Past

Eternity Trinity: communio, communication, love

27-33 AD Gospel mandate: Go out to all the world…

70 AD Realization by Church that its essence is communication

3rd century: Tertullian conflict: using pagan imagery as decoration for Christian purposes

Roots

4th century: Christianity state religion; Roman empire bearer and preserver of culture, oral and written tradition of the West

5th century: Augustine “resolves” issue that communication techniques (images) are neutral and Church should use them for good

St Benedict: mandated reading for monks, so a “need” for books was created.

The Rule of Benedict

The Rule of Benedict demonstrated its continual influence on society even while newly emerging spiritual strains arise.

Benedictine spirituality

Benedictine spirituality was born within a particular culture and in response to a social shift.

Question: How do you live a spiritual life? Question: How do you recognize a spiritual

person?

Roots

6th century: St Gregory the Great urges and applies communication principles, refers to audiences for first time in pastoral work.

6-11th centuries: monasteries begin preserving books of all kinds; St. Isidore of Seville compiles first database/encyclopedia

11th century: breakdown of communication between East and West (a comm. schism)

Oral to Written 1515: Luther’s Bible and Catechism “for the people” 1560: Counterreformation: Catechism of the Council of Trent “for the clergy”

Censorship 1520: copyrights (Henry VIII) 1525: Orthodoxy (Henry) 1538: Against “naughty” books 1543: inquisition: no books could be printed or sold without the permission 1599: Index of Forbidden Books

Roots

Roots:Roots: Propagation of the Faith founds its own Propagation of the Faith founds its own press and publishes documentspress and publishes documents

1766: CHRISTIANAE REPUBLICAE Clement XIII on Dangers of anti-Catholic literature. This is an exhortation to opposed bad press with good press.

1832: MIRARI VOS Gregory XVI on present situation of the Church responded with “good press.”

Pope Pius IX is pessimistic about the press, “bad press vs good press”

1861: L’Osservatore Romano was founded,

More documents…

† 1936: Vigilanti Cura: On Motion Pictures† Development of cinema/moving pictures in USA/World War I† Miranda Prorsus (Movies, TV, radio) 1957† Inter mirifica (Vatican II) 1963† Communio et progressio 1971† Guide to training future priests… 1986† Pornography and Violence 1989† Criteria for ecumencial/interreligious cooperation in

communications 1989† Aetatis Novae 1992† Instruction on Some Aspects of the use… 1992† Ethics in Advertising 1997† Ethics in Communication (1999)

..discover, understand, interpret…

Why did the Pauline charism arise in the Church?

What was our Founder’s thought concerning evangelization through the means of

social communication?

What does Fr. Alberione mean when he said

we must continually “move ahead”?

James Alberione (1884-1971): Prophet of God in the World of Communication

Communication in a post-modern context

We are called to live and communicate the Gospel in an inculturated way.

The Areopagus of communication is now transformed into culture.

8th General Chapter

..judge and construct history…

The Pauline charism must be lived in a radically new context…

Why not take today’s “new forms of communication” as a starting point for a new spirituality and a new formation?

We need saints, true apostles.

…decide, evaluate significance…

The Evangelical Counsels in the Age of Communication:

Consecration-Community-Mission.

This journey is pointed out to us by Paul in his Christological hymn, in which he presents the Master’s kenosis (cf. Phil. 2:6-11).

Group Sharing

Facebook or new Apps - research origins/history – experience

what is going on? Be attentive - discover or interpret – understand

what is really going on? Be intelligent - construct history – judge

what difference does it make? Be reasonable - evaluate - decide

what difference can I make? Be responsible

Next four tasks of theology

• Foundations: articulate the change

• Doctrines: affirm the values discovered

• Systematic: integrate the values with one another and with other values and meanings in ones life.

• Communication: passing on what one has arrived at and what one values to other.

Paul’s Inglorious Basket

continual* Conversion

• Intellectual conversion

• Moral Conversion

• Religious Conversion

*“Live with a penitent heart.”*“Live with a penitent heart.”

Contemplative heart

Preparing ourselves for transformation in Christ

Jesus Christ: Method

Our Founder was deeply concerned about method and because of this he mapped out a systematic route for us to follow in the spiritual-apostolic life. He called it “the Pauline method.” Don Sassi

The Whole Person

Integration of spirituality-community-mission (mystical dimension of the apostolate)

interrelation between intellectual knowledge and theoretical-practical experiences (pedagogy-didactics)

learning how to interact with one another, exchange ideas, collaborate together online (organic obedience)

knowledge, research, training in the use of the new technologies for our mission.

Women of CommunicationIt is as apostles of Jesus Christ in the world of

communication that we must help to build communion, up to our very last message.

Mind to heart to will

Integrating film, contemplation and community for a transformative experience

Contemplation and Cinema

It is necessary to integrate the gospel into the new culture created by modern communications. John Paul II

What is contemplation?

To see To listen To be open To be present To be silent To discern

God present and active in the world

Cinema Divina

Film can place the human story before us in a way that opens our minds and hearts to deeper realities. Our false self can peak out from behind its armor and wonder what it would be like to be free. Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.

Activity

How will Pauline Spirituality evangelize the new media?

What areas of this culture are good and what call for gospel transformation?

Why?

Follow you

Song by: Leeland and Brandon Heath

Today a new incarnation is taking place in present day

communication through the Holy

Spirit. You have only to say ‘yes’ as Mary

and the Word is made flesh and dwells

among us.

Thank you!

2010

Sr Margaret Kerry, fsp

50 St Paul’s Ave

Boston, MA 02130

http://paulinelaity.blogspot.com