Theology and Spirituality of

Communication

presented by Sr. Mary Martha & Sr. Marie Paul

based on presentation by Don Giuseppe Mazza in Rome ~ February 2007

PROGRESSIVE ITINERARY FOR THE STUDY OF COMMUNICATION

Daughters of St. Paul Team for Research and Study on Communication 2006

Communication in its globality

• being (including intrapersonal)• verbal and nonverbal • interpersonal• mediated • mass media• “new” or digital media• communication culture (including how various

instruments interface with each other)

“The culture of communication is a new way of being, a style of life generated by and living in communication.” -To Become Jesus in Order To Communicate Jesus

Communication as Framework

“Theologians understand the Trinity’s inner life as self-communicating love... This approach provides promising grounds for considering communication as a core ministry, one at the heart of what the Church is all about.

“Trinity stands as source, model and goal

of all godly and Christian communication.” - Bonnot

Communication as Framework

“In the Christian Faith, the unity and brotherhood of man [or: the communion of all humankind] are the chief aims of all communication and these find their source and model in the central mystery of the eternal communion between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who live a single divine life.” - Comunio et progressio

“Once we approach God as self-communicating Trinitarian love, we see the mysteries of Creation and Revelation as part of that self-communicating dynamic.” - Rev. Bernard Bonnot

To Communicate God; To Communicate like God: the “Lesson” of the Trinity

Part 1

• The Father - presence

•Christ - name or Word of God

•Spirit - abode of God with us

GGod od tenderly tenderly bending bending over the over the worldworld

The The FFather in ather in heaven:heaven:

The Father in heaven: God tenderly bending over the

world,

The father embracing the prodigal son- sketch by Sr. Elaine

the God who gives life

Christ, the “Name” or Word of God

The Incarnation is the “grammar” of the language of God to humanity.

Spirit, God’s Abode

The “ambient” or place where we experience the heart of God

Dynamic

A. Find or create a visual or word-image of the Trinity and/or authentic communication to share with group

B. Share a text of the Founder that refers to or builds on one of these aspects of communication

C. Read one of the articles/chapters on communication and share one insight

D. Design a blog, plan a 3-minute youtube video, or come up with a slogan for Pauline life and mission as communication

E. Describe 5 characteristics of a Pauline communications mentality, or write a prayer to grow in this mentality

Come back ready to share in 45 minutes!

To acquire a communications mentality so as to become women of

communication.

We cannot remain passive spectators with regard to the phenomenon of communication,

nor can we simply “use” the means of communication for our mission.

Rather, we must undergo a transformation on various levels:

~ a transformation of mind (to acquire a new mentality so as to understand communications);

~ a transformation of heart (to become docile to the Spirit so as to feel communications); and

~a transformation of the way in which we work in the world of communication.

— Communication: a Passion for the Gospel

To Communicate God; To Communicate like God: the “Lesson” of the Trinity

Part 2• Through Christ

• In the Spirit

• To the Father

Through Christ

Communication that is Incarnate• centered in the person• knowing and accepting the human situation• integral

Communication that is

Experiential• deeply personal and participativeCommunication that is

Multimedial• not as a goal, but as a point of departure

In the Spirit

Communication that is Self-giving

A Place or Process that is:• friendly (loving)• discreet• personal• solicitous• free (never forcing)• present - “being with”

Communication that is Creative• originality

– not simple repetition– within limitations– source: contemplation of our own daily life and

reality

• revivifying – not simply maintaining tradition– taking initiative; engaging with reality

• fostering human dignity and justice• openness to mystery (not limited

to explaining or defending)• joyful and daring• creating space for God To the Father

Discuss

If I take the Trinityas my model or “mode” in communicating,what would be one way that I could seekto communicate better?

Essential Prerequisite for Every Pauline Act of Communication:

To be faithful to God To be faithful to God and to be faithful to the and to be faithful to the person!person!

"The whole Christ—Way, Truth and Life— for the whole person—mind, will and heart.”

Some Challenges Facing Pauline Communicators

Today• RelativismRelativism• PluralismPluralism• PostmodernismPostmodernism• MaterialismMaterialism• ConsumerismConsumerism• Post-Christian worldview Post-Christian worldview (often antagonistic to faith) (often antagonistic to faith)

• Rapidly changing Rapidly changing technologies, etc... technologies, etc...

Essential for Pauline Communicators Today1. Goal of Pauline communication:1. Goal of Pauline communication: to facilitate an experience of to facilitate an experience of the life of God. the life of God. Pauline Pauline communicationcommunication is a giving of is a giving of self in love. self in love.

and of everything in a and of everything in a Christian way.Christian way. Pauline Pauline communication communication is to be is to be the face of God, to be the face of God, to be JesusJesusWay, Truth and Life in the world today. Way, Truth and Life in the world today.

2. Universality: to speak to everyone2. Universality: to speak to everyone

Saint Paul, your heart was filled Saint Paul, your heart was filled to overflowing with the love to overflowing with the love of your Lord Jesus Christ.of your Lord Jesus Christ.It was impossible for you to stay It was impossible for you to stay silent about his great love for you silent about his great love for you and for all humanity; and for all humanity; you could not keep you could not keep the Good News to yourself.the Good News to yourself.

You preached in places You preached in places new and familiar, whether new and familiar, whether you felt welcome or not;you felt welcome or not;you wrote letters filled you wrote letters filled with the Spirit and inventive phraseswith the Spirit and inventive phrasesto try to capture the inexplicable to try to capture the inexplicable mystery of Christ Jesus;mystery of Christ Jesus;sending them off to otherssending them off to othersin the hope of igniting in them in the hope of igniting in them that same unquenchable awe and that same unquenchable awe and joy.joy.

Prayer to St. Paul Prayer to St. Paul Communicator Communicator

for Christfor Christ

As your daughters, we too try to As your daughters, we too try to share with the worldshare with the worldthe unfathomable love of Christ,the unfathomable love of Christ,but our words seem poor and but our words seem poor and insufficient, our efforts deficient, insufficient, our efforts deficient, our faith weak, our faith weak, and our doubts overwhelming.and our doubts overwhelming.

We are not always certain We are not always certain what to say,what to say,what needs to be heard. what needs to be heard. What we hold inside seems What we hold inside seems incommunicable, inexpressible.incommunicable, inexpressible.

Help us to listen to the whisperHelp us to listen to the whisperof the Master in our hearts,of the Master in our hearts,to the anguished cries to the anguished cries of our brothers and sisters.of our brothers and sisters.

Inspire us with the same fire that Inspire us with the same fire that burned in your heartburned in your heartso that every act of communicationso that every act of communicationwill shine like a crystal that allows will shine like a crystal that allows the Master’s glorious truth the Master’s glorious truth to pierce all blindness,to pierce all blindness,his profound goodness to draw all hearts,his profound goodness to draw all hearts,his breath-catching beauty his breath-catching beauty to break through all resistance.to break through all resistance.

Give us Give us courage courage to risk, to risk, faith faith to entrust to the Master every word to entrust to the Master every word and action, and action, love love to persevere, to persevere, openness openness to follow the Spirit’s lead,to follow the Spirit’s lead,

until those whom God wants to touch until those whom God wants to touch through our poor words and images through our poor words and images are blessed, held, transformed in his grace. are blessed, held, transformed in his grace. Amen. Amen. - SMPC- SMPC