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katy
Guest
OK, I thought it would be super stupid, but now I’m intrigued. Anybody know offhand when it will be repeated this week?
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Malcolm_McLean
Guest
Benedictines have thier own unique attitude to life. They are not quite contemplative, not quite active, but a balance between the two.
Most monks are rigorously trained priests with degrees in theology, and could give an answer on an intellectual level to that young man. But normally these types of question are not really intellectual. So “chill”, to use the modern parlace, is the best answer.
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aimee
Guest
maybe he will be…
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aimee
Guest
Google the TLC and you can get the schedule for your area…
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aj830
Guest
Anybody seen The Monastery on TLC yet? They aired the first episode yesterday at 10:00 P.M. Eastern. I was wondering if it was any good. Here is the link to the show.
The Monastery
The Monastery
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buzzcut
Guest
Yes, I saw it. It’s not perfect. But I think we should be grateful to be getting any Catholic interest programming at all out of the mainstream media.
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brotherhrolf
Guest
I watched it last night and found myself thinking…What I wouldn’t give for a forty day retreat…these guys have absolutely no appreciation of the opportunity that has been laid at their feet. And that clown that was sitting slumped during prayer with his legs crossed - that was simply rudeness in the extreme and very childish behavior. Had I behaved like that in church when I was a kid, my mother would have given me “the look” and woe unto me when I got home. I can understand brother’s feelings …I wanted to slap him upside the head for the disrespect he showed Our Lord and for the monastic community. And what exactly is so hard about keeping silent?
And three of these guys are described as “lapsed Catholics”? I can only hope and pray that something good comes out of this for all of them.
And three of these guys are described as “lapsed Catholics”? I can only hope and pray that something good comes out of this for all of them.
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Vianney
Guest
Like I said, I can conclude very little from 20 minutes of a whole season. However, I never said the monastery was commiting heterodox - never. What I was suggesting, is from what I gathered, there are probably better monasteries, or communities of friars (like the CFR’s) which would produce more fruit on matters of faith and moral evangelization, and of altogether representation of the faith.
To an outsider, which type of answer best portrays our faith: a) one that is wishy washy, or avoids the question or b) one that is confident, clear and founded on church doctrine?
There’s a difference between heterodox, and just being less competent or knowledgable in your faith. Like someone asking a 2nd grader, rather than a priest, to explain purgatory. From what I can tell the production company is secular, so I would not expect them to seek out the most solid, best representing monastery there is. Overall I am pleased and thankful a show like this even exists, and am not expecting it to have negative impact. My regret lies in the hope that it could have had much more impact. This show I think, will display a very good portrayal of monastic life, which is fantastic and shares is own form of evangelization that should not be ignored.
To an outsider, which type of answer best portrays our faith: a) one that is wishy washy, or avoids the question or b) one that is confident, clear and founded on church doctrine?
There’s a difference between heterodox, and just being less competent or knowledgable in your faith. Like someone asking a 2nd grader, rather than a priest, to explain purgatory. From what I can tell the production company is secular, so I would not expect them to seek out the most solid, best representing monastery there is. Overall I am pleased and thankful a show like this even exists, and am not expecting it to have negative impact. My regret lies in the hope that it could have had much more impact. This show I think, will display a very good portrayal of monastic life, which is fantastic and shares is own form of evangelization that should not be ignored.
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Dale_M
Guest
I agree with you. I thought the monastery came off pretty good, and found myself chafing at the gimmicky reality television plot. As the show ended, I thought: “This would have been a really good documentary if only they could have left out those five guys.”
I thought the episode spent far too much time on the rebel, who from day two (if not day one) was consciously breaking the requirements of the monastery, which he had agreed to obey as part of his contract. Being that he was not seeking to join the monastery, the monks couldn’t turn him out. So disciplining him or bringing him in line was the responsiblity of the production crew, who apparently saw his defiance as good TV. This was disappointing to me and the monks seemed befuddled with him.
Vianney, you may be right that the monks could have prepared better. Monasteries don’t often get long term visits from non-religious guests - so the challenge posed by two lapsed Catholics, and two unaffiliated guys is a unique challenge which requires good pastoral skills. Two of the monks which were paired with the five guys seemed to hit it off well. But yes, the monk paired with the rebel seemed in over his head.
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contemplative
Guest
I know. Most monasteries limit the number of days…not weeks that a guest can stay. I’ve scheduled one whole week…7 days for myself next year…that is right folks…schedule early to be sure you get the time you want.
Let me assure you…I cooked and cared for retreatants intermittedly for over a year…there are some guests who simply can NOT be silent for any length of time. Some can’t stand silence so much that they leave their retreat early.
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blessedtoo
Guest
What gets me about Alex is that he is military. Didn’t he have to follow orders and rules while being part of that group?
I had tears in my eyes when the monk who played ping-pong humbly scolded the two guys for making fun of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He corrected them with so much simple love and heart in his voice for her that I think it took the boobs by surprise. They didn’t even respond. It made my heart swell to see how much love this monk had for the Virgin Mary.
I had tears in my eyes when the monk who played ping-pong humbly scolded the two guys for making fun of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He corrected them with so much simple love and heart in his voice for her that I think it took the boobs by surprise. They didn’t even respond. It made my heart swell to see how much love this monk had for the Virgin Mary.
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blessedtoo
Guest
There are two other threads about this.
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Ghosty
Guest
My eyes welled up at that point, too. They had been gently harrassing him the whole day, asking him about previous girlfriends, and how he could live without sex, and he took it all with a smile and good humor.
But when they cornered him in the church, asking how he could believe that Mary was really a virgin…his response was so beautiful and earnest that it deeply touched me. He clearly doesn’t speak perfect English, and didn’t get into any of the “theology” of it, but the way he addressed them was perfect and I bet it shut them down.
He basically said “You can joke around with me, but it is blasphemy to insult my prayer life and God. Mary, she is my mother, she is our mother, and I love her, and she loves me.”
And as he was saying this to them, it was flashing to an icon of the Blessed Mother holding the infant Jesus. “She is our mother, and I love her, and she loves me” is really the truest and deepest response possible, and he said it with such earnest and loving conviction, like he was talking about his own biological mother. It was very moving.
Over all I liked the show, I just hope it didn’t disturb the life of the brothers too much. What impresses me is just how good the monks come across. You can REALLY see that even though these are humans like the rest of us, they are deeply touched by Grace. Compare how insightful and loving they are about the guests, even when the guests are being so rude and pressing certain brothers to their limits, to the way the guests speak about the monks and their lifestyle. Even then, the brothers take it as a work of Charity, and respect and appreciate those that are testing them. It will be interesting to see how the guests grow over the course of the season.
Peace and God bless!
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Adonis33
Guest
I thought the same thing. He was a marine???
Wonderful observation of the Friar’s expanation of the Blessed Virgin.
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havemercy
Guest
Me too, but I think he could have been a little less…Darn. I know these guys don’t propose to be spokesmen of the faith, but Anti-Catholics THRIVE on this stuff. This is where they get their juice, even if it is our sweet sweet love for the mother of Our Lord (which is most unfortunate).
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Amateur_Soul
Guest
Now THAT would be a great show.
I wonder if a large network like TLC or Discovery would buy into an idea like that?
It seems they work with a lot of troubled youth in New York and sounds like great “show” material.
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DWPC
Guest
If you saw the entire program, you know Alex also left a leg in Iraq. There’s more a LOT more going on with him than simple post-adolescent rebellion. I think Alex will either bolt the show, or we’ll see some truly remarkable developments with him.
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brotherhrolf
Guest
I am on the phone so much during the day that the thought of going 40 days w/o opening my mouth sounds like heaven on earth (I am a state worker in Louisiana in an agency that deals directly with our rebuilding after Katrina and Rita). I suspect DW would not be able to do this.
I am going to follow this series. Why? I have to have hope. I have to believe that these guys will be transformed by their experience. I have to believe that this unexplicable grace which has been set down before them will not go to waste. Please God, let it not go to waste.
It’s a hard thing to see them scoffing and ridiculing our beliefs. I keep coming back to how many of us would give our all for a forty day retreat at a monastery. The pearl of great price, my friends. Let us pray that this pearl has not been cast amongst swine.
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Adonis33
Guest
I think that TLC has done a fair job in representing the Monastary. I just think it is refreshing that their is a show that shows Catholics in a positive light.
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