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PDF version'40': Jesuits launch Lenten social media series on Ash Wednesday
by Sr. Rose Pacatte on Feb. 21, 2012
Using Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and the "40" website, young people and adults will be able to follow the journey of seven people in Los Angeles after an apocalyptic event has thrust them together for survival.
The number 40 haunts them as they try to figure out where God is in the midst of chaos and isolation. Each high-definition webisode is 4 to 7 minutes long and stars actors that most people will recognize from a variety of television series and/or commercials, Peggy Miley in particular. Two new episodes will air each week during Lent. A reflection guide is also available for each webisode on the site for reflection and conversation.
It's always a challenge to judge made-for-web videos because the first thing viewers do is compare webisodes to made-for-television programs and series. We know from the outset that Catholic producers don't have near the budget network or cable producers do.
In the age of YouTube's homemade, on-the-spot videos, "40" moves the bar above amateur to tell faith stories in a way that respects the message and the medium of online social media.
Can we use entertainment to teach? The Jesuits certainly think so. Here the production quality is good, and the story well-plotted. It's a fine line, though, to tell stories that entertain and inspire in a few minutes at a time. I think Loyola and others will get better and better at this form of communication.
The series is good news for all pastoral ministers, and in better news, "40" webisodes can be accessed throughout Lent anywhere pastoral leaders, catechists, parents and kids can access the Internet. These brief episodes are perfect for homilies, and they won't cost anyone anything except the time to prepare. This series is timely and provides new material as more parishes install projectors and professional sound systems. They can be used before Mass begins or during the homily; they are perfect for Lenten retreats and small groups, too.
The series was developed by award-winning Jesuit Br. Michael Breault.
couldn't find it on facebook
couldn't find it on facebook until going through the link here int he article
http://www.facebook.com/40TheSeries
"40 is a thrilling,
"40 is a thrilling, post-apocalyptic drama. Seven strangers appear to be the only survivors of a mysterious, calamitous event: Los Angeles is empty, devoid of people. No sign remains of family, neighbors or co-workers. No space ship hovers over the city, there are no zombies or flesh-eating viruses. Just seven strangers, who share the same iridescent blue mark on the shoulder, a tiny, precise square of color that wasn’t there yesterday. Were they chosen? Or have they been culled? By whom? For what purpose? Their search for answers leads the seven to an even greater mystery. Why do they suddenly feel compelled to leave the safety of the city for an unknown destination? And why does the number 40 suddenly exert such power over them? Why are they being drawn towards whatever 40 represents with such compulsion, such longing? 40 is a Lenten allegory. Although the dramatic journey of the seven survivors stands on its own as a rewarding viewing experience, it also provides fertile ground for prayer, conversation, meditation and study. The plot, characters and events of 40 deliberately echo the great themes of Lent. The biweekly episodes are carefully structured to compliment the specific themes of that week of Lent. Exile and journeying, loss and grief, hunger and thirst, mortification and fasting, sin and redemption, the path through the desert and the way of the Cross—all are dramatically “mirrored” by the story unfolding onscreen. “Keys” for exploring 40 as a Lenten allegory accompany each episode. The “keys” lead to scriptural passages or commentaries, to sermons, poems, or literary allusions and to insights or illustrations that draw from sources ranging from the Pentateuch to Bruce Springsteen. 40 is an innovative tool for observing Lent. Download episodes on your home computer for family viewing. Catch the latest episode on your Smartphone during lunch. Explore the wealth of supplementary material at your own pace or use Twitter and Facebook to share your insights with friends. At home, at work or in the classroom— 40 is the perfect complement to your Lenten experience."
nuf sed
Carlitos, P. Uriel Molina, at
Carlitos,
P. Uriel Molina, at 80, now retired on his own, had a bout with cancer, now better, and in a 10 min. phone call with him, today I found him still full of “mucho ánimo”.
P. Ernesto Cardenal still just as usual was in his glory at the “International Poetry Week” here in Granada last week.
Here’s a nugget you will love : El eje Wojtyla-Ratzinger y Calderón
Por Carlos Facio. find it in «Atrio.org» for today, Miércoles de Ceniza, 22 de feb.
Justiniano de Managua el 22 de feb. 2012
"God is in the midst of chaos
"God is in the midst of chaos and isolation."
As one of the several Jesuits in my life used to remind me: "At the end of the day, it's sometimes a struggle just to simply mumble the words:
'Shema Yisrael.' But it's enough."
( cf. #9) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisrael
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRtHiIWS_Y
Thank you for telling me of
Thank you for telling me of this.
Wow! Thanks you for the info
Wow! Thanks you for the info on this project.
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