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05.09.08
Posted in Production at 11:11 am by Father Thomas Rosica
Let us reflect for a moment on the great gift of the Holy Spirit that we receive on Pentecost Sunday. As we celebrate the outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon each of us, we discover that the Holy Spirit makes the Christian experience truly Catholic and universal, open to all human experience.
The whole of the New Testament can be understood precisely as the emergence of the Catholic, the universal, in Christian life. Christianity, had it not moved from where it was particular and small would have just been a small modification of the Jewish experience, a subset of Jewish piety that was still focused in and around Jerusalem and the restoration of a literal kingdom of Israel.
The first two generations of Christians discovered that Christianity couldn’t be just that. Because they had received the Holy Spirit, which is the universal principle, the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to the universal import of the Christian truth and it does so through their encountering non-Jews who received the Holy Spirit just as we have.
To be Catholic is to be universal and open to the world. Not only to Canada or North America or a certain familiar part of the world or segment of society but it must be open to all, open to every single person. The mind of Christ is not intended to be a selective mentality for a few but the perspective from which the whole world will be renewed and redeemed. An insight like this, the universal scope of salvation did not however come easily and without much straining.
The Holy Spirit is universal: always thinking beyond our boundaries, the horizons of our imaginations. We become an evangelizing, Spirit-filled Church when we allow the Spirit to fill us with holiness, joy and peace. When we are, caught up in the Spirit, when the Spirit dwells within us, the Spirit gives us creativity and imagination.
Empowered by the Spirit the Christian community can dare to dream dreams, to hope great things, to see visions, and to witness in word and deed to the power of the Spirit, whose fruits are seen by the traces of justice in the world.
We are not the principle evangelizers, it is the Holy Spirit who is the greatest evangelizer, who needs transparent instruments, who have emptied themselves of their agendas and opened themselves to God’s work. The Holy Spirit makes us transcend all of the tribal and narcissistic impulses of our times for the sake of enfolding every human person into the reality of Christ.
What is the deepest and surest assurance and intimation that the Spirit is present in this in-between time of the first fruits, inspiring hope of a harvest yet to come? It is joy. If there is joy present you can bet that the Holy Spirit has something to do with this deep and authentic joy. St. Augustine who was the most musically passionate of the Fathers of the Church memorably evokes the experience of joy in the presence of the Spirit with these words:
“Whenever people must labor hard they begin with songs whose words express their joy. But when joy brims over and words are not enough they abandon even this coherence and give themselves to the sheer sound of singing. What is this jubilation? What is this exultant song? It is the melody that means our hearts are bursting with feelings that cannot express themselves. And to whom does this jubilation most surely belong? Truly to God who is unutterable, if words will not come and may not remain silent what else can you do but let the melody soar? This is the song of the Holy Spirit.”
Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.,
C.E.O., Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
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View Fr. Rosica’s Reflections online by clicking HERE.
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05.08.08
Posted in Production at 2:24 pm by Matthew Harrison
[This blog entry comes from Michael L. Knox, a Jesuit Scholastic in Toronto. He has helped Salt + Light with our short interstitials “Moments in Church History,” and offers this reflection on Sunday’s solemnity.]
In recent weeks, Christian communities around the world gathered during the Easter Triduum to celebrate the passion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In our own Catholic tradition, this prayerful celebration finds its greatest ritual expression in a moment of total darkness, when the Pascal candle is lit, its bright flame flickering as it mingles with the air in the sanctuary, and we proclaim that Jesus Christ has risen, bringing salvation to all of creation. In that context, after the seventh Sunday of Eastertide, we gather to celebrate the feast of Pentecost, a moment in the early history of our Church, where these primordial elements of fire and air are signs of God’s presence.
Described in the Acts of the Apostles, the author tells of a powerful and violent wind that rushes down from the heavens and fills the tiny room where the Apostles had gathered. Enveloped within this wind, “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” The scripture goes on to say that at that moment, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4). For us today, this event has enormous meaning.
Read the rest of this entry »
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05.07.08
Posted in Production at 8:30 pm by Kris Dmytrenko
Last night, I slept at the house belonging to the aunt and uncle of Sylvain Cossette, Quebecois rock star. The previous morning at a parish rectory, I was treated to a lovely breakfast that included cretons, a traditional toast spread made of pork butt.
I present these two occurrences as evidence that Quebec, indeed, is a distinct society. Is there another place where a household name in his own province could be relatively unknown in the rest of the country? And you’ve probably never heard of the aforementioned cretons, the answer to questions no one asked about breakfast and creamy pork.
More importantly, though, these incidents also highlight the distinct hospitality of the region. As we entered Champlain, we found ourselves without a place to eat: Monday mid-day, each little restaurant was closed. Greeting us from her lawn, however, was a kind lady who offered her patio. So we grabbed some groceries at l’épicerie and enjoyed lunch with yet another new friend.
Already, this pilgrimage has proven an antidote to concerns that we’ve lost our sense of family of God. This understanding is alive and well wherever we’ve traveled in Quebec.
64 Days with the Ark : Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of are now streaming online HERE. This new Salt + Light series airs Fridays at 8 PM, with repeat presentations Saturdays at 12:30 PM, Sundays at 6:00 PM and Tuesdays at 5:30 PM (ET).
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Posted in Production at 8:29 am by Gillian Kantor
After 10 episodes of Mothering… we have finally found the secret… the secret source of strength, inspiration, and support for moms. Wait for it….
The Sacraments.
Moms are so blessed in their vocation to have a few tools of the faith to help them out along the way… specifically, I’m thinking of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. What better way for a mom to experience God’s grace and then pass it on to her kids than by tasting His presence in the Eucharist, or by meeting Him face to face in Confession.
Today on Mothering, Full of Grace we’ll talk to moms about what they can do to live out a Sacramental life in their households. Rowena and Mark Daly share stories of how their family is embracing the Sacraments. And Julie and Paul Waters reminisce about the baptisms of their children, and how that got them pointed in the right direction.
Join host Rhea Johner for Mothering, Full of Grace on Wednesday May 7th at 8pm and midnight ET, or on Sunday, May 11th at the same times. We have so many secrets to share!
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05.04.08
Posted in Production at 1:39 pm by Kris Dmytrenko
As my bus left Montreal Island, it struck me how different this location shoot would be from the last one. Two weeks ago I was in the “world’s capital” covering the U.S. papal visit; tomorrow I’m embarking on a walking pilgrimage into the Quebec hinterland.
It’s hardly rural right now, however, as we’re spending two night in Trois-Rivières (population: 128,000). Yet perhaps in anticipation of the tiny towns to come, I felt a deep sense of peace this morning when I was driven to the local Future Shop, as if this were my last lifeline to urban convenience.
What brings me here is the pilgrimage of the Ark of the New Covenant, which we’ve been following with our new series 64 Days with the Ark. While we’ve been producing this show from a distance (thanks to our friends at ECDQ.tv), now I’m present not only to film the portageurs but to become one of them.
Notwithstanding the distance from city comforts, I’m most concerned about (a) being perceived as the probing journalist and (b) not speaking French as my mother tongue, unlike most of the participants. Hopefully, I can integrate myself in the group and bring you the stories emerging from this remarkable pilgrimage.
64 Days with the Ark airs Fridays at 8 PM, with repeat presentations Saturdays at 12:30 PM, Sundays at 6:00 PM and Tuesdays at 5:30 PM (EST). Watch online episodes here.
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05.02.08
Posted in Production at 10:57 am by Father Thomas Rosica
The angels’ words to the “men of Galilee” in today’s first reading are painfully blunt and leave little room for misinterpretation: “Why do you stand here looking up at the skies? This Jesus who has been taken from you will return, just as you saw him go up to the heavens.” As Jesus disappeared, he didn’t simply dissolve into thin air. He cast off limitations that he had voluntarily taken on himself. But for us that means that he has left us here as orphans! Or has he?
On the day of his Ascension, one might conclude that Jesus removed himself into a new form of divine exclusion. The case is exactly the opposite. In God, Jesus is “here” in a new and very specific way. Only in his physical separation from the historical scene can his spiritual union with all the world for all time be complete. Jesus left the world one day in order to be available to all people throughout all time. He had to dissolve bonds he had made with his friends, in order to be available for everybody. In Jesus, the future has already begun!
In his “ascension” Jesus made a commitment to the earth that we live in. His footprints are not etched for tourists to view in the stone beneath us. But they are visible in the hearts of those who follow him. As he gave up the ability to be present in one place, he gained the capability of being present in a thousand places. When Jesus vanished, he filled the earth with the presence of God. God’s presence is still here and is available for us as the ultimate fulfillment of all our dreams. We know that we move towards heaven to the extent that we approach Jesus. We are assured that he hasn’t ever stopped being present with us throughout all time. And through us he wants to become even more present, especially as his Church.
The mysterious feast of the Ascension reminds us that Christ accepts our lack of self-confidence in ourselves. He accepts the shadowy and dark areas of our humanity. He accepts our capacity for deceit, betrayal, greed and power. And having accepted us, he calls us, gives us the eternal commission to be his people, and sends us to serve him and love him, in spite of ourselves and because of ourselves.
In Sunday’s first reading from Acts, Jesus’ disciples are given a last bit of instruction. “Don’t keep trying to stare into the future. Don’t be overly concerned about which hour he will come back.” We must not stand idly staring up into the heavens and moaning about the past, about which we can do nothing, except to bury it deeply in God’s hands and heart!
The Lord will be glorified, and it follows that his disciples will also share in his glory. Let’s get going and carry a piece of heaven into the world. This is the meaning of the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord, not one of divine abandonment of the human cause, but divine empowerment of the Gospel dream! May Christ’s dying and rising move us to make God’s glory dwell on earth. May our hope for the future inspire us in a respect for the present moment. May the desire for the heavenly realities not make us neglect our work on earth.
Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.,
C.E.O., Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
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View Fr. Rosica’s Easter Reflections online by clicking HERE.
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Posted in Production at 10:55 am by Matthew Harrison
This Saturday, May 3rd, Salt + Light Television will broadcast a special live event from Rome. Pope Benedict XVI will join in the recitation of the Holy Rosary from the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The event will start around 12 ET with English and French translation. There will be an afternoon repeat at 3:30pm ET as well.
Join in the Rosary at home, it’s a great way to welcome the month of May, a month traditionally dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God!
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05.01.08
Posted in Production at 3:17 pm by Matthew Harrison
Though most countries celebrate the feast of our Lord’s Ascension today, in Canada that solemnity is transfered from the traditional Thursday to the following Sunday. That means liturgically, the Canadian Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Joseph the Worker today.
On this feast I am always reminded of a wooden statue of St. Joseph at Westminister Abbey in Mission, British Columbia. The statue of St. Joseph may actually be under the title of ‘the Worker,’ I can’t remember now, but to look at the statue one can almost imagine St. Joseph himself carving it!
The title of ‘the Worker’ fits so well with Joseph! I see him diligently working at his carpentry, providing for his family, teaching the Christ child his craft. I’m sure it wasn’t a glamorous occupation, but similar to the work situation that many men and women pour their lives into everyday, it was a noble one.
Work, in all its many forms, is part of God’s plan for His Creation. Work, as John Paul II and many saints have said, is a means of sanctification. John Paul II writes about this in his Apostolic Exhortation, Redemptoris Custo:
Human work, and especially manual labor, receive special prominence in the Gospel. Along with the humanity of the Son of God, work too has been taken up in the mystery of the Incarnation, and has also been redeemed in a special way. At the workbench where he plied his trade together with Jesus, Joseph brought human work closer to the mystery of the Redemption. (22)
What an interesting thought: the redeeming of work, the sanctification of work. The Son of God engaging in manual labour that at times may have been stimulating and at other times menial. It’s an experience that I’m sure we can all relate to! And from St. Joseph we can find spiritual strength for our working lives. John Paul II continues:
What is crucially important here is the sanctification of daily life, a sanctification which each person must acquire according to his or her own state, and one which can be promoted according to a model accessible to all people: “St. Joseph is the model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great destinies;…he is the proof that in order to be a good and genuine follower of Christ, there is no need of great things-it is enough to have the common, simple and human virtues, but they need to be true and authentic.” (24)
There is no need for great things to be a follower of Christ… what an important reminder for all of us who feel that we grow in holiness only by being mega-Saints. We grow in simple ways: in clearing a table, in picking up after a child, in treating a co-worker with respect, in peacefully completing a task that we are irritated to be saddled with. True and authentic. Common, simple human virtues. Holiness. These are all things that we can and are called to live. “Prosper the work of our hands!” (Ps 90:17), prays the Psalmist. It’s a petition that we should offer to God everyday too.
Today is a good day to be reminded of St. Joseph’s example. May his intercession always help us in our work towards sanctification!
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04.29.08
Posted in Production at 4:46 pm by Gillian Kantor
Where are you when it comes to technology? Up-to-the-minute? Lost? Navigating somewhere in between? More importantly… where are your kids when it comes to technology?
Today on Mothering, Full of Grace we talk to moms about the good and bad of technology, the advantages and dangers it presents our children, and how moms can stay on top of things. We’ll also visit the busy household of Kathie and Bob Borys to find out what they are doing to keep their teenagers (and fellow parents) informed and safe. And Cary and Sandy Molyneux talk about decisions they can make as their young children grow up in an age of technology.
Get out your laptops… you may want to take notes as we take on technology on Mothering, Full of Grace, Wednesday April 30th, at 8pm and 11pm ET with an encore presentation Sunday, May 4th at the same times.
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04.25.08
Posted in Production at 5:48 pm by Kris Dmytrenko
We’ve been thrilled with the positive response to 64 Days with the Ark, Salt + Light Television’s new series that follows a 1000 km walking pilgrimage from Midland, Ontario to Quebec City. As I type, a hardy group of portageurs continues carrying the Ark of the New Covenant (a symbolic religious artifact) onwards to the 49th International Eucharistic Congress.
If you watched the debut episode which repeated last week, you witnessed how pilgrimage leader Jerry Grzadka was sidelined with pneumonia, resultant from a bizarre April blizzard in Beaverton, Ontario. In Episode 2, debuting tonight, Sarah McDonald is thrust from her comfortable Quebec City office into Jerry’s position. All of a sudden, the young Augustinian Sisters postulant must navigate a pilgrimage whose growing numbers would clash the safety concerns of the Ontario Provincial Police escorts.
Watch 64 Days with the Ark tonight at 8pm ET. The series repeats on Saturdays at 12:30pm, Sundays at 6:00pm and Tuesdays at 5:30pm (all times ET). Catch up by watching Episode 1, now streaming online here.
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