Prepare the Way of the Lord-With Cameras!
Sr. Mary Catharine and Sr. Maria Johanna with the crew of the 700 Club! L-R: Dustine Anderson, Heinrich, Jarrod Anderson and Victor.
About a month ago we received an email asking if we would consider filming a segment reflecting on Advent and the significance and meaning of the Advent wreath and candles. The email was from the flagship television program the 700 Club of the Christian Broadcast Network!
Excited for the chance to share about the beauty and importance of the "lost" season of Advent and knowing that probably St. Dominic would want his daughters, consecrated to the preaching of the Word of God to take advantage of this opportunity, we said yes a little nervous that as Catholics and contemplative nuns we might not be understood by the producers and film crew of a evangelical network.
Nothing could be further from the truth. It was a beautiful experience of sharing united in a common desire that God's love and salvation be known by all. At various times we had the opportunity to share explicit truths of the Catholic Faith in informal conversations and we were excited to share with the crew the beauty of the Divine Office.
Sr. Maria Johanna, who could make Advent candles in her sleep she has made so many, was filmed making candles. Then the crew set up cameras and lighting in the Nuns' Choir to interview Sr. Mary Catharine. After the Divine Office was filmed and the crew spent time getting shots of various parts of the monastery and grounds.
During afternoon recreation the crew had lunch leaving their equipment filling the hallway outside of Choir. Meanwhile, Sr. Mary Veronica and Sr. Mary Cecilia had their organ lesson at the choir organ as they usually do with John Nowik. As the lesson was coming to the end the doorbell rang and the organ tuners arrived for their semi-annual tuning thus cutting the lesson short. As Mr. Nowik made his way through the maze of equipment in the hallway he quipped, "You'd never know this is a monastery!"
Sr. Mary Catharine then showed off her Emmy Award winning skills in walking down paths and lighting Advent candles. The day came to a close and the monastery was back to the usual monastic silence!
The Advent segment is projected to air on November 16th on CBN's The 700 Club.
