Saturday, August 5, 2006

Reality TV in a monastery changes five lives forever!

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Well, I don't know about "forever" as the UK's Telegraph proclaimed in Sunday's edition. Enough cradle Catholics and converts have run into obstacles in the course of life that "forever" might be too much to ask right now. How 'bout just for today and tomorrow. And make that commitment each day. But it is good to see that the 1,500 year old Benedictine technique still works if it is properly observed.

What do you think the chances are of Hollywood swiping the concept and doing an American version? I don't think so either.

Five men, ranging from an atheist in the pornography trade to a former Protestant paramilitary, have found their lives unexpectedly transformed in the latest incarnation of reality television - the monastery.
[snip]
Although participants were not required to vote each other out, they faced the challenge of living together in a community and following a disciplined regime of work and prayer. By the end, the atheist, Tony Burke, 29, became a believer and gave up his job producing trailers for a sex chat line after having what he described as a "religious experience".
[snip]
The three-part series called The Monastery shows the five abiding by the monastery rules, with a strict timetable of instruction, study, prayer, reflection and work duties. They are also shown holding intense and often painful sessions with their religious mentors, individual monks assigned to guide each of them on their spiritual journeys.
[snip]
The participants, none of whom was a Roman Catholic, shared meals with the monks, worked in the grounds and joined in the daily office, from early morning Matins to Compline. They were also obliged to follow the monks' rules of silence, obedience and humility.
[snip]
Tip O' The Hat to Love2Learn Mom from Studeo

Here's the BBC TV web site for "The Monastery."

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