If a picture is worth a
thousand words, what do you suppose a video image is worth? What about a video
image of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament?
thousand words, what do you suppose a video image is worth? What about a video
image of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament?
I oversee our religious
community’s web site. I had the idea to provide a live
image of our Eucharistic Adoration chapel which is uploaded every minute 24
hours a day, 7 days a week so the web cam can bring Jesus closer to people
through their computers. I quickly learned that this image was indeed worth
much more than a thousand words.
community’s web site. I had the idea to provide a live
image of our Eucharistic Adoration chapel which is uploaded every minute 24
hours a day, 7 days a week so the web cam can bring Jesus closer to people
through their computers. I quickly learned that this image was indeed worth
much more than a thousand words.
I have received emails from
homebound people who praise the web cam as a great comfort when they
cannot get to Church. People with insomnia have written to say they use it
during long nights when sleep eludes them. Others use it as a home oratory
where the family can gather in prayer. One
homebound people who praise the web cam as a great comfort when they
cannot get to Church. People with insomnia have written to say they use it
during long nights when sleep eludes them. Others use it as a home oratory
where the family can gather in prayer. One
psychiatrist uses it to
pray with her patients during treatment.
pray with her patients during treatment.
This feedback confirmed tome that the web cam was the next best thing to being there. But there was
one use that I never could have imagined–a game. Since some of our monks
occasionally pass in front of the camera for a moment, a group of office
workers turned this cyber image into the Spot the Monk game.
A non-Catholic named Richard
wrote to tell me about it: “Brother John, in my quest to see a monk on your
monk-cam, I have set up a web ring of a few friends of mind to watch the monk-cam at most hours of the day. This is the exciting part: Sarah saw a monk! I was not fortunate enough to lay eyes on him, but I know you guys are out there! Thank you for putting your web cam up. We love it!”
wrote to tell me about it: “Brother John, in my quest to see a monk on your
monk-cam, I have set up a web ring of a few friends of mind to watch the monk-cam at most hours of the day. This is the exciting part: Sarah saw a monk! I was not fortunate enough to lay eyes on him, but I know you guys are out there! Thank you for putting your web cam up. We love it!”
I must admit, I never
envisioned the Spot the Monk game, but neither did I envision what followed.
Because of this game, Richard started reading articles on
our web site. In his next email to me, he wanted information about becoming
Catholic. I directed him to a Catholic
parish and sent him the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Richard eventually
was received into the Catholic Church. Now, he tries to attend adoration daily
at his local parish.
envisioned the Spot the Monk game, but neither did I envision what followed.
Because of this game, Richard started reading articles on
our web site. In his next email to me, he wanted information about becoming
Catholic. I directed him to a Catholic
parish and sent him the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Richard eventually
was received into the Catholic Church. Now, he tries to attend adoration daily
at his local parish.
Little did Richard realize
that by looking for a monk, he would find Jesus.
that by looking for a monk, he would find Jesus.
Now that’s a game worth
playing.
playing.
###
This story was originally
published in Amazing
Grace for the Catholic Heart
published in Amazing
Grace for the Catholic Heart
Note: the Monks of
Adoration no longer have a live webcam but you can find one at: Savior.org
Adoration no longer have a live webcam but you can find one at: Savior.org
__________________________________________________________
For more inspiration, check out Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories From Everyday Families. Your children will laugh while learning big spiritual lessons with Dear God, I Don’t Get It! and Dear God, You Can’t Be Serious.
I believe that once we start Blogging as Christians we should continue to do so. We never know who is visiting and reading what we write from all over the world. The chances are that someone reading our posts has not ever met God and may well do so through our writing.
God bless.
Amen to that!