Looking for a good DVD to watch? Something a bit different? You might want to check out this one: Radical Love: Consecrated Celibacy, produced by WordNet Productions.
Ordinarily a person might wonder how exciting a DVD about celibacy could possibly be. In a lot of movies, romance and sexual tension add zip to the story line. They’re like spices in food, and without them, the food would be bland. Such is not the case with Radical Love – it has plenty of zip!
Radical Love features 12 sisters and nuns from different orders, talking about the vow of celibacy. Even before I watched the DVD, I knew it would be good. I know some of the sisters who are in it—lively, funny, articulate women including Sister Lovina Pammit, OSF, Sister Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP, and yes, our own Sister Julie of A Nun’s Life!
Here’s some examples of what I mean. In the DVD, Sister Lovina talks about the experience of God’s love, and how it’s essential for religious to be able to express that love and be passionate. “We are not the “Frozen Chosen,” she remarks.
When Sister Elyse Marie is asked, “Is celibacy crazy?” she replies, “Falling in love is crazy. Period. It always does something to you that you never thought you would do. Celibacy is like that–so it’s as real as any other kind of falling in love.” Sister Julie talks about celibacy as part of the adventure of religious life (and lets face it, when was the last time you heard “celibacy” associated with “adventure”…)!
And did I mention that Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM, is also featured? Yep, and her direct, insightful and witty comments add even more seasoning to the food for thought in the DVD. One of Sandra’s quotes I especially like is this one: “We’re living in a culture that is sex-saturated, not love-saturated. But where sex is largely detached from love, largely detached from fidelity, largely detached from relationships, to have people living their sexuality with intentionality…not driven by it and not deprived by the choices they make, but to have people living their sexuality in a loving, self- giving, life-giving, mature way offers an alternative vision of sexuality.”
So, if you’re looking for something different to watch, Radical Love might be just the ticket.
Archived Comments
nerdymko October 12, 2012 at 3:24 pm
I can’t wait to see this! I’m always in search of entertainment here in the Arctic, and this will be a refreshing change from the constant needless sexual focus of our media and society. Thanks for the review!
