First Video

The Birth of Jesus, 2000 Years: Invitation to Silence at a Trappist Monastery

This documentary, filmed by KBS as a special on the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus, is about a cloistered monastery. It was shot a long time ago (in 2000).

I’ll highlight two parts that impressed me as I watched.

The part at 29:20, where it talks about the differences and eventual similarities between Buddhism and Catholicism, stood out.

Buddhism’s approach is one of emptiness (the void), while Catholicism’s approach is one of fullness. However, it is said that eventually, the emptiness of Buddhism and the fullness of Catholicism will merge into one.

The part at 32:20, where it discusses human desire, is also striking.

Every human has desires. The issue is where those desires are directed, and the monks say they give up all other desires to quickly reach the desire for God.

Second Video

This documentary captures Cardinal Yu Heung-sik’s life at the Vatican. It is a relatively recent video, and I was particularly impressed by the beautiful scenery of the Vatican and the Pope’s visit to Korea.

The part that impressed me the most is this quote from the video at 05:59.

"What is needed now is not a priest with charisma, but one who can establish a connection with the world. I want to become such a priest and raise others to be like that."