This document discusses using movies to teach religious concepts and sacraments. It suggests that movies tell stories and can reveal inner realities and signs of the divine. It recommends the strategy of media mindfulness to become aware of values presented in movies and talk about what matters. Specific movie clips are linked to sacraments like baptism in The Lion King and reconciliation in Shrek to show how movies can illustrate religious ideas. Resources for parenting advice and media education are also provided.

1. Movies:
Parables of
today

2. Why movies?
They’re stories!
• Form of communication
• Our faith is based in story

3. Church’s attitude toward
media ?

4. Sacraments and movies
Sacraments are outward signs of
invisible grace
Movies reveal inner realities through
outward visual and aural signs
What inner, transcendent,
transforming grace, signs of the
divine, are being revealed

5. Media Mindfulness
Media mindfulness is a strategy based
in media literacy that uses inquiry
(asking questions) to
Become aware
Establish communication
Talk about what matters: values
Involve the child’s moral imagination

6. Movies = storytelling
Photo: people.com

7. What story is being told?

8. Link movie clip with Baptism
 Priest anoints Simba
 Simba is presented to the community
 Reveals Simba’s new life
 Community bows in recognizing the sacred
event and rejoices in the new member

10. What story is being told?

11. Link movie clip with
Confirmation
 Peter gains his superpower from being bit
by a spider
 We receive the Holy Spirit which empowers
us with special strength to spread and
defend the faith by word and action
 Spiderman is a hero and his actions were to
reach out to others. We all can be a hero in
our world if we choose

13. Reconciliation
 Sin divides just as at the beginning of the clip
donkey is putting up a wall to separate he and
Shrek sides.
 Donkey points out to Shrek that he (Shrek) does
everything for himself
 Donkey keeps returning because friendship goes
deeper than hurts….
 Reconciliation is Sacrament of conversion-recognize
that one is separated from God the
Father and ask for forgiveness

14. Our Faith = Story
Movies = Storytelling

15. Resources
Media Mindfulness: Educating Teens about Faith and Media
By: Gretchen Hailer, RSHM and Rose Pacatte, FSP
Media Mindfulness: Educating Teens about Faith and Media
By: Gretchen Hailer, RSHM and Rose Pacatte, FSP

16. Website Resources
 www.commonsense.org - offers parenting advice,
tech tips, and media recommendations for kids of
all ages
 www.medialit.org - an educational organization that
provides leadership, public education, professional
development and educational resources nationally
and internationally
 www.wingclips.com - offers you inspirational movie
clips from many of your favorite films.