Lenten Observance:
Passion of the Christ
As a
remembrance of Christ’s passion and death and as a Lenten observation, I would
like to share to you my reflection about the movie Passion of the Christ which
was directed by Mel Gibson and starred by Jim Caviezel (the Christ).
I was still 10
years old when I first watched the movie. So far as I can remember, I wasn’t
paying attention too much that time because I was afraid of seeing Jesus beaten
up and crucified. When I got to 3rd year High School, I started
watching the film every year, more so, over and over again. I do this because
the movie inspires me and at the same time, I feel that I become closer to God.
The movie
itself is really nice. It is very dramatic in a sense that you will really feel
that you are in their situation seeing Jesus suffering and enduring all those
wounds which cause pain- a very deep explanation of pain may be used because it
is very indescribable. The movie had shown that Christ really became part of
us. It is not only because of the historical figures and personalities rather
it showed the depiction of the history of Salvation in the Holy Scriptures.
Like what the late Pope John Paul II said, “It is, as it was.” It might be
quite exaggerated and bloody but that is what really happened to Christ.
The first
scene shows the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. At this point of
His life, He was having second thoughts of continuing His mission which the
Father had sent Him for. “If only you can take this cup of sufferings away.”-
The line associated with that event. In life, we also experience this.
Sometimes, we are at the point of giving up even if we are very close to our
achievements. The way to our goal seems very far. And whenever we will feel
this, we have our parents by our side telling us “Anak, nariyan ka na. Ituloy mo na. (You’re already there, my child.
Just keep going).” The movie depicted this as if Jesus’ pores had opened
because of intense emotional pain that he was already sweating blood.
The next
scenes show that Judas Iscariot, whom Christ had foreseen as His betrayer, was
already out of his mind. He was guilty, he had gone crazy. He threw the silver
he earned for obeying the orders of telling the High Priests and soldiers who
Jesus was. He didn’t know that what the High Priests and soldiers will do is to
crucify Jesus till death. So again, he was full of guilt and the movie depicted
it that he was seeing the devils around him. The children laugh at him as if he
can see the face of a demon mocking him.And shaken by his conscience, he hanged
himself and died. What Judas has committed is a very grieve sin. It was denial
of the Holy Spirit- thinking that he will never be forgiven. We should take
this in mind that in our life, though we are sinful, God loves and is ready to
forgive us.
What strucked me
most was the scourging at the pillar. It gives a very big impact to me as a
Christian. The movie might have presented it as if Jesus is literally being
torn piece by piece. You can see that his whole body was covered with wounds
and his blood splatting on the floor. The movie had shown a great action of
whipping. This became the climax of the movie. What I’ve heard from one of the
brothers, Jim Caviezel took some hits in order for the movie to look real. This
part of the movie showed me that even though we delivered Christ to death,
seems that he was slaughtered like a pig, He’s there taking all the most
painful wounds for our sake. We gave Him a crown of thorns but He reshaped this
to a heart to show His love for us.
There was also
a depiction of Mary remembering Jesus’ childhood when she saw that He stumbled
while carrying the cross. I believe that all of us love our mothers. And this
also has a great impact to all of us if we will be able to watch the film. The
movie showed that a mother will remember all the moments that she is with her
child. The scene was about Mary remembering that the child Jesus tripped during
his childhood. This maybe because the child was playing. They have shown the
motherly instinct that she was ready to protect her child. She grabbed the kid
and embraced Him like she never wanted the whole world to hurt Him. But, on
Jesus’ way to the cross, the promise has to be fulfilled. Christ said in the
movie, “I will make all things new.” She wants to redeem her son from the hands
of the oppressors yet she has to accept in silence that her son needs to go
through intense pain because he has a really big mission of saving us.
I can say that
the best scene in the entire movie is the Crucifixion itself. I am quite
curious of what and how the director decided to nail the actor on the cross. It
might be traumatic to others especially the children. I’ve heard that there
were also viewers before who experienced hyperventilation because they were touched
by the movie too much. But, so much with the story, this completed everything
not only the movie but also and most of all our faith. God has given up His
life for us. It may be an accomplishment of the movie, yes, but this is the
best way we can picture out how God has fulfilled the Scriptures.
It is very
difficult to be a Christian if we do not know how to obey God. Christ became
man not only for our Salvation but to show us the examples of being truly
human. He became man. He also laughed, he cried, he was tempted, he loved and
he endured pain. Sometimes we complain that God do not understand us. “E hindi naman
ako naiintindihan ng Panginoon e.” For those people who would say this, let us
give them the answer, “Syempre naiintindihan ka Niya dahil pinagdaanan din Niya
lahat niyang pinagdadaanan mo.”
May our Lenten
Season become memorable by giving our whole self to God’s will and rejoice for
He, our Lord Jesus Christ, has come to bring us to Eternal Life.
PEACE BE WITH
YOU ALL! J
