Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C PASSION SUNDAY - 4..4.04 Is 50,4-7; Phil 2,6-11; Lk 22,14-23,56 Christ's way is a suffering way A
Passion Play
is a mediaeval genre of religious drama, which concentrates on passion,
suffering and death of Christ, and it distinguishes itself from any other play
describing the entire biblical story from creation to Judgment. It’s been used
for 1,000 years with the specific aim of drawing people into playing an active
role & participating. Evolving from liturgical background, viz. from the
solemn proclamation of the “Passio” on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, (Ecce
lignum crucis - improperia - planctus Mariae etc.), all Passion plays include
the lyrical & cultural characters of each nation: even today, famous Passion
Plays organized in France, Germany, Italy, Spain etc.: the best known is
Oberammergau; but in fact there are Passion Plays, public demonstrations &
processions in many towns Mel
Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” draws from the best tradition of Passion Plays and to them he adds his
insight, character and spirituality as an ‘Australian Catholic’. No
Australian should fail to see it and give his/her opinion. Only a multi-cultural
nation like Australia could have gotten away
with the daring idea of a motion picture spoken in the actual languages
of the people at the time: Aramaic/Jewish for Jesus and the Jews, Latin for
Roman Authorities & soldiers, Greek for official inscriptions. And all is
brought together by the subtitles. From start to end, it is packed with
emotions; it aims at arousing spiritual fervour in the same way as when, we
Catholics participate at the liturgy of the four Passion Narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
or when we pray ‘the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the
Rosary - the Seven Last Words of Jesus or any other similar devotion. In one
form or other, meditation on these “Devotions” has been observed by
Catholics for at least 1,000 years, deeply affecting their lives. Saving
events.
Our traditional Catholic devotions are and have been for centuries a meditation
on those fundamental events upon which our salvation is built. They show in a
most powerful way that love -for it to be authentic- involves suffering and
sacrifice. As Jesus himself said: ‘greater love has no man has than this, that
he lay down his love for his friends’ (Jn 15,13). Mel Gibson’s ‘Passion of the Christ’ is a powerful Passion
Play, not a strictly scholarly and strictly biblical production. Typical of
all Passion Plays, it draws on Catholic tradition and on some visions of saintly
mystics to inspire genuine devotion. At times, dramatic additions and creative
licenses are used to add to the overall effect and to generate a faith-response.
The Movie includes all the names that Catholic tradition has recorded across the
centuries: Longinus, the soldier who became a Christian after saying on Calvary:
‘Truly, this man was the Son of God’. ‘Dismas’, the good thief who
prayed from his cross: ‘Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom’.
Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus to carry the cross, and with his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, became strong
converts to Christianity. Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus and on it
Jesus’ face remained. Claudia the wife of Pilate, who gave Mary an armful of
towels, to wipe the redeeming blood of Jesus... But most of all, the movie
provides a number of flash-backs which are real masterpieces. They give the
deepest insights into Christian
faith & its logic of unconditional, hurting love, as the only way to inner
peace. They link the body and blood of Christ on Calvary with Mass and the
Eucharist. Don’t
wait any longer: this coming Holy Week, go & enjoy Mel’s “Passion of the
Christ” & take many friends along. It
will be your best preparation for Easter. ______________________________________ |
