My thoughts on The Passion of the Christ
These thoughts are not completely organized- but they'll do for now...

(WARNING! SPOILERS! )





While I could carp about a few things, I was overwhelmingly moved by this film. What kept running through my head, over and over, was "Precious Lord, what did we do to You ? What did I do to You ? "

The moment which was the most intensely gut-wrenching for me was on the Via Dolorosa, when Our Lady sees Christ fall- and there is a flashback to Our Lord as a little Boy, tripping over His own feet as children do, and His mother rushing to comfort Him. She picks Him up in her arms, with the words, "I'm here." Then we come back to Our Lord, beaten and bleeding, nearly dead with exhaustion- and Our Lady rushes to Him again, with the same words, "I'm here." We- all of us- tortured and killed her Son.

While many people have commented on the horrific brutality of the scourging, I couldn't help but think of the traditional connection often made (in books for use in praying the Rosary, for example) between Our Lord's scourging and the world's 'sins of the flesh'. I thought it appropriate for so much focus to be on the vicious toll our indulgence of our bodies took on Our Lord's Body, especially in our society where anything goes 'as long as nobody gets hurt.' Well, Somebody already was hurt- and, innocent and pure, gave His life for us.

I found the treatment of Pilate and his wife interesting. While Claudia is firm in her convictions and stands for truth, her husband is a relativist. As he pretty much states, the consequences for himself are the only "truth" he cares about. This is, again, a type of sin which is frighteningly prevalent today- and needs to be confronted whenever possible.

This movie was difficult to watch- but I need to see it again....