IN FRATERNAM MEAM

IN FRATERNAM MEAM

Thursday, February 26, 2004

THE MOVIE THE PASSION OF CHRIST
By : Mel Gibson
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as far as i can remember when i was growing up--- i was always going to church with my grandma and my old maid aunt who always wants to go to church at St. Anthony de Padua in Singalong/ Manila. The church was run by the Franciscan Capuchins. when i became a teeager-- i was attracted to the Adoracion Nocturna Filipina and then became an Acolyte. religiously--everyday, i am at church on the strike of the early morning bell at 5:30 am.

i love the ceremonies and the rituals of the church. when i was growing up---it was all in Latin. i have to memorize all the prayers in Latin and the movements and rituals at the altar. i love the incense and i always see to it that when there is the consecration during Wed Novena--- i am the one holding the Incensarium. during the Confirmation--i always see to it the i am the one holding the Mitre of the Bishop---- until one day i said to myself:
I wanted to become a Priest.

so i studied for the priest hood. dig into the books and all the relious studies and prayers. from philosophy to theology. i did it. i was so happy about it--- but after so many years in the seminary--- i decided a new vocation.
getting married---raising a family and being called a father by my own children.

now i have new calling--- i am called a father by my two full grown sons.

religion became a little bit cold for me. no excuse--- will not lie. it came to a point that it is being a father first....taking care of the needs of my family and all obligations----then religion will come along the way.

my wife and myself, just came out of the movie house this evening. we have just seen the PASSION by Mel Gibson. it is so intense and powerful motion picture about the last 12 hrs life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

i will not reveal anything for those who have not seen it yet. i am not a movie critic, nor do i have any knowledge of Screenplay, Cinematogry, Dialogue coach or Master, Lights, Scripts and ,most of all Directorial prowess. but for me--this movie tops it all.

i went to see this movie not as a controversy --- but as an eye opener, to all the people of the world.

on the first opening of the screen and the first section of the movie---- one can immediately feel the intensity of the scene. the eerie feeling, the surreal settings and then the grahic accounts during Jesus lamentation at the garden of Gethsemane. it was like a painting by the greatest renaissance painters. so full of passion--so full of emotions. the movie is spoken in Aramaic for the Jew and Latin for the Romans with sub title.

the scene of the brutality on how the punishment was rendered to Christ until the stations of the cross to the Golgotha scene----people inside the theater are so quiet. you can hear both men and women crying. i can see men wiping their tears and cud hear them blowing their noses. there is this woman who kept on screaming on all the graphic scenes. watching the punishment is like oneself undergojng ---- the pain and the sufferings of Christ is so graphic and intense. my wife and myself was crying during the entire movie.

there's lots of symbolism and the persona of Christ was Magnified as a man--Born to Save. the person of Pontius Pilate---was so pitiful--- you don't want to be in his shoes. the Love of the Mother Mary and her own pain and suffering. the love of Mary Magdalene and the Love of apostle John and most of all the short part of Claudia-- wife of Pilate and the short part Simon of Cyrene, with the Messianic promise to Dimas. these scenes and dialogues of these characters have made me cry even as i typed this blog entry. the Love of Mary to her son is so touching and moving.the atachment of the mother to the son---is so intense that all mothers inside the theater watching it--- i am sure felt also what is in the heart of Mother Mary. the scene of the march and the gruesome torture and the macabre actions on the part of the Roman soldiers are all so graphic that at times i have to close and cover my eyes.

the greatest scene for me is the PIETA. no body is breathing inside the theatre. one cud hear a pin drop. even the hum of the heater inside the theatre seems to stop and the only sounds are the sobbing and the rustles of the movie goers whose eyes and emotions are all focused on the scene. the the Resurrection---- is something that nobody cud describe. the drum beat and all. i was about to yell inside the theater that : My Saviour has Risen--- i am part of His suffering and I believe".

when the movie ended---people are clapping their hands and weeping. some are still glued to their seats, trying to stare at something in the screen that is not there--- only letters and names and words.

THE PASSION HAS ENDED.

Caution:

1.) if you are going to watch, see to it that you have an open heart with no prejudice about religion and sect of any kind.

2). bring lots of Faith and Understanding inside the threatre. and lots of tissue and large hankie.

3). don't bring kids under 17 if you cannot explain all the scenes afterwards. there shud be moral explanation after.

4). eat your popcorn and drink your pop drinks before the movie. you wont be able to touch it when the movie starts.

5). come out after the movie with open mind and heart. and most of all, with a Deep understanding of the Persona of Christ, and the reason he died on the Cross.

posted by infraternam meam @ 12:52 AM

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