Posted on 02/26/2004 10:06:37 AM PST by Pyro7480
I am so happy that my wife and I did. The Passion is about love.
And for me awoken thoughts I have never had before.
(Sorry Paul Harvey....)
THIS is what it's ALL about!!!
Acts 8:26-35
26. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."
27. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
28. and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.
29. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
30. Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
33. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."
34. The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?"
35. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
According to James Dobson, Vic Eliason, and others who do know the Bible, it is scriptural. Who do we believe, experts who have spent their lives studying the Bible or the detractors who probably haven't picked up a Bible in years?
What is this with trying to discredit Mel as some pre-Vatican II fanatic? I've read this several times over the last few days. As for the books about the 'Gospel story' of the last 50 years, most, in my opinion have tried to make Jesus more 'friend' than God, and I agree with Mel for moving away from that direction. Jesus loved us enough to suffer scourging and death at the hands of a brutal regime. Frankly, I'm glad Mel isn't giving us the blonde haired blue-eyed simpering Jesus we've seen in film over the last 50 years!
Clearly, Jesus's mother didn't think so. She was with the Apostles on Pentecost when they received the Holy Spirit and became emboldened to share His message.
Most women throughtout the history of Christianity would also disagree. Who do you think has been the backbone of the Faith, continually encouraging their families to attend Mass or get to Church on Sunday, or Wednesday night? Please don't let yourself fall into the feminist trap of the attitude of 'poor pitiful woman being downtrodden by her Church'.
The ancient world was a brutal place, and it is hard for us to accept that being 2000 years removed from the situation. One reason the world has become more civilized was because of the influence of Christians on governments and societies since the time of Jesus. We intend to bring our 14 and 16 yr. olds with us to the movie, and will discuss it in detail afterwards. I think we OWE it to Jesus to have some idea how he suffered and died for our sins.
Ah, then that 'good' Jesuit education might just be the problem! ;o)
A fellow Catholic and I have a congenial disgreement going about the Jesuits. She wants her son to attend Georgetown, and I'm trying to discourage her! I don't want her son to lose his Faith! There are a few Jesuits I admire today, among them, Fr. Joseph Fessio, but it's a very few. Too many have become enamored of their own intelligence and want to disregard Church teachings in favor of their own opinion of said teachings.
Unfortunately, you're hinging your return on something totally ephemeral when you SHOULD be thinking more of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
The gender of the extraneous people on the altar should not be more important than the mystery of the Real Presence. As for the angelic little girls on the altar, give me a break. Half the little girls serving look as bored as half the little boys do. I have noticed something interesting, however. The more girls sign up for altar service, the fewer boys do. The boys begin to see it as a 'girl thing', and that is unfortunate. We need young men to be close to the altar performing service. This is a wonderful way for young men to be open to the vocation of Priesthood. I know that's why some folks were pushing for little girls to be there; they wanted to push the idea of women priests, but that ain't gonna happen.
Well, at least you admit there is a problem, that's half the battle.
Didn't I know my place? Such nasty glares, such turnings away in disgust, such long knives, day after day.
Well I'm no priest, and I have many problems with the shameful Catholic Church. Rather than any scholastic background in theology, I happily attended one of the top 5 schools of Psychological Science, and I can tell you that sentiments like this clearly show problems going far beyond Catholicism, men, or a movie. This even smacks a bit of a persecution complex. Not knowing you I can only say that you need to relax and attempt to reflect on what has made you CONTINUE to be so very bitter years later.
After five years at FR, I am going to tender my resignation.
Well as a duly noted representative of FR, I accept. I might add that this is a wise choice on your part, you need to get away from the flaming environment.
I don't want to be part of a pseudo-political movement that thinks it owns the President of the United States. You guys are going to kill him with your demands that he function as some sort of high priest of America.
See statements like this are just extrodinarily overgeneralizing and stereotypical, common among those suffering and needing to lash out at someone. You don't know me from Adam, yet talk about me "killing him" with demands I've certainly never made. To use a non scientic term its...kinda creepy.
But I'm no longer angry about the same things you are.
That goes without saying. Hope you have a better day, and please think about what I am saying about avoiding flame wars and contemplating what possible good it serves you to be so angry in your heart.
Ancient? Hardly. The Jesuits were originally established less than 500 years ago. Hardly "ancient".
Their actions caused them to be banned in many countries, including Catholic countries. Primarily due to their "political" actions they were banned by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. He conveniently died 3 months later. (Some claim he was poisoned?).
They were re-established by Pius VII in 1814.
They have an interesting history. Worth some research.
Their torment is at their own hands, and is a direct consequence of the choices they alone have made.
Even Satan himself shudders at the Name of Jesus.
Amen.
;-/
I saw The Passion last night and was deeply disappointed. It's ham-fisted and corny, just like Gibson's other movies.
For a good religious film, see The Mission, with Robert DiNero and Jeremy Irons. It has characters (rather than cartoons), nuance, air, rhythm, depth -- all that arty stuff that intelligent minds pick up on and enjoy, and which The Passion is almost completely lacking (I say "almost" because it does have a few redeeming moments).
I think C.S. Lewis makes the point somewhere - in emphasizing the need to make our appreciation of Christ's suffering fresh - that crucifixion was so horrible that Christ's crucifixion didn't become a theme of Christian art until the last generation that had seen real crucifixions had died out.
The sword in the side was not to finish Jesus off, it was to ensure that He was dead. If He had cried out, the Romans would have, at that point, broken His legs. The liquid pouring out was also proof that Jesus had died.
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