Passion of the Christ: Notes on the Symbolism

Mom's Trad-Cath email lists | Legionaries

[Dialup Llama]

See the movie again and watch John and Mary Magdelene before and during the crucifixion. There's alot going on there, very subtle acting. At the cross, John and Mary both get a revelation about who Jesus is and his mission.

Mary Magdelene sees that when the Romans turned over the cross, Jesus held himself off the ground in order to keep the prophecy true which says the Messiah will not have any broken bones. Mary realizes that Jesus has direct control over the forces of nature. When Jesus is lifted up she covers her head, just as she would in the courtyard of the Temple before the Holy of Holies which is the presence of God. Mary realizes that Jesus is God just as he told Caiaphas.

On the way to the crucifixion, John looks sad, angry and disappointed in this apparently tragic and meaningless end. Then John flashes back to the Last Supper where Jesus said "This is my body, broken for you. This is my blood, poured out for you." John looks at Jesus on the cross and his eyes fill with tears of joy and he understands what Jesus' mission was and the purpose of the cricifixion.

[Askel5]

To be honest ... I did comprehend Mary Magdalene's vision of Christ upturned until this thread.



=== John looks at Jesus on the cross and his eyes fill with tears of joy

This is the sticking point which escapes so many ... I pray their hearts be softened.

Thanks for the post, Dailup Llama. Rest assured I'll see the film again during Holy Week.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Thanks....I'm going to pass this article along in e-mail.

[syriacus]

My daughter told me yesterday that she has forwarded the article to her friends.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

Thanks for the most excellant ping. Wish I would have looked sooner as we had a great discussion last night and this would have added much to it. Next time..

God bless

[Diago]

Ignatius J Reilly,

What are your thoughts on the movie about you that will be coming out soon?

[Humal]

Thank you for posting this. It answers many questions I had about some of the symbolism in the movie.

[Humal]

"the squads of Israeli rabbis whose ministry it is to collect the body parts of those killed in terror bombings."

The symbolism of the two Marys cleaning up the blood puzzled me. I wondered if it had a Jewish meaning to it. Thank you for the clarification.

[livius]

Thanks for posting this. I've seen the movie three times so far, and still I find that there were some things that I missed. It's like looking at a medieval (or even later) religious painting - stuffed with so much symbolism that it takes a long time for the viewer to notice it all.

[tang-soo]

bttt

[tang-soo]

The opening scene shows Christ praying at the stone while satan is tempting him.

While Christ says Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. (different wording), Christ pauses for a brief moment between the two phrases.

During this time, the camera is fixed on satan's face. Satan shows no expression except an ever so slight raising of an eyebrow (ok the eyebrows were shaved). I took this to mean he had a glimmer of hope when Christ was asking if he could avoid the wrath. Praise God he didn't!

[littlepaddle]

has anyone read anything on the symbolisim with the 2 thiefs
I have heard that the cloth around the good thief could represent a scapular and the raven plucking out the eye how sin can blind us to the truth....I am looking for the symbolisim of the cup on the unpented thief

[Frapster]

I would speculate that visually the three ribs might be more identifiable than just one rib. So rather than gamble on one they chose three for its obvious Trinitarian connection as opposed to 2 or 4 or more. In the end it still symbolizes the new Adam and the birth of the Church which is consumated with the spilling of the blood (redemption) and water (adoption).

[Lady In Blue]

Bumping for a later read. Thanks! I loved this film.I've seen it twice already.

[Dajjal]

I don't think we get a good look at the table in the Upper Room where the Last Supper is held. But it is the home of a "rich man." The table Christ made in the film would be too small to seat twelve, but if we don't see much of the Upper Room's table in the film, perhaps Gibson reused the prop there.

When I saw the film again last weekend, I remembered to pay attention to this, and I now believe that the Last Supper is held on the table Our Lord is building in the early flashback.

We do not get to see the skirting of the Last Supper table in the film, so I cannot say for certain -- but Gibson's Last Supper table is not a long, DaVinci-esque table. It is very, very short. The Apostles are huddled around it very closely, some with only their heads showing over the shoulders of two others.

There is definitely no room on Gibson's Last Supper table for twelve people to eat meals, other than the bread from the basket, and the shared cup of wine.

[haole]

the RSV has the best translation of this: this is from the King James:
Jeremiah 17:13
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, [and] they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
It is from our tradition that Jesus wrote the sins of the stone holders, and, becasue He turned their trap against them ( they wanted Jesus to either lose face with the people -go against Mosaic law, or get into trouble with the Romans-condemn someone to death - which only the Romans could do under their occupation ), they saw that He wanted them to stone her ( get introuble with the Romans ) and realizing this ( eldest, more wise to the world , younger less wise to the world, and more willing to rebel ) they left. They had to lose face to the people, which they resented Him more for. They chose this, rather than lose their positions of power they had under the Roman rule. All of the Jews knew Jeremiah well, and reacted appropriately.