26 March 2018
StCYM: Holy Week (25 MAR 18)
We have reached the final stretch of Lent. This week we reflect on the significance of Christ's Passion. We reflect on what was given to humanity as a result of God the Son's dying knowing of the coming rising. This week we finished up our discussion series with knowing our purpose in life and what happens after we die. Personally, it was interesting to hear the perspective of the teens regarding various topics.
Following the discussions, we watched the second half of The Passion of the Christ. This was a very raw portrayal of our Lord's Passion. The violence was very intense, but done with purpose and not simply for show. I noticed myself reflecting on Christ's wounds and their significance. It is our sinfulness that caused Christ's wounds. He is completely innocent, yet took the punishment owed us. What an act of love!
Throughout the movie there are flashbacks of Christ's ministry. He shows us God's goodness despite our failings. The primary mission of Christ is, indeed, salvation and not condemnation. This is not to ignore the fact that we have the free will to condemn ourselves, should we not believe and follow Christ and His teachings. However, Christ came to show the world God's light and His love for creation. He then taught us to go forth and share this same love ourselves!
Holy Week completes the saving work of God. God became flesh so that he could shoulder the weight of condemnation for it. Once this is complete, God moves ever forward in sharing the love that is born out of sacrifice. Love born out of sacrifice is the strongest form of love since it requires a complete denial of self in varying degrees. God's form of love is the strongest in existence because He, being the most perfect being, sacrificed Himself. Christ denied His divinity on the Cross by remaining on it. Christ could have chosen to come down, but remained.
This denial of the highest degree of perfection should motivate us to glorify God in all that we do! God took care of the hardest part and gives us the Holy Spirit to keep up the little things. We are truly an Easter people as St. John Paul II proclaimed. It is during Holy Week that we recognize this amazing potential due to God's supreme sacrifice. Let us go forward boldly and prepare ourselves, once again, to celebrate the victory.
19 March 2018
StCYM: The Passion of the Christ (18 MAR 18)
Last night we met once again to continue our Lenten journey. To begin the night we played two good rounds of "Lean On Me", a game where you and a partner are back to back and have to stand up without using your hands for support. It was Seniors vs. the World and the Seniors swept the World 2-0. Following the madness, we had good discussions on the topics of Satan and also Homosexuality as we continued our discussion series based on Life Teen's 100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know. We finished our last hour with the viewing of the first half of The Passion of the Christ.
The Passion of the Christ is arguably the best Christian film ever produced. In my humble opinion it even beats the legendary The Ten Commandments. The reason I find it so good is the amount of attention that was paid to the details in the portrayal of Christ's Passion. The film is in Aramaic and Latin, which is astonishing because those two languages are considered dead. While Latin is technically still alive as it is the official language of the Holy See and the Church and Aramaic is only used by a small group of peoples in areas in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq (Syriac Christians), the contemporary world does not truly know these two languages. Experts were hired to translate the script from English into Aramaic and Latin.
The second reason this film captivates me is the attention to how Christ's Passion connects to key people in Christian history (Mary, Peter, John, etc.) using specific imagery and the like to make those connections noticeable, yet not to the degree where they take away from the natural flow of the story being told. The reality of the violence Christ faced is also very impactful. When you weigh your guilt against Christ's innocence, while seeing his torment, the film has a striking reality to it that goes far beyond what is normally felt when watching films based on a true story. The Passion is felt in the heart.
Next week we will conclude our discussions, review our Lenten journey, and then prepare for Holy Week. We will also conclude our viewing of the film. It is my prayer that it has a prolonged impact on our faith as we prepare to move forward into the Easter season and beyond. I wish you all a fruitful remainder of Lent. God bless you.
Pax,
Johannes
The Passion of the Christ is arguably the best Christian film ever produced. In my humble opinion it even beats the legendary The Ten Commandments. The reason I find it so good is the amount of attention that was paid to the details in the portrayal of Christ's Passion. The film is in Aramaic and Latin, which is astonishing because those two languages are considered dead. While Latin is technically still alive as it is the official language of the Holy See and the Church and Aramaic is only used by a small group of peoples in areas in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq (Syriac Christians), the contemporary world does not truly know these two languages. Experts were hired to translate the script from English into Aramaic and Latin.
The second reason this film captivates me is the attention to how Christ's Passion connects to key people in Christian history (Mary, Peter, John, etc.) using specific imagery and the like to make those connections noticeable, yet not to the degree where they take away from the natural flow of the story being told. The reality of the violence Christ faced is also very impactful. When you weigh your guilt against Christ's innocence, while seeing his torment, the film has a striking reality to it that goes far beyond what is normally felt when watching films based on a true story. The Passion is felt in the heart.
Next week we will conclude our discussions, review our Lenten journey, and then prepare for Holy Week. We will also conclude our viewing of the film. It is my prayer that it has a prolonged impact on our faith as we prepare to move forward into the Easter season and beyond. I wish you all a fruitful remainder of Lent. God bless you.
Pax,
Johannes
12 March 2018
StCYM: Death Row Story (11 MAR 18)
Last night we were honored to welcome Joe D'Ambrosio and our Pastor, Fr. Neil, to Sunday Night Session. It was a night focused on the incredible story of a death row inmate (Joe) fighting to be exonerated. To begin the night, we of course feasted on delicious mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets. Once we were about done getting our fill, we watched the episode of CNN's Death Row Stories that told Joe's story.
As a man who cares for justice and has a degree in criminal justice, this episode was hard to watch without getting upset. The lies by the investigators, the inconsistent affidavits, the lack of proper investigation, the inconsistent medical evidence, the lack of evidence, etc, all made for a terrible case. I am amazed that a capital murder trial could be so tainted. I am also amazed at Joe's resilience throughout the ordeal. I question if I would have fought so hard for so long (22 years) or if I would have given up after a mere few years and accepted my fate (death). I hope my inclination would be to keep fighting.
What Fr. Neil did was incredible. He visited the imprisoned as Christ teaches us to do, but he went even further, he fought for justice. It was a long battle, that with the courageous actions of witnesses and judges, turned out in favor of Joe. What captivated me the most about Joe coming out of death row was his embrace of silence. He briefly discussed the noise of prison life and how there was no peace for 24 hours a day so, he would simply sit in darkness and silence or go outside and simply stare at the stars.
I think this is a fitting story during Lent when we wander into the desert to look inside ourselves and realize God's goodness. Joe prayed for 22 years for God to deliver him and He did. Many of us would say, "Wow, it took God 22 years to answer Joe's prayer; the prayer of an innocent man!" However, as Joe reminded us, God doesn't work on our time. We are not privy to the wisdom and knowledge of God. We often believe God is hurting us or abandoning us. That is a lie! Reject this lie immediately when you hear it! It is also important to note that Joe has forgiven those that did him wrong and that wanted him dead! This is profound! How hard is it for us to forgive those who merely offend us, yet this man who was sentenced to die can forgive those that sent him to death row. This is very Christ-like and something we should emulate.
As we move forward toward the Victory of Christ, I challenge us to recognize the noise and make time to simply be in silence and appreciate life itself. Let us praise God for simply being. I know I certainly need to embrace silence, because there is profound power in it. It often amazes me that when we have less, we actually have more. The less we have, the more God can occupy. And what God occupies is certainly good.
Pax,
Johannes
Deus Providebit!
As a man who cares for justice and has a degree in criminal justice, this episode was hard to watch without getting upset. The lies by the investigators, the inconsistent affidavits, the lack of proper investigation, the inconsistent medical evidence, the lack of evidence, etc, all made for a terrible case. I am amazed that a capital murder trial could be so tainted. I am also amazed at Joe's resilience throughout the ordeal. I question if I would have fought so hard for so long (22 years) or if I would have given up after a mere few years and accepted my fate (death). I hope my inclination would be to keep fighting.
What Fr. Neil did was incredible. He visited the imprisoned as Christ teaches us to do, but he went even further, he fought for justice. It was a long battle, that with the courageous actions of witnesses and judges, turned out in favor of Joe. What captivated me the most about Joe coming out of death row was his embrace of silence. He briefly discussed the noise of prison life and how there was no peace for 24 hours a day so, he would simply sit in darkness and silence or go outside and simply stare at the stars.
I think this is a fitting story during Lent when we wander into the desert to look inside ourselves and realize God's goodness. Joe prayed for 22 years for God to deliver him and He did. Many of us would say, "Wow, it took God 22 years to answer Joe's prayer; the prayer of an innocent man!" However, as Joe reminded us, God doesn't work on our time. We are not privy to the wisdom and knowledge of God. We often believe God is hurting us or abandoning us. That is a lie! Reject this lie immediately when you hear it! It is also important to note that Joe has forgiven those that did him wrong and that wanted him dead! This is profound! How hard is it for us to forgive those who merely offend us, yet this man who was sentenced to die can forgive those that sent him to death row. This is very Christ-like and something we should emulate.
As we move forward toward the Victory of Christ, I challenge us to recognize the noise and make time to simply be in silence and appreciate life itself. Let us praise God for simply being. I know I certainly need to embrace silence, because there is profound power in it. It often amazes me that when we have less, we actually have more. The less we have, the more God can occupy. And what God occupies is certainly good.
Pax,
Johannes
Deus Providebit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)