The Passion of the Christ movie as a tradition?

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I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking and reflecting on Jesus’ Passion for the last few days. I was thinking of buying the DVD and making it a tradition to watch during Holy Week.

I know some people have certain views on the movie and may think that it’s just a movie, but for me, it touched my soul. The only time I ever saw it was when it opened in theaters, but I’m a visual type person and although I have read and learned about His Passion, when I saw the movie, it kind of made everything clearer to me. Maybe I’m just a goof, who knows.

Does anyone watch this movie during Lent or Holy week?
 
MSParrott said:
I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking and reflecting on Jesus’ Passion for the last few days. I was thinking of buying the DVD and making it a tradition to watch during Holy Week.

I know some people have certain views on the movie and may think that it’s just a movie, but for me, it touched my soul. The only time I ever saw it was when it opened in theaters, but I’m a visual type person and although I have read and learned about His Passion, when I saw the movie, it kind of made everything clearer to me. Maybe I’m just a goof, who knows.

Does anyone watch this movie during Lent or Holy week?
Click to expand...
YES! We do! We have been doing this since it came out on DVD…and we watch it on Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday…it has made a huge impact in our family – and every year, it is like I have never seen it before. All that Christ has done for us–it makes Lent a more solemn time of reflection, I have found. You’re not a goof! It is really a great ‘tradition’ to start…🙂
 
We watch this movie after Good Friday mass. We even let our kids watch it. We have had people tell us that is not a good idea. My wife and I disagree, we don’t white wash what happened to Jesus. It has made our kids closer to him and understand exactly what he went through for them.
 
We watch it every year during lent as well. HBO ran it on their movies on demand during lent. But I bought my mom the dvd for Christmas so we can watch it whenever we want.
 
We watch it on Saturday usually, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It has certainly helped me to realize and appreciate even more the terrible brutality our Lord suffered for me and amazing love He has for me. :o
 
My family does this as a tradition on Good Friday, also. It’s a wonderful way to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice!
 
Thanks to everyone for your responses. I’m glad to know that others feel the same way. Now I know what I am going to get this weekend. 🙂
 
MSParrott said:
I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking and reflecting on Jesus’ Passion for the last few days. I was thinking of buying the DVD and making it a tradition to watch during Holy Week.

I know some people have certain views on the movie and may think that it’s just a movie, but for me, it touched my soul. The only time I ever saw it was when it opened in theaters, but I’m a visual type person and although I have read and learned about His Passion, when I saw the movie, it kind of made everything clearer to me. Maybe I’m just a goof, who knows.

Does anyone watch this movie during Lent or Holy week?
Click to expand...
My family watches it on Good Friday evening, after Mass and after the family Rosary.

I would recommend to you the book: " The Dolorious Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ," by the Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich. This is the book which the Passion of the Christ was taken from. If you thought the movie was thought-provoking, then I think you’d love the book. Here’s a link to the book: amazon.com/Dolorous-Passion-Lord-Jesus-Christ/dp/0486439798/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201807134&sr=8-6
 
My husband watches it every Good Friday. I skipped watching it the year I was pregnant with DD#1 because I just didn’t want to get a migraine from all the crying I would normally do. I may skip it this year for the same reason (so I don’t have to use Rx meds). But otherwise, yes, it’s been a tradition to watch it on Good Friday since the very beginning. We saw it on Ash Wednesday in the theatres, and I think we went back to see it again on Good Friday that year, too.
 
It opened on Ash Wednesday a few years back, and I make it a tradition to watch on Ash Wednesday now that I have the DVD. Gets me in the best frame of mind for Lent!

My kids arent old enough yet but as soon as they are it will be a family tradition!
 
I had just purchased the Special Edition last year, and I watched it right after Holy Thursday liturgies (it ran past midnight, so I suppose you can say I saw it on Good Friday as well). The chapters are set up so that you can do the “Way of the Cross” with the film. Also, run it without subtitles.

The religious commentary I also found most fascinating (a relief, since rad-trad Gerry Matatics was one of the commentators, but his comments were on topic).
 
If you really want to delve into the Passion, I begin lent by listening on audiotape to the Delorus Passion by St. Anne Emmerich which is where Gibson got much of his inspiration for what is not covered in Scripture overtly. The added imagery of what our Lord experienced in the Garden and what the Holy Women experienced during Christ’s “trial” and the evening before he was turned over to be crucified is very powerful. I usually listen on the treadmill/stairmaster and while driving in the car. Not every year do I get done listening to her book on tape but I try. Then, as a climax, my family and I watches the Passion Friday morning before we go to Mass.
 
My wife and myself watch The Passion, during Holy Week, ever since it came out. Before that, we watch Jesus of Nazzareth.

BTW, you can read the book, The Delorous Passion of the Christ, online here;

jesus-passion.com/DOLOROUS_PASSION_OF_OUR_LORD_JESUS_CHRIST.htm

I read the book before I saw the movie, and it really inhanced the movie. The movie was done almost exactly as the book. However, the book gives some other insights, that would’ve been too difficult to show in the movie.

Keep in mind, this is dream literature, and as such, it fits in with the understanding of the visionary, and not necessarily 100% accurate with actual historical events. However, I found it fascinating!

One is, the Last Supper. The house where the Last Supper was celebrated, was the home of Nicodemus. The place where Christ sat in the upper room when he instituted the Eucharist, is directly above the exact spot, where the Arch of the Covenant was last seen on Earth.

The Blessed Mother, along with the other women and children, who followed Jesus, were in the room, on the first floor, below the one the Jesus and the Apostles were in. When Jesus gave the Eucharist to the Apostles, he first gave it to his mother who sat directly below him, through relocation. This was only seen by Catherine Emmerich in her vision, and not by those present at the Last Supper.

Jim
 
We watch it too, usually on GFriday. Locally they have been playing it Easter weekend in the theaters so DH and I have gone to that as well.
 
My husband and i watch it every Good Friday. It is so moving1
I’m still debating about whether to let my kids (6,9,11) watch it.
Maybe I ask you guys. How old is old enough to watch?
 
Yes, we watch it on Good Friday too! As far as age goes
that would vary depending on the individual child. When it first
came out on DVD I thought it would be too much for our son
so I showed him certain parts only so he still got an idea without
it being too much for him. At this point the kids are 17 and 14
so they are old enough. It is an extremely powerful film and
has made a huge impact on people, I wish more people would
see it.
 
We watch it as a family on good Friday every year since it came out.
**The littlest ones just sit around and play like always because it’s boring to them. The middlers don’t seem to be scared by at as much as upset that people can be mean like that. The older ones aren’t upset by that because they already know how mean people can be and have been in history. No sugar coating the faith in this house.😉 **
The only “ill” effect we’ve seen is the kids act it out just like they do any other movie or book they’ve been inspired by. They play what they call “Crucify Him!” for several weeks afterward, which is like cops and robbers or cowboys and indians or whatever similiar game, only it’s Christ/Apostles and Unbelievers. They actually do a very good job of reenacting it, imnsho.
**Our own little passion plays in the backyard have really kind of freaked out a few of the prot neighbors or visiting friends at times. lol Only one mom has ever approached me upset about it. The mom whose 10 yr old son didn’t know who Peter or Pilate or what Good Friday was, but introduced herself as a God-fearing woman who didn’t believe in allowing kids to act violent and that’s why she thinks homeschooling shouldn’t be allowed if we’re going to teach them to be violent.:rolleyes: **
**Anyways. We find it okay for all ages here, but we feel perfectly comfortable explaining it all to them and none have had nightmares or anything like that. It is upsetting to a few of them (no tears, just unnerving, kwim?), but well frankly, shouldn’t it be?🤷 **
**You just have to use your own judgement for your kids though.🙂 **
 
We have seen the film in the cinema and bought the DVD as soon as it came out in the shops. We also have an accompanying book to The Passion (i.e. 100 questions about the film which “helps unlock its deeper meaning” ) which were given out for free at the time the film was first shown here. The guide book has been a tremendous help with friends, who have not seen the film and were reluctant to, because of the furore it initially had over here.

We have watched The Passion a few times, not just during the Lenten season, since we purchased it. Sometimes, occasions arise when we, as a family, need to gather and reflect.
 
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