The Passion of The Christ movie - a new teaching tool for the Lenten season

by Julie Soehren

The release date of the movie The Passion of The Christ offered Catholic school educators a unique opportunity to begin the Lenten season with a new tool. The New Ulm Cathedral High School Religion department took full advantage as we decided to take the entire student body, grades 9-12, to a private showing on the Wednesday of the first week of Lent.

We spent time in each class preparing by reading the reviews and the hype and also going to the source, the Passion narratives of each of the four Gospels. Students were given a choice to view, with their parents permission, the R rated film. Those ten that chose to stay back watched ‘Jesus, The Greatest Story Ever Told’ by Trimark Studios.

When the students and faculty were seated, we reminded them that everyone is at a different place on their spiritual journey and we will each experience this film in a different way. Then we prayed and dimmed the lights. Two hours later the credits finished rolling and we brought the lights up to a silent room. Then the hands went up and we began to answer the questions that ranged from ‘did they really...’ to ‘why did they show...’ .

All the teachers continued the conversation with their classes after returning to the school.

Each religion class had the students write reaction papers. The following excerpts are from the sophomore responses to the question, ‘How has this movie affected your understanding of the sacrifice Jesus made for your salvation?’

"It really deepened my understanding. I never really thought of it as being as horrible as it was..."

"This has affected my life knowing that we hurt Jesus every time we sin...Jesus loved us so much to go through all this agony, knowing we would still sin, to try and save us."

"It has affected me. I knew He suffered lots of pain, but I never realized the ordeal was that extreme. In the stations booklet, Jesus’ body is clean and fresh. Nobody is yelling. The crowds aren’t rowdy. But that’s not how I see it now. It was horrible."

"Seeing how much Jesus actually went through was unreal. He gave everything for us."

"I never realized how much pain Jesus endured for us. What he did is bigger than any sacrifice possible and I feel guilty for never noticing that. The movie definitely pushed me."

"He went through unimaginable horror for me."

"This (movie) made me feel that I need to do better in my faith."

"It really moved me and greatly affected my faith. Certain scenes are going to stick with me and be a part of my life. His suffering has really made me feel selfish and greedy. I have so much and it is all because of Him."