Easter Preperation

 Pope Francis took up the question that many of the faithful are wrestling with as they are under lock down with churches closed: What about confession?

The Holy Father addressed this issue on March 20th during his homily at morning Mass.

I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?’

Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’

You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the Catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand.

Lord God,
I give you thanks, for you are good, and your mercy is endless.
Here I stand, at the start of this holy week,
This week in which your church remembers Jesus’ passion and death,
And I am distracted by many things.
Turn my eyes now to the One who comes in your name
The one who opens the gates of righteousness
The one who answers when we call.
I bless you, Lord, for shining your light upon me,
And for sending your son to us, in human frailty.
To walk the road we walk.
Open my eyes that I may see him coming,
And may praise him with a pure heart.
And may walk in the way of his suffering,
And share also in his resurrection.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

 Lord God,
Six days before his death, your son sat with Lazarus,
Whom he had raised from the dead,
And ate dinner with his friends.
Once again, your gospel tells us, Martha served,
And Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet
To anoint them with costly perfume.
The disciple who was about to betray him
Said that it was a waste.
He didn’t care about the poor, really –
He just wanted to fill his own pockets
And make Mary feel ashamed.
Lord God,
Often we cannot discern what is best:
When to pour out costly perfume for your sake,
Even if the world thinks it a waste.
When to be busy serving,
Or when to rest at your Son’s feet and learn.
Give us ears to hear you and eyes to see.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Lord God,
The message of the cross is difficult to take.
How can death give way to life? How can weakness be strength?
Yet your word says that Jesus, being God,
Took on human flesh
And suffered the worst kind of death.
How can this be?
This message is indeed difficult to take.
But your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom.
Your weakness is greater than our strength.
Help us to know that none of us can boast before you.
It is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast.
In his name, we ask you to help our unbelief.
That we may love you, and walk in the way Jesus taught us.
In his name,
Amen.

 Lord God,
We tremble to think
That it was one of Jesus’ own friends who betrayed him.
One who sat by him, who broke bread with him.
Give us strength, we pray,
To walk faithfully with Jesus,
Even when the road we walk is rocky
Even when the message of the cross seems like foolishness
And even when we feel betrayed.
You, Lord, are always faithful.
We stumble, we become lost,
But you are steady and sure.
Give us the grace to endure our troubles,
And reveal to us the glory of your kingdom,
Through your son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.
Amen. 

 Lord God,
You sent your Son into the world,
And before his hour had come,
He washed his disciples’ feet.
You had given all things into his hands.
He had come from you, and was going to you,
And what did he do?
He knelt down on the floor,
And washed his friends’ feet.
He was their teacher and their Lord,
Yet he washed their feet.
Lord God, help us learn from his example;
Help us to do as he has done for us.
The world will know we are his disciples
If we love one another.
Strengthen our hands and our wills for love
And for service.
Keep before our eyes the image of your Son,
Who, being God, became a Servant for our sake.
All glory be to him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and forever.
Amen. 

Lord God,
Jesus cried out to you on the cross,
“Why have you forsaken me?”
You seemed so far from his cry
And from his distress.
Those who stood at the foot of the cross
Wondered where you were,
As they saw Jesus mocked and shamed and killed.
Where were you then?
Lord God,
We, too, ask where you are,
When there is trouble and suffering and death,
And we cry out to you for help.
Be near to us, and save us
So that we may praise you for your deliverance.
Lord God,
We wait, on Friday, for the resurrection of Sunday
And sometimes our lives seem a succession of Fridays
And we cannot see what is “Good.”
Teach us to call your name
As Jesus did.
Make us to trust in you like little children.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Lord God,
On the Sabbath,
Jesus rested.
He was in the grave.
He had finished his work.
To most people’s eyes,
It looked as if it were all over.
He was dead and buried.
But only as a seed dies when it is planted in the earth,
Not to decay, but to spring to new life.
Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid
Teach us that death is not our end
Teach us to hope always in you
And in the resurrection, the making of all things
New.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

 Lord God,
You loved this world so much,
That you gave your one and only Son,
That we might be called your children too.
Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace
Of Easter Sunday, everyday.
Let us have hearts of thankfulness
For your sacrifice.
Let us have eyes that look upon
Your grace and rejoice in our salvation.
Help us to walk in that mighty grace
And tell your good news to the world.
All for your glory do we pray, Lord,
Amen. 

 By Gerald Korson          4/2/2020 

he recent death of Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, famous for playing Jesus in the 1965 film The Greatest Story Ever Told, and the approach of Holy Week occasion a handful of recommendations for film to view on the passion and death of Christ.

There are numerous movie portrayals of the life and passion of Christ, from the insipid and blasphemous to the moving and reverent, but here are a few worth considering for home viewing this Lent. Check your streaming services and local broadcast schedules for availability.

King of Kings (1961)

King of Kings opened to mixed reviews but became a staple of Lenten television viewing for a number of years. It’s visually glossy and tells the story of Christ effectively, even if stoically. Sure, the acting is a bit wooden in the tradition of the “swords and sandals” epics of its time, and the critics might be right to say that Jeffrey Hunter is just a bit too handsome to play Jesus, but it was also the first major motion picture to show the full face of Jesus. If you can track it down, it’s worth revisiting.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Von Sydow portrayal Jesus in the 1965 film The Greatest Story Ever Told, which still ranks among the all-time classics on the life of Christ. For many he remains the definitive cinematic “face of Jesus,” but others have since undertaken memorable performances in that role as well.

A lavish film, The Greatest Story Ever Told arguably became the definitive cinematic life of Jesus for a dozen years, and some would say it still is. It boasts an all-star cast, including Bible-film veteran Charlton Heston as John the Baptist. Remarkably, it also features Telly Savalas, who shaved his head for the role of Pontius Pilate and liked it so much he kept it that way the rest of his life. It takes a few liberties with the Gospels, as these films tend to do for the sake of economy, but by the time of the Ascension scene you’ll find yourself humming Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Godspell (1973)

It’s far from a traditional depiction of the Gospel story, and might be off-putting for some. The cast speaks and dresses like late 1960s hippies, and the Jesus character fits right in. But stick with it, and you’ll find some excellent musical numbers and the essentials of the Sermon on the Mount communicated in a clever and entertaining manner. The crucifixion scene is stylized but still packs a wallop. On the downside, the film lacks a resurrection scene — something many performances of the stage version tack on in one form or another.

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Weeks before the original Star Wars had its theatrical debut, Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth premiered as a television miniseries in Italy, Britain, and then worldwide. The film and William Powell’s portrayal of Jesus quickly became iconic in their own right. It’s an excellent film, borrowing elements from all four Gospels, although it leaves out a few important scenes such as the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Checking in at 382 minutes (or its edited version at 270 minutes), it also requires some serious commitment — so make it a miniseries of your own over the course of two or three evenings.

Gospel of John (2003)

This three-hour movie takes the gospel verbatim from the Good News Bible and is rather well done given those limitations. It does take some visual liberties, as it has Mary Magdalene seated among the apostles at the Last Supper, which is not mentioned in Scripture (let’s leave Da Vinci Code conspiracy theorists out of this). It gets the job done, and fans of the old TV series Lost might enjoy seeing Henry Ian Cusick in the role of Jesus.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Now comes Mel Gibson with a Passion blockbuster, despite having its dialogue in Aramaic with subtitles. It’s gritty and it’s violent, and all by design, as it seems to show the suffering of Christ without flinching. For some viewers, it may be too much; for others, it may help unite our own meager suffering with his redemptive act. Decide for yourself whether you or your kids should see it. And get ready for the sequel: Gibson reportedly is working on The Passion of the Christ: the Resurrection with an eye toward a 2021 release and Jim Caviezel reprising his role as the Christ.

Whatever Passion film you choose, may it enhance your prayerful preparation for your observance of the Triduum and Easter.

Gerald Korson, a veteran Catholic editor, is a Knights of Columbus member in Indiana.