My Response To "The Passion Of The Christ"

In 2004, after viewing Mel Gibson’s box office hit, The Passion of the Christ, I was moved to meditate on Christ's passion. I was raised a Catholic and practiced reciting the rosary with my family growing up. 

However, later in my life, I began a quest for truth. I was searching and confused. Every night, I would pray to God, "Lord, what is the truth? Who is right? Is it the Catholics or the Protestants?” I would said to God,  “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). 

I prayed this verse of scripture for one year. I then came to the conclusion that I needed to visit some other churches. I did this for a couple of years.

During this time, God opened my eyes to many things as I visited other churches. In this time, my conviction became apparent that I was not to leave the Catholic Church. In fact, one night following a protestant service, I attended a Catholic Mass. As I walked inside the church, I felt a presence that was meek and humble. It took me back up against the wall.  It was a presence that I did not have to work up. It was just there. 

Then, I heard these words come up in my spirit, “this is the authentic presence.” 

Although I wanted to be a Protestant, I knew that God was saying no. So out of obedience to God, I stayed in the Catholic Church. This was a sacrifice. It was not what I wanted. It was what God wanted. 

I then said to God, "If  you want me to be a Catholic, you will need to show me, and show me in your word." Within time, I began to have revelations during Mass, and I began to see the Catholic traditions in the word of God. Then, I began to sing in a Catholic choir. 

During this time, God really did a  healing work in my heart, as I could see Jesus in the people that I was singing with. It was during this time of singing and revelation that I reverted back to the Catholic Church with my heart. What was once a sacrifice had now become a joy! God changed my heart, He began healing the misconceptions that I had about the Catholic Church.

Part of this conversion process took place during The Passion of the Christ movie. For it was in that movie that I saw Mother Mary and her role as an intercessor. However, I needed to understand the church’s teachings on Mary.

Then, I became drawn to Catholic apologetics. Apologetics helped to open up my understanding with the church’s teachings. This has been an awesome experience! It has allowed all the revelation that I had in my heart to connect with my mind.

For approximately 15 years, I did not pray the rosary because I did not understand Mother Mary's intercession. After The Passion of the Christ, I was moved to pray the rosary. I could hardly believe what I was doing. It was supernatural. I realized that after Jesus died, Mother Mary was left behind. I realized that many people knew she was the mother of Jesus, not to mention the disciples as well. I realized that people were approaching her after Jesus died, to talk about Jesus. I realized that Mother Mary would always point them to her son, and that she would tell them to do whatever Jesus told them to do. I also realized that she prayed for them, and the disciples, as she continues to pray and intercede for us today.

I believe the rosary to be a spiritual discipline and a spiritual warfare prayer. It is aprayer of protection that has always led me to pray to God. It is an intercessory prayer. I have felt comforted and peaceful, when I pray the rosary.

In Closing:

"Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12).

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel" (Genesis 3:14).

“His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

"When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!” "From that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (John 19:26-27).

“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1).

"When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 5:8).

"When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:9-10).

"So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony ofJesus" (Revelation 12:17).

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anyother created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).