News

Bp. Zubik: 'Passion' shows God's love

	Related articles ... • 'Passion' film earns plaudits     Bp. David Zubik is among those who attend     a special preview of Mel Gibson movie • Catholic film office reviews 'The Passion'

Here are Bp. David Zubik's reflections on The Passion of the Christ after seeing a special screening of it on Feb. 23 in Appleton:

Lent
• Lent-related articles

"Having had the opportunity to view the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ, I found it to be a profoundly moving religious experience. The one thing that crossed my mind as I viewed the film was that any person of faith who came to see the movie would leave with their faith deepened and any person who claimed that they did not have faith and viewed the movie would leave with faith sparked within them.

"Overall and resoundingly so, the film is a powerful reminder of the depth of God's love for us, evident in the self-sacrificing death and resurrection of Jesus. As the film intersperses the graphic details of Jesus' tragic passion with flashbacks of significant moments in the life and ministry of Jesus, the film clearly shows Jesus' passion as God's hungering for our salvation.

"The film is clearly a 'must see.' My own personal experience of viewing the film deepens my appreciation of the passion narratives in the four Gospels, meditation on the Stations of Jesus' cross and, most important of all, an appreciation of the profound presence of Christ within the celebration of the Eucharist."