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The Parables of Jesus
In a similar manner to The Miracles of Jesus, Tomie de Paola presents seventeen of Jesus' parables. This book makes them very accessible to small children and may even be the start of some interesting little discussions with your children about why Jesus told these stories. Some of the text of the parables is very brief.
The Passion of the Christ
For the most part, the story is just as we know it from the Bible and the Stations of the Cross (including a touching scene with Jesus and Veronica). Our Lady is portrayed beautifully, as a loving Mother to Jesus. Her love and faith are evident throughout. The affection of the apostles for Mary is also evident; Peter calls her "Mother" in one heartbreaking scene after the denial. Flashbacks during the horrific scourging bring blessed relief as we see peaceful moments in His life, including a scene from His childhood, a playful moment with Mary, the Last Supper, and more.
Mel Gibson has taken poetic license with certain elements of the story, but those things only made the larger Truth of the story even more compelling. For example, his portrayal of Satan is absolutely chilling, and while I couldn't say that the images he uses are necessarily Biblical (though some are), they are appropriate. The movie leaves no doubt about the supernatural element of the battle between good and evil. There is a great deal of literary symbolism, especially regarding eyes, and there is a running theme of Truth ("I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life", and a discussion of "Veritas" that Pilate has with his wife.)
As a work of art, it is superb. It is expertly directed, the cinematography is stunning, and the original soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful. I have only minor quibbles with a few things (for example, some of the costuming). Others have pointed out problems with the historicity of the languages used, or the length of hair of the characters. In no way, however, do these small things compromise the effect of the film overall.
Many have complained of possible anti-Semitism. Yes, some of the Jews come off very badly in the film; so do virtually all of the Romans. This film is no more anti-Semitic than it is anti-Italian. It is a story set in a particular place with particular ethnic groups. Jesus was a Jew; some of the Jews loved Him, others wanted Him dead. As Christians, we know that all of us are sinners; we all are responsible for the death of Christ.
One warning: I would not take young teens, and certainly not younger children, to see this movie. The sadistic cruelty displayed by the Roman soldiers would destroy the innocence of children who do not yet know the full extent of evil in the world, and the graphic, bloody scenes would be too shocking for them. Should any teens see it? Yes, older teens, if they are mature, and well-grounded in their Faith.
In spite of the violence and brutality pictured so vividly in the movie, the images that linger are the beautiful ones; His compassion, His strength, and above all His Love. This movie is certainly not entertainment. Instead, it is an opportunity for prayerful reflection on the sorrowful passion of our Savior and Redeemer, and His infinite Love and Mercy.
Rated R, 126 minutes
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: James Caviezel, Monica Belluci, et al.
The Passion of the Christ (additional review)
The role of Mary in the story: The thing that struck me most about the Passion is how strong Mary's role is in the story. Rather than a minor character that flits in and out of the story (as occurs in many of these type of movies) this movie is quite Mariocentric. Many of the most moving scenes involve Mary's interaction with her Son. The movie also illuminates the Blessed Mother's role in Redemption, contrasts her role with that of the devil, and helps develop our own relationship with her and her son through her interaction with the Apostles of Jesus. It is difficult to put into words how powerful her role in this movie is. It is certainly worth seeing even if only for this alone.
The way Jesus is portrayed: While a lot of press has been given to the graphic nature of the portrayal of Jesus in this story, the uniqueness of his characterization goes well beyond this. Jesus is portrayed as having a very natural balance of strength and gentleness and appears as very strong and "manly". Flashbacks of Jesus talking to His followers and interacting with His mother particularly highlight this and provide contrast to the drama of His extreme torture. The portrayal of the brutality of Jesus' tormentors is quite graphic and hard to watch. I think it is beneficial, however, in many ways - particularly for modern viewers accustomed to movies with a lot of gore and violence.
Other Catholic symbolism: There was a great deal of beautiful symbolism which I have rarely seen in other movies of a similar nature. The most striking, to me, was the sacredness of the Precious Blood spilt during the scourging and highlighted by Our Lady and Mary Magdalene lovingly wiping it up with linens. There are also strong themes relating to the Eucharist and repentance. The whole movie can make for a great examination of conscience (I believe this is actually aided by the original language and subtitles because it has such a different feel from other movies) and would be excellent to watching during Holy Week.
The Question of Children watching the Passion: While watching the movie, I did focus on whether it would be appropriate for my eldest daughter to watch (she's almost 11). My husband and I agreed that it would be better for her to wait. Not only the graphic nature of Jesus' torture, but also some of the details involving the devil and the children tormenting Judas might be both troubling and confusing to her. We plan on purchasing the movie when it comes out on DVD and letting our children see it a little at a time where we can discuss it and focus on areas most appropriate to their age and maturity levels. Because of the the Passion movie, we have recently bought Jesus of Nazareth and the Robe, which I believe will be helpful at their particular stages. (Even the four and six years olds seem to be getting quite a bit out of these two movies - particularly when we discuss them at the dinner table or when the children chat about them together.) I do know a number of pre-teens and young teenagers who have seen the Passion and were glad they saw it. I think parents need to decide on an individual basis who the movie would be appropriate for. For my part, I think the movie is intended for adults but probably would be managable for most teens 14 or 15 years and older.
Rated R, 126 minutes
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: James Caviezel, Monica Belluci, et al.
The Penderwicks
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
The only disappointment we had was that there is no mention of the Bible, of Moses, or of the Hebrews enslavement in Egypt. This may be simply because this is a secular text, but it must be partly because the details of how (and when) exactly the Hebrews fit into Ancient Egyptian history is not precisely known.
The Phonetic Zoo
Each lesson begins with the speaker reading the rule followed by a 15 word list that includes the speaker repeating the rule every three words. After each word is presented, the student is given enough time to write down the word without feeling rushed. The word list is repeated along with the correct spelling. The student writes the correct spelling next to his word as an accuracy check, noting which words he misspelled. He then studies those words and listens to the same list (CD track) on subsequent days until he correctly spells all list words two times.
Upon first listening to the CDs I thought the program moved too slowly and that my children would find it boring. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I was wrong. In retrospect realize that I found it slow and boring because I already knew the words, but for a student just learning the rules and word spelling it moved at just the right pace.
Phonetic Zoo provides different rules from Spelling Power that were quickly learned by our oldest child (who is not naturally a good speller.) At the beginning of eighth grade (after completing Level H in Spelling Power) he worked through the entire Phonetic Zoo high school level in 3 months and was able to apply the spelling rules in his essays. We did a follow up test to the effectiveness of Phonetic Zoo by using the final Spelling Power lists. He missed less then 5% of all words on the last two levels of Spelling Power, and the words missed were rated as being college level. For our family Phonetic Zoo is an ideal program for older students who are yearning for independence and are anxious to "be done" with spelling lessons. This review is of the "Advanced" level of Phonetic Zoo. The IEW website contains an auditory placement test that is accurate in determining which level to purchase.
The Power of the Cross
This is a meditative book, divided into a six week program of daily readings and meditation ideas, based on the Passion of Christ. Ideally, and Dubruiel suggests this, this book would fit in perfectly with a Lenten reading plan. However, the book can really be started any time. In addition to individual use, the book is well suited for a small group, as it contains discussion questions at the end of each section. These questions could be used individually, to help you get as much out of the reading and meditation as possible, or in a group.
As a busy mother, I really like books that I can read a little bit at one sitting and then put it down. I tend to get snatches of time, rather than long bits, and so the length of these chapters and the amount of material covered was just right for me.
If you are looking for a book to help you meditate on the cross, if you need something to help you work on some particular suffering you are dealing with, or if you just simply want to enter into the passion more deeply with Christ, than I think this would be an excellent book for you.
The book covers:
- God's unique purpose and mission for you.
- How to overcome the evil that you have suffered at the hands of others.
- To find God's presence in difficult times.
- The keys to unleashing the power of the cross in your life.
The Priests
You can here short snippets of their music at Aquinas and More.