The Recovering Choir Director

First, be sure not to miss Gregg the Obscure’s thoughts on Psalm 51—Miserere mei, Deus. He takes a brief look at selected verses every Friday throughout Lent.

Second, catch Steven Riddle’s poetry, which he has been featuring lately on his site.

Third, here’s another article on The Passion, this time from the National Catholic Register.

Noteworthy excerpt:

[T]he film crew of The Passion is not exclusively comprised of Christians. Members of the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist religions also form an integral part of Gibson’s team.

And the film is already reaping spiritual fruit, which in Gibson’s mind is much more important than monetary returns.

“It’s about changing lives and changing hearts,” he says.

One of the Italian actors has come back to the sacraments after a long hiatus. He now joins Gibson and his family for Sunday Mass. Another member of the film crew, an atheist, is exploring the Catholic faith.

But they are not the only ones affected by this film. During the scourging scene, tears welled up in more than one crew member’s eye as the reality of Christ’s suffering came to life.

“The attitude on the set has totally changed since we began this film back in September,” says McEveety. “People are more aware of the importance of kindness and working together—much more than I’ve seen on other productions I’ve worked on.”

Gibson concurs. “I think that the true horror of the passion will surprise people,” he told the Register.

Speaking of the Passion and Psalm 51, here’s an idea for a heartrending experience—get yourself a recording of Allegri’s setting of this psalm for double choir. Then meditate on the Passion while listening to it.