Youth News: Tamara Huntley on The Passion of the Christ

Published: April 22, 2004

My expectation of “The Passion of the Christ” was that it would change my life and encourage me to be a more devout Catholic. However, as I sat blankly staring at the scourging of Jesus Christ, it became clear to me that the pain he suffered hardly affected my feelings about the church. I just felt empty. I had heard the story about Jesus suffering so many times that actually seeing it did not put more emphasis on his gift to us.

One feeling that I felt at certain times during the movie was sadness, not because of Jesus’ suffering but because of Mary’s suffering. I never thought of Mary as a mother; she had always been some kind figure in the church and not really a “mother.” To watch her suffer when Jesus suffered made me appreciate her more. My devotion to her has grown enormously.

Tamara Huntley, Senior