passion play Living
passion play Living Stations makes a Lenten impact By Crystal Kassab Jabiro This Lenten season, the Eastern Catholic Re-evangelization Center (ECRC) is hoping to continue a new tradition among Chaldeans — going to see the Living Stations at the historic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Detroit – by sponsoring a 5 p.m. performance on Saturday, March 24. Professional singers and dancers bring this “Broadway-like” Stations of the Cross to life right inside the church. The expert lighting, sound and special effects add to the energy of the show. Attendees are not just watching but participating in the Passion of Christ as if they were truly there in Jerusalem. “The Stations of the Cross is deeply rooted in our culture,” said Neran Karmo, ECRC coordinator. “Seeing, hearing, and feeling the scourges is an amazing experience for your senses.” Kelly Nieto, creator and producer of the Living Stations, practically pleaded with people to come see the show last year. “We knew that once people experienced the power and professionalism of Living Stations, they would tell others, and it would naturally spread like wildfire,” she said in a statement. “That’s exactly what happened. Thank the Lord!” Nobody would have to beg May Seman to go again. She, her husband, and her 9-year-old son attended last year’s first ECRCsponsored Living Stations at Blessed Sacrament, where hundreds of Living Stations brings the story of Christ’s last days to life. Chaldeans gathered to watch the show. Seeing the reenactment before her eyes made all the difference in the way she relates to the story of Christ’s affliction, she said. Although the act has been referred to as the “Broadway version of the Passion of the Christ,” Seman attests that the film is partly gruesome, while the live performance is more powerful. “The most provocative part for me was when they raised Jesus up on the cross,” she said. “It was very dramatic with the lighting and the sound. I felt like I was in Calvary.” The ECRC is not only hoping to make Living Stations a yearly family tradition, but also anticipates seeing more youth get closer to Jesus Christ and his Passion. Karmo sees the event as no different than going to a concert. “You go to a concert to see a beautiful performance, for a spiritual connection that purifies your senses,” she said. “At the Living Stations, His suffering comes alive.” Seman believes it is a great way of preparing one’s family for Lent, aside from the usual traditions. “Sometimes when we do the same repetitive practices we forget the meaning,” she said. “The Living Stations really awakens that ‘sleeping faith’ that some of us have. It really defines the meaning of Easter.” Living Stations runs from March 16-April 1. Tickets for the ECRC performance are being sold on a firstcome, first-served basis for each. Call ECRC at (248) 538-9903, St. Thomas at (248) 788-2460 or check with your local Chaldean church for tickets. To view a segment of the performance, visit LivingStations.org. The significances of the 40 days of Lent The 40 days of Lent are based on two Biblical accounts: the 40 years of wilderness wandering by the Israelites and our Lord’s 40 days in the wilderness, at which point He was tempted by Satan. Each year the Church observes Lent where we, like Israel and our Lord, are tested. We participate in abstinence, times of fasting, confession and acts of mercy to strengthen our faith and devotional disciplines. The goal of every Christian is to leave Lent a stronger and more vital person of faith than when we entered. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies and pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).” (CCC 1438) Giving something up For most older Catholics, the first thought that Lent brings to mind is giving something up. In my childhood, the standard was to give up candy, a discipline that found suitable reward in the baskets of sugary treats we received on Easter. Some of us even added to the Easter surplus by saving candy all through Lent, stockpiling what we would have eaten had we not promised to give it up. There are various things you can suggest to your children other than giving up candy. Even though Lent has started, it is not too late to give up something for God. Perhaps you can suggest to your kids to give up television or video games. Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life. That always involves giving up sin in some form. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever. As adults, maybe you can abstain from idol gossip or rid your mind of negative thoughts. Conversion means leaving behind an old way of living and acting in order to embrace new life in Christ. For catechumens, Lent is a period intended to bring their initial conversion to completion. – Vanessa Denha Garmo Some of the information was retrieved from catholic.org. 48 CHALDEAN NEWS MARCH 2012
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