A Clear Choice!



By Laurence Behr

In corrupt and perverse times such as our own, God sends special rays of heavenly light to show the way — and as a warning to unbelievers. Seeing them, we who believe draw hope and strength from His unrelenting love and care for us, and anticipate all the more the coming Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart. The darkness resists the light, and tries to stifle it with every worldly weapon it commands.

Such a special light is the powerful Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ, which millions are viewing this Lent. Another special light will be Leonardo DeFillippis' inspiring movie to be released this fall: Therese: Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Soul based on the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. As The Passion is showing millions how Jesus died for us, Therese will show them how to live for Him.

That The Passion has power to move people to repent and convert is indicated by the virulent public attacks, against both it and its creator, fulfilling again this scripture: “They hated me without cause” (Jn 15:25; Ps 69:5). It cannot be coincidence that The Passion arrives just as the world is celebrating the latest attack upon holiness &#0151 same-sex “marriages.” America, and the world with it, is being shown a clear choice.

It behooves us to read again Moses' urgent admonition to the Israelites, which is vital for us today:

“Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving Him, and walking in His ways, and keeping His commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.” (Deut. 30:15-20).

God again has set a choice before us. Many in America and the world have forgotten their Maker, worshiping instead idols of power, materialism and sensuality. They have earned the calamities and disasters that God inevitably sends against nations that corrupt the earth with immorality and vice (Deut 32). The Passion is a clear call to conversion, that we might avoid or mitigate the destruction that rampant sin has merited.

Increasing the Evil One's furor against The Passion, no doubt, is its potential for helping to reunite the Body of Christ, through its vivid portrayal of our Blessed Mother's vital role in the sacrificial death of her Son, and His own close union with her as He offered His life for us all. The strong response of non-Catholic Christians to this profoundly Catholic depiction of this core belief held by all Christians, helps us envision how it is that Mary will bring together all of her children (Jn 19:26,27; Rev. 12:17), uniting them in her own great love for her Divine Son.

Therefore, let us not relent, but increase our fervor in using our own weapon, the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, chosen by God for this purpose. Our humble obedience in praying it in response to Mary's Fatima request, imitating Mary's own perfect obedience to God, will hasten the coming of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the era of peace to follow (as prophesied by Mary at Fatima on July 13, 1917). Let us pray also for those involved in producing and promoting The Passion and Therese, and for all who are working for the conversion of our culture from one of death, to a culture of life.

We can aid these great cinematic initiatives for the New Evangelization, both by our prayers and in practical ways. Please visit Catholic Passion Outreach for ways that you can help maximize the good fruits of The Passion,, including A Guide to the Passion, recently given an Imprimatur by the Bishop of San Diego.

Also, please visit www.theresemovie.com and register, to show distributors that this Catholic movie is wanted in your area. St. Therese, made a Doctor of the Church in 1997, declared, “My vocation is love! I will be love in the heart of the Church!” Her movie will be a perfect follow-up for The Passion, helping millions see that to follow Christ is within their ability by means of Therese's “little way” of holiness, embracing God's will in all the daily challenges life offers. A beautiful poster and other materials that will help you promote Therese, and also support it financially (it has been funded mainly by donations), can be bought in the store.

Laurence D. Behr is the Executive Director of the Arch of Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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