Make It Happen
Begin with an opening prayer. A suggested scripture verse is included in the handout. Add your own words, or invite a volunteer to enhance the prayer experience with their own reflection and invitation to the night’s prayer and discussion.
Give a bit of background on the film. It is a long one, but the story should be familiar to the group. Depending on how much time you have, show a segment of the film that illustrates the Passion narrative. If you have a longer period of time, you can begin as early as Chapter 74, “The First Communion.” The suggested end point is the conclusion of Chapter 86, “The End of Suffering.” If your time requires you to shorten the clip, choose the chapters you think would best match your group’s needs.
Following the film, allow people a few moments to contemplate what they saw. Then open the first discussion up to the group. Some possible discussion questions include:
- What images struck you most? Why?
- What surprised you about this? Why?
Then introduce the Gospel passage. Invite participants to read it, dividing up sections by paragraph or number of verses. Possible discussion questions are listed on the handout, but they are merely a starting point.
Ideas
Should time allow and the space is available, praying the Stations of the Cross may appeal to some members in the group. If your Church is open following the session, head to the sanctuary to use your parish’s images of the Stations. Otherwise you can use any of the number of published and online guides to praying the Stations that are available and would appeal to the spirituality of your group.
Promote
Utilize e-mail! If you have cell phone numbers and permission, send a text message to remind people of the upcoming event.
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Help
Learn more about Ignatian prayer, which helps you imagine yourself in the Gospel.
