//.. MARCH / APRIL 2004 / Vol. 1 Issue 3

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." [John 10:3-4]

One December night, I was sent to pick up my sister from her friend's house after a group project. I had called ahead of time, and told the two girls that I would arrive promptly at 6:30. True to my word, at 6:30 I stood at the door, ringing the doorbell. Oddly enough, nobody came to the door. I looked above at her friend's bedroom window, and the light was on, as was the one in the living room, so I knew they were home. I tried calling the girl's house, but the line was busy. And no matter how hard I banged on the door, how loud I screamed, or how many times I rang the doorbell, nobody came to the door. Unfortunately, my sister and her friend had gone upstairs to listen to music, so they couldn't hear the doorbell. And because they were online, the telephone line was busy, and nobody could reach the house. The neighbors began to give me funny, suspicious looks, my voice began to get hoarse in the cold night air, I contemplated breaking into the house through the backyard (and I would have, if it weren't for the dog) and I almost started to cry twice. I don't think I was ever more frustrated. It should have been so easy to pick my sister up, since I was right at the doorstep, but she was completely out of reach. Finally, after more than an hour, I was able to telephone one of my sister's other friends, who sent an online instant message to my sister to open the door.

That night, after my impatience and fury faded away, I wondered if Jesus ever felt like this trying to come into our hearts. I can just imagine his infinite patience at the door of our hearts, simply waiting for us to let him in. Being the King of kings, he could easily tear down our barriers and infiltrate us with His grace, but in His deep love, He chooses, instead, to wait until we muster the free will to receive him. This same love must make Him want even more deeply to enter within us, for it is only when we open ourselves to the Spirit that we can fully obtain what God wants to give us. Sadly, sometimes we are so preoccupied with worldly concerns, such as money, possessions, television, and whatnot that we forget to think about what really matters: God.

This Lent, open your heart to the Lord. Take down your walls and empty yourself of all your worldly attachments, and make room for the Spirit. Detach yourself from the things of this world that create clutter inside you. I can assure you, He has an abundant ocean of graces just waiting to be poured into your heart. All you need to do is open the door. -MD


WHAT: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
WHO: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci (Directed by Mel Gibson)
WHY: It started off as a small buzz in the Christian community. A film about the last 12 hours of Christ. One that would realistically portray the pain and suffering Jesus endured for our sins. But as the production began, so did the controversy. Mel Gibson's project was attacked on all levels from being anti-Semetic to overtly violent to non-scriptural. But these days, even bad press is good press. And grossing $117 million over the opening five days seems to prove that point. Everyone's pretty much heard all sides of the controversies by now. So putting that aside, it's the actual film that needs to be discussed here. And don't worry about spoilers...I'm sure giving away the ending won't ruin it for anyone. ^_^ Gibson has created a true work of art here. It is absolutely a director's vision. Having put up the $25 million budget himself, and having no major studio backing, he pretty much had full creative freedom to make HIS movie. And it shows. The film does not adhere to suggestiveness or simplifications. It is graphic and upfront using crimson coloring and painfully evocative imagery. The dialogue is all in Latin and Aramaic and probably more valuable with subtitles because it reinforces the text causing you to read them rather than having a passive ear to the message presented. The dialogue itself is actually sparse, making it truly VISUAL. Gibson worked hard to create a truly eye opening experience to the meaning of pain and sacrifice.
RATED: R (for Violence)


WHAT: http://www.passionofthechrist.com
WHO: The Passion of the Christ Official Site
WHY: This site is two thumbs up! If there is anyone out there that is unfamiliar with the passion of Christ, this site gives all the major information in just a few clicks. This site consists of The Passion of the Christ trailers, photos (which are just amazing) from the movie, a synopsis, and a quick background of the cast, crew, and movie. Just like other Christian sites, this one is all about spreading the word. So, you can get desktops, screensavers, e-cards, and fan packs which include posters, postcards, and door hangers just for the price of shipping! Other merchandise ranging from lapel pins to art may be bought online or at a store near you (they locate the store and give directions). That is not the end of it. There is also a section where you can read recent or past news about The Passion. Recently, there was an article about Pope John Paul II's thoughts on the movie. Furthermore, there are theater listings and advanced ticket sales on this website. For more information, GO TO THE SITE! YOU JUST HAVE TO! -PC


With Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ soon to be released in theatres, there's been much controversy about the apparent anti-Semitism contained in the movie. It is true that it was the Jews (or the Jewish leaders) who handed over Christ to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. That is fact, and Gibson is simply telling the story. But there's another, more important fact that some people seem to be missing, the message that Gibson is trying to relay. True, the Jews historically crucified Christ. But so did we. Our sins are what caused him to suffer. Let's get back to the basics. He died for US! And every sin we commit effects Him 2000 years ago. We are no less responsible for Christ's death than the Jews are. Even if you were the only person left on the earth, Jesus would go through every inch of suffering He did at Calvary. Remember, the Passion isn't just a movie, but a reality. So as this coming Lent approaches, remember that God died for you. And thank Him for it! We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You—for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world! -NP


For all you people that have problems with computers, television sets, technology in general, this rant is for you. Don't you just hate it when you're typing something up on the computer, and it's something really important, like an essay, something for school, or even a rant, and then, the computer shuts off! Suddenly, you remember that you didn't save what you were typing! Blood rushes to your head quickly, and you feel like screaming! That's not the end of it. You try watching TV just to get your mind off of what happened, but when you turn on the thing, a weird blue line appears in the middle of the screen! Come to find out, something inside the TV makes all the pictures look weird! Once you turn off the TV, you think "Maybe it'll turn out like The Terminator or The Matrix or some weird movie where the machines decide to rebel or take over!" After this though, you just give up on technology and sleep. Don't you just hate technology sometimes? -RC


Until just awhile ago, this last week sucked. I wanted to end this crummy week on a good note so I decided to head to my usual place to bust my stress (which won't be mentioned because it doesn't really matter). I just returned, only I never got there. I didn't even make it past 5 miles on the freeway. I just got done talking to a good friend of mine. I called to say hello but all I could hear were tears on the other side of the line. Strange enough, I was about to hit the exit that leads to my friend's place, so I swerved over a few lanes (illegally, forgive me) to make it to the right off-ramp. When I got there, all my friend could do was cry. But through the tears and the gobs of wet tissue we talked, and eventually we were able to bring out my friend's mother to come outside, too. Soon after, I left the two alone to settle their issues, and I feel that the two will both go back inside a little closer. Call it blind faith, but I know that they will. It's a trip when you feel like you're redirected to be somewhere else. Not for the benefit of yourself, but for someone else. It's such a humbling feeling, but at the same time, it's uplifting. Feelings like that remind me that God does exist, and He's always looking out for you, your friends, and maybe even your enemies. It's enough to make one forget about a week that sucked. -MS

Other contributors for this issue: Michelle Francisco