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FIFTEEN MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY BY FR. PATRICK PEYTON, 1957
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" is quite popular among modern-day Catholics for reasons I do not need to enumerate here. Besides the cinematic effects and realistic portrayal of the scenes from Our Lord's Passion, it strikes many of us differently because, as we know, Gibson based his plot on the writings of Church-approved mystics- Bl. Anna Katerina Emmerich and Ven. Mary of Agreda. However, for some of us, there is a series of films that has occupied a permanent place in our top 5 favourite religious movies from our childhood days. I am referring to "The Fifteen Mysteries of The Holy Rosary" by the late Fr. Patrick Peyton, released in 1957 before the evil Vatican II council. It was produced in Spain and shot in the Family Theater in Hollywood, California. The films are divided according to the set of mysteries- Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious, with scripts taken from the Holy Scriptures. The clips do not possess the hi-tech cinematic effects of The Passion of The Christ but they speak to the viewer in a special way. For me, personally, it is in the manner by which the characters are portrayed, particularly that of the role of The Blessed Virgin Mary. In Fr. Peyton's 15 Mysteries, She is soft, gentle, and approachable, in contrast to the Mary in Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" where the character has a stern, somewhat unapproachable demeanour. That is my humble opinion, anyway.
I humbly recommend Fr. Peyton's Fifteen Mysteries of The Holy Rosary since they were released prior to Vatican II and I find no traces of modernism in any of them whatsoever. I promise, they do not include a scene where Jesus playfully splashes water on His Mother's face, a part in Gibson's film that I wish I could delete from my blue ray copy. SMH.
After over ten years of not seeing the series, I watched the Sorrowful Mysteries in the morning of Holy Saturday this past Lent and it definitely aided me in my meditation of Our Lord's Passion. Then I watched the Glorious Mysteries towards mid-day, as the fasting and abstinence were about to end and the celebration of His Resurrection was only hours away. It was a glorious way to end the season of Lent and transition into Eastertide. Deo gratias, alleluia!
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" is quite popular among modern-day Catholics for reasons I do not need to enumerate here. Besides the cinematic effects and realistic portrayal of the scenes from Our Lord's Passion, it strikes many of us differently because, as we know, Gibson based his plot on the writings of Church-approved mystics- Bl. Anna Katerina Emmerich and Ven. Mary of Agreda. However, for some of us, there is a series of films that has occupied a permanent place in our top 5 favourite religious movies from our childhood days. I am referring to "The Fifteen Mysteries of The Holy Rosary" by the late Fr. Patrick Peyton, released in 1957 before the evil Vatican II council. It was produced in Spain and shot in the Family Theater in Hollywood, California. The films are divided according to the set of mysteries- Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious, with scripts taken from the Holy Scriptures. The clips do not possess the hi-tech cinematic effects of The Passion of The Christ but they speak to the viewer in a special way. For me, personally, it is in the manner by which the characters are portrayed, particularly that of the role of The Blessed Virgin Mary. In Fr. Peyton's 15 Mysteries, She is soft, gentle, and approachable, in contrast to the Mary in Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" where the character has a stern, somewhat unapproachable demeanour. That is my humble opinion, anyway.
I humbly recommend Fr. Peyton's Fifteen Mysteries of The Holy Rosary since they were released prior to Vatican II and I find no traces of modernism in any of them whatsoever. I promise, they do not include a scene where Jesus playfully splashes water on His Mother's face, a part in Gibson's film that I wish I could delete from my blue ray copy. SMH.
After over ten years of not seeing the series, I watched the Sorrowful Mysteries in the morning of Holy Saturday this past Lent and it definitely aided me in my meditation of Our Lord's Passion. Then I watched the Glorious Mysteries towards mid-day, as the fasting and abstinence were about to end and the celebration of His Resurrection was only hours away. It was a glorious way to end the season of Lent and transition into Eastertide. Deo gratias, alleluia!
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