Thus spoke a Passion-ate Jim Caviezel be- fore a throng of 1,400 students at the Fellowship of Catholic University Students conference. Caviezel, who plays Jesus Christ in the much-talked-about (and written-about) The Passion of The Christ (have you seen it yet?) enjoined young people "to take their place ushering in the new civilization of love."
Caviezel brings no mean amount of passion to his role. "There was no comfort, there was no peace," says the actor, who was whipped twice while filming the scourging scene that took seven weeks to shoot. The lashings left Caviezel in excruciating pain. At the end of the day, he had a 14-inch welt to show for the agony he went through. The makeup artist used this to create the additional wounds on his body.
In Caviezel’s own words, "The second strike came with such velocity that I tore the flesh on my hands and wrists, yanking them out of the chains. I tasted two lashes of the whip. Some mystics think Jesus may have endured more than 5,000 blows. This was no mere man."
But more on that man later.
Jim Caviezel is no mere actor. During the five weeks it took to shoot the crucifixion scene, he suffered hypothermia from the bone-chilling November winds of Matera, Italy, that pierced like knives as he hung on the cross with only a loincloth to shield him from the elements. On the edge of this wind-swept canyon, the cross unsteadily swayed to and fro. Down below was a nine-foot ravine.
If it was any consolation, there were huge heaters to warm Caviezel, but they burned his toes and melted his latex makeup, and the winds just blew away the hot air. Often, he would try to sleep with his makeup (that took eight hours to apply) on. His body itched from the makeup, his legs cramped, his limbs convulsed and every bone in his body ached. The crown of thorns gave him king-size migraines.
Indeed, Caviezel experienced his own Calvary while he was hanging on the cross during and between takes. He relates, "The experience of feeling rejected and alone as all those around me laughed while drinking their hot coffees, oblivious to what was occurring. Jesus must have felt like this – forsaken, rejected, alone, and despised. It helped me pray without words, to pray from the heart."
But in his heart, Caviezel knew that what he suffered while doing The Passion was but a fraction of what Jesus Christ really suffered.
According to a medical report from the Journal of the American Medical Association, at Gethsemane, knowing that His death was near, Jesus suffered such great mental anguish that His sweat turned into blood.
A blow-by-blow (literally) medical account is given of the passion of Christ, excerpts of which follow:
As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock...
The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a preshock state. Moreover, hematidrosis had rendered his skin particularly tender. The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and critical...
Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering.
It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls. He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb. (136 kg.), only the crossbar was carried. The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg.), was placed across the nape of the victim’s neck and balanced along both shoulders...
At the site of the execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) as a mild analgesic. The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with his arms outstretched along the patibulum...
After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the patibulum and the victim, together, were lifted onto the stipes...
Next, the feet were fixed to the cross, either by nails or ropes. Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the stipes or to a wooden footrest, they usually were nailed directly to the front of the stipes. To accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally...
Caviezel was a shoo-in for the role. For his latest movie, Mel Gibson wanted an actor who had the initials JC and was 33 years old (about Jesus Christ’s age when He died). Jim fit the requirements like a glove.
What a coincidence! Or was it?
"I don’t think so," says Caviezel. "When I was up there on that cross, I learned that in His suffering was our redemption. Some of you may feel confused or uncertain about the future. This is not the time to give in."
With the same passion with which he carried Jesus’ cross in the movie, Caviezel urges, "We each must carry our cross. It is time for our generation to accept that call. Young people, tear yourselves apart from this corrupt generation. Be saints! Use the gifts given to you by God for good purposes. You can only reach the splendid heights He has reserved for you if you first submit to Him. Conform your will to Him."
We’ve heard many a story of spiritual healing as told by those who have watched The Passion. Happy Resurrection!