Many of us have probably seen the yearly production of Men in Sandals and Bedclothes that passes for something like a pageant. Whenever "Jesus Stories" are trotted out, we have a strange desire to trot out haphazard costumes, solemn looks, and a sort of distant reverence that never allows the spectator to truly enter into the crucial mystery of our faith. It's as though in aiming for sanctity, we've forgotten the very hypostatic union: that is, that Jesus is God incarnate, fully Divine AND fully Human. Our God went about in clothes simple, not shoddy. Our God wept and He laughed. Our God took delight equally in the vastness of His cosmos as well as in every wandering dust mote. Our God, who knew all that was to befall Him, nonetheless allowed Himself to feel the completely human terror at His own betrayal. He is as much a God of reason as of passion.

So, in preparing the 2006 Passion, we decided to strip away everything unessential to His story - elaborate sets, papier-mache rocks, bedsheet costumes (not to be confused with exquisitely rendered historical pieces) - and to make the focus the eternal nature of His passion itself. Our only set was His actual temple, the Church. Our clothes were indicative of the essential nature of the character - priestly garb, "Gothic" looks, businessmen, etc. - so that the congregation could identify the character and then move immediately into that character. In keeping with the new and everlasting sacrifice, we also selected music that ranged from traditional Hebrew songs, to ancient Latin hymns, to modern contemplative music.

And, y'know what? God is good to us - and despite some mistakes, and only three weeks of rehearsal - He pulled it off. Thank You all you saints and angels, and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! Amen!