The fifth season of 'The Chosen' has been released in theaters, with the first two episodes focusing on the Last Supper and events of Holy Week. The series, which follows the life of Jesus and his disciples, continues to gain popularity since its 2017 pilot. Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus, aimed to bring authenticity to the scenes, drawing from his Catholic faith. The theatrical release, 'The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1,' offers viewers a vivid experience coinciding with Lent.
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Season 5 of "The Chosen" centers on the significant events of Holy Week, starting with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and culminating with Judas' betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane 2. The season's initial episodes were released in theaters, offering viewers a cinematic experience of these pivotal moments 1. These episodes depict the political and religious tensions of the time, as well as the apostles' confusion regarding Jesus' warnings of impending sorrow 1.
Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the series, shared his personal connection to the Holy Week events, stating that portraying the Last Supper and the washing of the feet felt like "living out liturgy" 2. Roumie hopes that Season 5 will provide viewers with a more vibrant and saturated experience of Holy Week 2. To prepare for the role, especially for the upcoming Crucifixion scene in Season 6, Roumie has been studying the Shroud of Turin and consulting with his spiritual director 2.
"The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1" is considered suitable for adults and older teens due to its mature themes 1. While the series aims to provide sophisticated religious entertainment, some scenes, such as those discussing Jewish ritual purity, may raise questions 1. The series does contain stylized violence, sexual references and humor 1. Despite these elements, the season offers a thoughtful and spiritually enriching way to prepare for Easter 1.
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is dispensed to us . They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in the Church, considered "masterworks of God" in the new and everlasting covenant . The sacraments are "powers that come forth" from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving .
God reveals and enacts His plan of salvation through intimately connected deeds and words, which is realized efficaciously in the liturgy . In the liturgy, the announcement of salvation in the proclaimed Word is actualized in sacramental gestures . These gestures make God’s saving action present in human history, culminating in Christ’s Passover, and continue the history of salvation . Christ acts through the sacraments, which are perceptible signs (words and actions), to communicate His grace . These signs are accessible to our human nature, and through the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, they make present the grace they signify .
Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify . They are efficacious because Christ himself is at work in them . He is the one who baptizes and acts in the sacraments to communicate the grace each signifies . The sacraments not only presuppose faith but also nourish, strengthen, and express it through words and objects; hence, they are called "sacraments of faith" . The very act of celebrating the sacraments effectively disposes the faithful to receive grace fruitfully, worship God duly, and practice charity . The sacraments communicate the gift of divine grace, strengthening the Christian life of the believer, and are celebrations in which the mystery of salvation is effectively signified, forming and nourishing faith continuously .
Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that prepare individuals to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life .
The Church understands the liturgical enactment of the sacraments as a vital means through which Christ communicates His grace and continues His saving work. These sacraments, instituted by Christ and celebrated in the liturgy, are perceptible signs that make present the grace they signify, nourishing and strengthening the faith of the recipients .