Is "The Chosen" Worth Our Time?

Is “The Chosen” Worth the Time?

I’m not a big TV watcher. I only have basic cable, although I need to move it up a notch to see Red Sox games this season. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services. At the beginning of COVID, Ryan Peteraf helped me sign up for Hulu. I thought I’d have time on my hands, but I found myself too busy to watch and canceled it. So, I’ve never watched Ted Lasko, Dynasty, or any other shows on streaming service. That includes the series The Chosen, about the life of Jesus.

The show started in 2019 and has released a fifth season called The Last Supper, based on the events of Holy Week, which opened in theaters on Friday. The closest theaters showing it are the Regal at Mashpee Commons and Independence Mall in Kingston. Maybe fans would like to call the Orpheum and ask them to screen it.

The show has been crowdsourced, with small donations coming from supporters. Its storylines are based on the speculative backstory of much of what the gospels tell us about the lives of Jesus and the disciples. It is very popular. There have been a projected 200 million viewers over the last four years, and producers claim it is a great evangelizing tool. Thirty percent of views are supposed to be non-Christians. 

A cover story in this month’s America magazine, “The Chosen,” is wildly popular. Should Catholics watch it? asks if the show is up to Catholic standards. Its author, Fr. Joe Hoover, S.J., asks, since we are the church of such cultural luminaries as Dante, Bernini, John Manley Hopkins, James Joyce, and Flannery O’Connor, does the show measure up to Catholic standards? Yes, a Catholic actor, Jonathan Roumie, plays Jesus, and Holy Cross priest David Guffey, C.S.C., is a religious advisor does it measure up to Catholic theological standards? After all, the creator is an evangelical named Dallas Jenkins.

Fr. Hoover asks, has “The Chosen” begun to believe its hype? Is it on the way to becoming a spiritual Nike? To summarize, Fr. Hoover, The Chosen is worth watching, even must-see TV. He said, “The Chosen has simply become what is. It is a thing that has lodged itself in the culture that is here to stay. Millions of people, all over the world, are really into this show. And if a Catholic today- in particular any kind of Catholic minister-is not present to “The Chosen,” then they are not present to an increasing number of their people. Because at some point, everyone in the church, in one way or another, is going to engage with “The Chosen.” I guess I need to sign up and start watching. 

Critical Time for CRS

Today’s second collection for Catholic Relief Services is critical! CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The Trump Administration’s dismantling of USAID has gravely impacted CRS. It had to halt its U.S. government-supported work due to the lack of payments: food in warehouses could not be distributed to the hungry, and women and children could not get vital health and nutrition services. 

Catholic Relief Services was founded at the end of World War II to help war refugees. Today, it works around the world to relieve the causes of poverty and lack of development. Its work assists with aid to agriculture, education, and emergency response and recovery. Ninety-four percent of donations are spent on programs and six percent on administrative costs. 

Please show support for the work of our Church throughout the world by being extraordinarily generous to the CRS collection.  America must show its exceptionalism by being exceptionally generous to the poor of our world. 

Living A Spiritual Lent

Hopefully, everyone is settled into Lent as we reach its midpoint. Even if this isn’t your best Lent, starting a little late is better than doing nothing, so start today. 

Attendance at our 8 am daily Mass is a Lenten practice for many during Lent. Please consider making attendance part of your Lent. Maybe it will become your practice all year long. As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. Members of the Hospitality Ministry will lead this week using the Stations for Seniors.” A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners. 

Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation should be part of our Lenten efforts. Fr. Sullivan is setting aside extra time to be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. In addition to the usual Saturday afternoon time frame of 3:00–3:45 pm, he will be there on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm. Later in Lent, we will schedule a Reconciliation Service. 

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners received a Lenten Letter before the season began. It included our annual Lenten Folder. Parishioners are encouraged to use the folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. Please put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 throughout Lent. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them. 

Recently, I have seen some wonderful public service announcements on television describing the rewards people get from providing a welcoming home to foster children, especially teenagers. Your donation to the Lenten Folders can tremendously impact many lives. 

Business Manager Opening

Howard Whelden, our parish Business Manager, is retiring after eight years on June 30. We are looking for someone with Managerial Accounting experience to replace him. That person should be proficient with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe and be willing to gain proficiency with several other systems the parish uses. The job is part-time, twenty-five hours a week. Interested persons should supply the Parish Office with their resumes. Call the office at 508-945-0677.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

A Young Catholic Adult Group for those aged 19-35 to socialize, play, and pray together is being formed for the Lower/Outer Cape Area. If you are interested in joining, please contact Colin Murphy at YACapeCod@gmail.com

Start Evangelizing for Easter

It isn’t too early to start planning your Easter evangelization efforts. Like we did at Christmas, today we will offer parishioners invitations with our Easter Mass Schedule printed on them. Share them with family, friends, and neighbors you know don’t regularly attend church. We often feel reluctant to invite people to church because we fear they will reject the idea. A recent survey found that 60% of unchurched people say they would attend church on Easter if invited by a friend, family member, or acquaintance. A personal invitation to church is very powerful. 

Parish Photographer Wanted

Do you enjoy photography? Holy Redeemer is looking for parish photographers to take pictures of parish events and happenings to put on our parish website. If you are interested, please call the parish office at 508-945-0677.