The first five minutes of the Pixar movie “Up” consists of a series of bittersweet scenes in the life of Ellie and Carl as they grow old together, sharing the ups and downs of married life.
Although neither of them says a word, they share a quiet, profound companionship in both good times and in bad, even up to the moment of Ellie’s death. Although Christians are called to be like little children, most of us are more akin to a grumpy old man like Carl, while Christ is like Ellie — beautiful, kind and selfless. Despite our grumpiness and sinfulness, we strive to have the same quiet companionship with Christ, even to the point of his death, just as Carl did for Ellie.
This call to quiet companionship is mirrored through Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School’s tradition of Living Stations, where the Way of the Cross is acted out by students. Living Stations is a project led by the applied leadership in the Dominican tradition class, taught by Nashville Dominican Sister Alexandra Prosser. Between students in the class, actors, volunteers and musicians, nearly 40 students are involved each year. Senior Clare Raines, who portrays Mary, has always had a devotion to the Blessed Mother.
“In Living Stations, the actors don’t say anything. Mary never said anything because she had to trust God and his plan,” Raines said. “Sometimes we need to be silent and just listen to hear God’s plan for us.” Though silence can be terrifying, this quiet companionship with Christ allows us to understand the Passion more deeply.
Senior Jesus Santos, who portrays Jesus, said he “wanted to experience the stations in a new way, that is, in a way I could better understand the suffering he endured for us.” The quiet companionship within Living Stations is a way to understand both the suffering of the Passion, as well as our own relationship with Christ.
Walking the Way of the Cross, it can be tempting to imagine that if we had seen Christ carrying the cross with our own eyes, we would have jumped at the chance to aid him, just like Veronica. It would be consoling to think of ourselves as Jesus’ “knight in shining armor.”
But if we are honest, we know that we are nothing so glamorous. Most of us are more like a little mouse scampering along the road beside him, quietly accompanying him on the road to Calvary.
In Disney movies, princesses almost always have a little animal companion — just think of Gus-Gus and Cinderella. Gus-Gus is a small, clumsy, and slow (though endearing) mouse who is not of much “use” to the beautiful, eloquent, virtuous princess.
Although we may not be “useful” to Christ and have nothing to offer an all-powerful God, he is nevertheless pleased by the fact that we are there. He is pleased every time we pray the Way of the Cross and Living Stations, providing him with still, quiet companionship — just like Gus-Gus did for Cinderella and Carl did for Ellie.
