‘The Rise of Skywalker’ focuses on family, redemption and spiritual connections

While Star Wars fans will endlessly debate the value of The Rise of Skywalker and pick it apart for the next several decades, there is much good to discuss about the film and numerous spiritual themes worth exploring.

It is a film about family, redemption and spiritual connections, while remaining faithful to a theme that all stories should end with: However dark it gets, good always triumphs over evil.

**MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**

It was said by actress Carrie Fisher that Star Wars is “about family…and that’s what’s so powerful about it.”

This line must have had some effect on J.J. Abrams, as that is one of the major themes that underlies the whole movie. Nearly every scene is about “family,” whether it pertains to blood relations, or the family of friends that surrounds us.

What’s interesting is that family is seen as the most powerful “force” in the galaxy. In fact, it is Kylo Ren’s broken familial connection that is ultimately healed that saves the Resistance from being wiped out by Emperor Palpatine.

Leia is similarly driven by the love she has as a mother, to use all the strength she has left to save her son. Her actions, along with the final appearance of Han Solo, prove to be the most powerful moments in the film.

It’s difficult not to recall the words of St. John Paul II, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Or in other words, “the family is the basic cell of society.”

A good family can change the world.

The redemption of Kylo Ren and his change of heart echoes the conversion his grandfather, Darth Vader. Both stories are beautiful, because it reminds us that we are not “locked-in” to our sins, but can experience the saving power of God’s grace.

On the flip-side, a bad family can also change the world, breaking down its foundations.

This is where Emperor Palpatine comes into play, being the grandfather of Rey. This is one of the most shocking plot points of The Rise of Skywalker and one that many fans are not sure what to think.

Palpatine wants his granddaughter to kill him, so that his spirit can live in her, giving new life to the Sith Order.

It is fitting that death is the way of the Dark Side, along with the ultimate divorce of the family. Palpatine killed Rey’s parents and is intent on destroying the galaxy. Death and separation is always the way of darkness. The name of the Devil literally means “to divide,” and is exactly what Palpatine desires.

Communion of Saints

A fascinating scene in The Rise of Skywalker shows Rey lying on her back, nearly dead. She looks up at the stars and prays, “Be with me.”

Luke’s voice comes through and says, “A thousand generations live in you now.” Then all the Jedi from the previous Star Wars stories say reassuring words to Rey, giving her the strength that she needs to confront Palpatine.

This is very close to what Catholics believe in the Communion of Saints!!!

961 The term “communion of saints” refers also to the communion of “holy persons” (sancti) in Christ who “died for all,” so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all.

962 “We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers” (Paul VI, CPG § 30).

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Catholics believe that we are not alone in this world and have a unique connection to the saints who have died before us! This union is perfected in the reception of Holy Communion at Mass, where we are united with Jesus in the Eucharist and all the saints in communion with him.

Many saints have known this reality first hand, even hearing the voices of holy men and women who have gone before us in the sign of faith. Saint Joan of Arc is one of those saints, who relied heavily on her communion with the saints to propel her further in her mission.

The Rise of Skywalker is a fitting ending to a cherished sequence of movies. It provides much to think about and reflects many Christian themes, even if the directors and writers were never intending to do so.