The English-language libretto, by the composer, is based on Jonathan Griffin's translation of the novel Christ Recrucified by Nikos Kazantzakis.

It was first produced in the UK at Welsh National Opera on 29 April 1981, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras.

[7] The work's first performance in Greece itself was in Thessaloniki in 2005, using a Greek translation by Ioanna Manoledaki, based closely on the wording of Kazantzakis's novel; the conductor was Christian von Gehren.

[8] The opera became the first by Martinů to be presented at the Salzburg Festival in the summer of 2023, in a production of the revised version by Simon Stone sung in English, it was conducted by Maxime Pascal with Sebastian Kohlepp as Manolios and Sara Jakubiak as Katerina.

[9] The setting is Lykovrissi, a Greek village, where a performance of the Passion Play is scheduled to occur at Easter.

Café owner Kostandis is allotted James, the pedlar Yannakos Peter, Michelis is given John, shepherd Manolios is selected as Christ; and Katerina, a widow, is chosen to play Mary Magdalene.

At dawn, singing is heard and a group of Greek refugees arrives in Lykovrissi from a village destroyed by the Turks, led by their priest, Fotis.

Only Katerina offers them practical assistance, but Manolios, Yannakos, Kostandis and Michelis take her lead, find food, and show them the nearby Sarakina mountain where the refugees may rest.

Yannakos views the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of a new village on the mountainside, where an old man asks to be buried along with the bones of his ancestors.

Manolios has been dreaming: of Lenio's reproaches, of Grigoris' exhortations to be worthy of his role, and of Katerina as the Holy Virgin.