Justin Fatica Unplugged
On Good Catholic Families
Last week you may have read our amazing story, and viewed the humorous, inspiring Live IT video featuring HBO / EWTN star Justin Fatica. It was a Catholic version of Saturday Night Live's "Motivational Speaker." (HERE)
The next morning Justin and crew were hanging out in our kitchen. Pointing to one of my sons, Justin said something provocative, if not disturbing: "You're going to have a greater challenge living it and bringing it than those who don't come from good Catholic families."
What? Wait a minute! You surely couldn't mean... us!? We go to Mass. We pray the Rosary. We catechize. We are immersed in Catholic culture. We pray from the heart. We even evangelize.
Yes, us. Justin and team recently evaluated the relative faith-endurance of people based upon what kind of families they came from. Surprisingly, those who came from Good Catholic Families (GCF) fared worse than those who did not, but had pronounced conversions.
Of course, this does not diminish our call to be GCF's, but should challenge us to more fully consider what that means.
With our energies devoted to right ritual, religion and rules, could we possibly be missing something much more fundamental: fostering an ever-deepening, authentic, personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
Are our homes truly alive in Jesus Christ? Are we forming our children to turn to Jesus relationally as a way of life? Can they pray from the heart? Do they pray to have His Heart for others? Do they choose to suffer for the very ones who might cause that suffering? Is their deepest desire to be "all in" saints?
Justin had some very wise words for any priests, parents and children interested in forming our children for Eternity.
It was an unplugged moment. I had to pull my camera. Go and watch. In fact, gather your family around and watch. Talk about it. Make some commitments. And consider while you're at it accepting the Live IT Challenge. Change of the world begin with us.
United in the great mission of making (God who IS) love known, |
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