I was a bit of a nerd growing up, but not your traditional kind of nerd. Yes, I was into computer games and comic books, but moreover, I was into Christian music. I had all the WOW collections and I knew all those songs by heart. I grew a particular liking to a musical priest from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Ministries, Fr. Stan Fortuna, and if you were in my world, he was a BIG STAR.
I went to see him perform once and was shaking when he autographed my cds of his. But this priest was unto something. His use of rap lyrical style and R&B musical convention to convey Catholic teaching was brilliant and without a doubt also rather disturbing. He was a freak to counter pop culture, simply ignored because he was obviously a “crazy priest”. He called his music a “mystical catechesis”. He seemed bazaar, but to me he was a typical artist—as bazaar as they come!
But sitting and listening to his music, you could learn something if you gave it a chance. One song that caught my attention on his first cd album was “F.A.M.I.L.Y.” (a song he wrote and published in 1998!). It’s an acronym that means “Forget About Me, I Love You”. I had forgotten about this song when suddenly as I was reading St. Paul’s letter to the Colossions, it came back to me and I was like “This is the song!”
Colossions 1:24-28
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom,so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
You see, St. Paul is describing a type of self-martyrdom here. He’s describing a way of life that our western culture (and frankly most of the world) is completely out of sorts with. It’s a lifestyle that serves not the self, but humanity, that is, the human family. He’s saying, “You don’t even have to remember my name, I don’t need a star on Hollywood boulevard, I will lay down my life for you, become the unknown soldier for you buried in some obscure field for you, all for the sake of the greater good, because it’s not about me, it’s never been about me, it’s always been about the family, forget about me, I love you.” That’s charity in action. That’s precisely what justice looks like: I do something to further the human achievement not for my own benefit but simply because “it is right and just” to use the words at Mass, because of love itself. “Love is love”, no, love is “forget about me, I love you”, a f.a.m.i.l.y. mentality, a f.a.m.i.ly. reality. Bam! Fr. Stan would be so proud of me (note: I’m rhyming on purpose). To God be the glory.
F.A.M.I.L.Y. Fr. Stan Fortuna: