Fr. Mike and Mark Wahlberg on Father Stu | What "Picking Up Your Cross" Looks Like

Summary

In this video, Mark Wahlberg discusses his role in the movie 'Father Stu,' which portrays the true story of a Montana priest. The film, rated R for its raw depiction of anger and language, explores themes of faith, redemption, and the transformative power of suffering. Wahlberg highlights the movie's authenticity and its relevance to contemporary struggles, encouraging viewers to find hope and a renewed sense of faith. Father Mike Schmitz interviews Wahlberg, touching on the movie's portrayal of tough grace and mercy, and how it resonates with the message of Holy Week, emphasizing the redemptive nature of suffering.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The video features an interview with Mark Wahlberg about his new movie 'Father Stu', which was released during Holy Week.
• 🌟 'Father Stu' tells the real-life story of a priest from Montana, highlighting his journey from a troubled past to finding faith.
• 🚫 The movie is rated R due to its depiction of anger and use of strong language, reflecting the raw and real nature of the protagonist's struggles.
• 👨‍👨‍👦 The film explores the complex relationship between Stu and his father, Bill, who finds redemption through caring for his son later in life.
• 🙏 The story of Stu is one of grace and mercy, showing how even in the face of suffering, one can find a deeper connection with God.
• 🌈 The movie resonates with audiences because it portrays a realistic and raw depiction of faith, unlike typical 'feel-good' Christian movies.
• 🤔 The interview discusses the role of suffering in the lives of believers, suggesting that it can lead to a closer relationship with God.
• 📖 The video script references the Bible, noting that its stories are not fairy tales but reflect real-life pain, suffering, and redemption.
• 🙌 The movie encourages viewers to find their role in God's plan and to strive to be better, even in the face of adversity.
• ✝️ The core message of the video is the transformative power of faith in the midst of suffering, echoing the Gospel's teachings on redemption and trust in God.

Q & A

What is the title of the movie released during Holy Week?

The movie released during Holy Week is titled 'Father Stu'.

Who are the main actors starring in 'Father Stu'?

The main actors starring in 'Father Stu' are Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson.

Why is the movie 'Father Stu' rated R?

The movie 'Father Stu' is rated R due to the presence of anger and language, including the use of profanity such as f-bombs in almost every scene.

What is the real-life inspiration behind the movie 'Father Stu'?

The movie is based on the real-life story of a priest from Montana named Stu, who experienced significant personal struggles and transformations.

What significant event in Stu's family life is mentioned in the script?

In the script, it is mentioned that Stu's older brother inexplicably died in his sleep, which led to a deep hatred towards God within the family.

How does Stu's father redeem himself in the story?

Stu's father redeems himself by coming back into Stu's life after Stu is diagnosed with an incurable disease, taking care of him in ways he couldn't when Stu was young, getting sober, and getting baptized.

What is the central theme of the movie 'Father Stu' as discussed in the interview?

The central theme of 'Father Stu' revolves around tough grace and tough mercy, depicting a raw and real portrayal of faith amidst suffering and adversity.

How does the movie 'Father Stu' relate to the current times according to the interview?

The movie 'Father Stu' is considered relevant to the current times because it deals with themes of suffering and adversity that many people can relate to, especially during challenging periods like the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the role of Carmen in Stu's life as depicted in the movie?

Carmen is depicted as the reason for Stu's dedication to Christ in the movie, serving as an introduction to Jesus and playing a significant role in his spiritual journey.

What does the movie 'Father Stu' suggest about the nature of Christianity?

The movie suggests that Christianity is not about having a sugar-coated version of life where suffering is removed, but rather about transforming and redeeming pain and suffering through faith.

What message does the movie 'Father Stu' convey about trust in God?

The movie 'Father Stu' conveys that true trust in God comes from acknowledging and accepting His presence in our lives, even when He does not remove our pain or suffering, but rather redeems and transforms it.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction to 'Father Stu' Movie and Interview

The paragraph introduces a video featuring Mark Wahlberg discussing the movie 'Father Stu,' released during Holy Week. The movie, starring Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, tells the real-life story of a priest from Montana named Stu. It's mentioned that the movie is rated R due to its raw depiction of anger and language, reflecting the protagonist's journey from a family tragedy to finding faith. Wahlberg shares insights into the character's struggles and the transformative power of grace. The video also includes an interview with Wahlberg, discussing the film's themes of tough grace and mercy, and the audience's personal connection to the story.

05:01

🌟 The Transformative Power of Real-Life Experiences

This paragraph delves into the movie's portrayal of Father Stu's life, emphasizing the credibility he gained through his real-life experiences, which he used to counsel others. The discussion highlights the contrast between Stu's approach to adversity and that of a more traditional seminarian. The movie's depiction of Father Stu's struggles and his journey towards Christ is praised for its authenticity and the way it resonates with audiences, offering a sense of hope and renewed faith. The conversation also touches on the role of suffering in spiritual growth and the importance of trust in God, even amidst pain and loss.

10:01

🙏 Embracing Suffering and Trusting in God's Plan

The final paragraph focuses on the transformative role of suffering in Father Stu's life and faith. It discusses how Stu's acceptance and understanding of God deepened despite his physical suffering, leading to a profound trust in God's plan. The paragraph emphasizes the gospel's message that Jesus did not come to remove suffering but to transform it, allowing individuals to find meaning and redemption through their pain. The speaker encourages viewers to embrace this perspective, trusting in God even in the face of adversity, and recommends the movie as a powerful exploration of these themes.

Keywords

💡Ascension Presents

Ascension Presents is a production or presentation entity, likely associated with the video's creator or channel. It sets the stage for the content that follows, indicating that the video is part of a series or collection of presentations. In the script, Ascension Presents is mentioned at the beginning, signaling the start of the video and the theme of the discussion to come.

💡Holy Week

Holy Week is a significant religious observance in Christianity, leading up to Easter. It commemorates the final days of Jesus Christ's life, including his crucifixion and resurrection. The video's release coinciding with Holy Week is significant as it ties the themes of the movie 'Father Stu' to the broader narrative of faith and redemption that is central to Christian belief during this period.

💡Father Stu

Father Stu refers to the movie and the real-life story of a priest from Montana, whose journey from a life of anger and brokenness to one of faith and service is depicted. The movie is rated R due to its raw portrayal of the protagonist's struggles, which include the use of strong language and depictions of anger. The term is central to the video's narrative, as it discusses the themes of the film and the interview with Mark Wahlberg.

💡Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg is an actor featured in the movie 'Father Stu' and is also interviewed in the video. His role in the film and his insights during the interview provide a personal connection to the story of Father Stu, adding depth to the video's exploration of faith, redemption, and the transformative power of suffering.

💡Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson is another actor mentioned in the script, who stars alongside Mark Wahlberg in 'Father Stu'. His presence in the film adds to the dynamic of the story, particularly in the context of the relationship between the characters played by Wahlberg and Gibson, which is a central theme in the video's discussion.

💡Grace

Grace in the context of the video refers to the unmerited favor or assistance given by God, particularly in the face of human weakness and sin. The video discusses how the character of Father Stu experiences 'tough grace', indicating a transformative process that is not easy but is ultimately redemptive. This concept is integral to the video's message about the role of suffering in spiritual growth.

💡Mercy

Mercy is a theme in the video that is closely related to grace. It refers to compassion or forgiveness shown towards others in spite of their faults or misdeeds. The video describes 'tough mercy', suggesting that the mercy shown to Father Stu is not soft or indulgent but is instead a catalyst for change and growth, reflecting the harsh realities of life that can lead to spiritual awakening.

💡Redemptive Suffering

Redemptive suffering is a concept in Christian theology where suffering is seen as having a transformative or purifying effect, allowing for spiritual growth or the redemption of past wrongs. In the video, this concept is discussed in relation to the character of Father Stu, whose struggles and suffering lead him to a deeper understanding of faith and a closer relationship with God.

💡Trust in God

Trust in God is a central theme in the video, particularly in the context of Father Stu's journey. It is discussed as a transformation from anger and distrust towards God to a place of deep trust and acceptance, even in the face of suffering and death. This trust is portrayed as a critical part of the Christian faith and is a key takeaway from the movie 'Father Stu'.

💡Cross

The cross in the video symbolizes the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but it also represents the personal crosses that individuals bear in their lives. The video discusses how Jesus did not come to remove our crosses (suffering) but to transform them, leading to resurrection and new life. This concept is used to illustrate the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.

Highlights

Mark Wahlberg discusses the movie 'Father Stu', a story about a real-life priest from Montana.

The movie is rated R due to the strong language and themes of anger and brokenness.

The story of Father Stu is one of redemption, as his family initially harbored resentment towards God after a tragic loss.

Mark Wahlberg shares his appreciation for the raw and real portrayal of faith in the film.

The relationship between Stu and his father is a central theme, showcasing the complexity of family bonds and redemption.

Stu's journey with an incurable disease leads to a transformation in his relationship with his father and his faith.

The film is described as necessary and relevant, resonating with audiences due to its realistic depiction of struggles.

Mark Wahlberg emphasizes the movie's message of tough grace and tough mercy, reflecting the realities of faith.

The movie encourages viewers to find optimism, faith, and hope, and to see the good in people.

Stu's character is portrayed as credible because of his real-life experiences, which he uses to help others through their struggles.

The film contrasts the seminarian's life with Stu's, showing different approaches to faith and adversity.

Father Stu's suffering is a central theme, illustrating how it brought him closer to Christ.

Mark Wahlberg reflects on the role of suffering in Christianity and how it can transform lives.

The movie challenges the idea that knowing Jesus removes suffering, instead showing how it can be redeemed.

Father Stu's story is one of trust in God, even in the face of pain and suffering.

The movie is recommended for mature audiences, as it deals with heavy themes in a realistic manner.

Father Mike closes by connecting the movie's themes to Holy Week and the message of the Gospel.

Transcripts

hey i'm mark wahlberg and this is

ascension presents

[Music]

okay so this is relatively dark i don't

know if this is i need to adjust this or

not but uh here's where we're at okay

here we go we're gonna do something a

little bit different uh differently

differently today not only is it

wednesday of holy week when this video

was released it is also the same day

that a new movie called father stu is

being released in theaters uh starring

mark wahlberg and mel gibson i did an

interview with him so in the midst of

this ascension presents video there's a

little interview i got to sit down and

talk with mark wahlberg it's the story

of a real real life story of a priest

from montana his name was stu father

stew um his the beginning of his story

is uh not like the end of the story a

couple of things uh one uh the movie

father stu is rated r it's rated r for a

real reason because of the anger because

of the language full disclosure there

are f-bombs in almost every scene i'm

not gonna say every every scene but

here's the story the context of the

story is what mark wahlberg is going to

explain is this man stu when he was

growing up at one point i think when he

was six years old his older brother had

inexplicably died into sleep and what

they did was it took this family that

was already kind of indifferent to god

and put them in this path of hatred

towards god like they just absolutely

violently

hated

even the idea the concept that there

could be a god who allowed

his brother and his mom and dad's son to

die there's a lot of anger a lot of

brokenness and it's not the kind of

brokenness that is easily resolved

it is a kind of brokenness that is only

resolved by grace and and it's just

pretty remarkable so

here is

the interview for lack of a better word

uh with mark wahlberg and a conversation

i just got to have with him so i hope

you enjoy it it's a few minutes long and

i'm gonna say something at the end of

this interview

mark uh thank you for taking this time i

know that you have had a really uh

i i can't imagine how exhausted you must

be with this whole

um talking to people answering the same

old questions but i

was able to see father stew loved it and

um the first thing i just

one of the things that was so powerful

was

the relationship between stu and his dad

and um i don't know i just wanted to ask

you if if there was any any part in that

that was clearly you and mel gibson had

had a

incredible bond but i would say like the

bond was you know broken it was wounded

but it was strong i don't know if you

had any anything you could just tell me

about that um yeah well one of the

things that really drew me to bill's uh

and stu's story was the fact that

obviously you know they had lost a

younger child uh early on and they

didn't really have the skills to cope

with that kind of loss as we know

parents aren't supposed to bury their

children and um and so

stu was kind of basically left to his

own devices and it wasn't until later on

where he was diagnosed with an incurable

disease that his father was able to come

back and really redeem himself and take

care of him in the way that he didn't

get to when stu was young i mean he

bathed him he clothed him he fed him he

did all of those things he had gotten

sober uh he got baptized i mean stu

really uh worked his magic on his mom

and his dad

yeah it was it was at the the the

conversations if you want to call them

conversations you know uh between uh stu

and his dad stu and bill um we're really

raw and i just i that was one of the

pieces of of this movie that when it

comes to faith it's not uh it's not a

kid's movie right it's not it's not a

hallmark christian movie at all no it is

a very real raw

uh movie about tough grace and tough

mercy and i think it couldn't be more

necessary than right now because we've

all been going through things that we

never imagined we'd face in our lifetime

which is why we're getting the reaction

to the film that we've gotten everybody

relates and identifies it with it on a

very personal level

and the response has just been

remarkable and it's also encouraging

people um they leave the theater feeling

very optimistic uh hopefully a renewed

faith and hope and also a reminder to

see the good in people and that people

are beyond redemption

and uh and everybody's challenged by stu

to just find their role in god's big

picture and do a little bit more be a

little bit better yeah that's one of the

things that i just that that

unconditional love you say tough grace

and tough mercy um it's so so real

because so

uh one one of the things i've found is

uh i did this thing last year where i

read the bible in a year um like a

podcast every day kind of a thing and a

bunch of yeah i heard i heard i heard

about it yeah it was really it's been it

was a great grace but one of the things

that people told me was that they didn't

realize how broken the story is like

they thought oh the bible you know the

bible's it's kid's stories and then

realizing it as they're being

being read to not a little fairy not

little fairy tales lots of not at all

not at all and so stu's life is just is

marked with it's a real person right so

even i even like the

i like the moment where stu is sitting

on uh the bench with carmen um they're

having a conversation i mean he's still

he's still a guy he still thinks she's

this most she's the most beautiful woman

that he'd ever met encountered in his

life and she's the reason that he is uh

and now dedicated to christ i mean

she was uh you know the introduction to

jesus right and and and also his with

his visit for mary you know through me

mary to jesus but um yeah we wanted to

make something that was real and that

people could relate to and that's why

stu touched so many people because

people knew he was credible all of his

real life experience was now being

applied to doing his good work and they

knew that he had been through all the

stuff that he was basically counseling

them on and uh who better than somebody

with real life experience to kind of

help you

get through these difficult struggles

and to see how stu dealt with adversity

and you know if we're all lucky enough

to get old we're going to be faced with

these things we've all dealt with loss

especially now during covet in ways that

we didn't think we would yeah that's

mentioning that that um

that he was so real there was the kind

of contrast seminarian with him you know

the guy who um yeah at the end you know

there's there's i don't want to spoil

anything but

this this revelation of again more

father stuff where it comes to you know

stu being willing to kind of in some

ways fight against his father and this

other seminarian being unwilling to do

this um was that that and then stu even

having it out even stu having it out by

god and refusing yes um you know

couldn't it it's remarkable and uh you

know i remember the archbishop uh

archbishop thomas when he saw the film

he was really appreciative that that was

there as well

uh and seeing how difficult it is for

lots of people you know it just seemed

like every time stu was broken

um

as you keep saying in the movie he kept

bringing him closer to christ um

i just what was it in i mean that that's

just that's the gospel in so many ways

that's the mystery of redemptive

suffering in so many ways

that's gonna start a bit of a movement i

think you know because people are all

they're going through it and if they

find comfort in that wow that's a very

powerful thing you know to be able to

embrace it in the way that he did i mean

he handled it obviously with

with with dignity seems like the most

essential thing there is trust like i

mean this is that's why i keep going

back to that i started out with talking

about noticing the father relationship

between uh stu and bill and even this

other priest or other seminarian and his

father and just

and here's god the father where it's in

the midst of suffering

how do i still trust god like because

it's it's tough but it's as you said

tough grace i just want to let you know

that um i am praying for you praying for

your family and thank you so much for

for doing this work and also thank you

so much for taking this time with me i

really appreciate it thank you father i

really appreciate it god bless you you

bet you too

so one of the things that you might have

noticed from that interview i am not

good at it but

if you caught this that was basically me

saying hey mark wahlberg here's what i

noticed in the movie

right

one of the things that is comes back is

it remember he said tough mercy and

tough grace

something you if you get the chance to

go to this movie again it's not for

children

just like the bible is not for children

the bible is stories about real life and

real brokenness and real pain and real

suffering you know god actually enters

into real brokenness and real pain and

real suffering in in a tr in a real in a

real way

that it doesn't it's not easily

resolvable in fact when stu comes to

know who god is it doesn't take away all

his problems in fact

that's when he realizes that he

is going to die from this disease

but here's an interesting thing and this

is the thing for all of us especially

here during this holy week

is the role of suffering in our lives as

mark wahlberg points out it was in in in

the movie

it was in

father stu's suffering that he allowed

the lord to get closer and closer and

closer to him again this is not a a

candy sugar-coated version of

christianity this is this is the gospel

in the most clear way you could possibly

possibly really understand the gospel

living pertaining and impacting our

lives right now because jesus on the

cross he didn't come to take away our

suffering he came to transform our

suffering he didn't come to remove pain

and death he came to redeem pain and

death and this is so important because

there is this false version of

christianity out there that says that

when you come to know jesus he takes all

your crosses what is the actual vision

of christianity is

jesus says if you want to be my disciple

you want to follow after me you want to

belong to me you have to deny yourself

take up your cross and follow after me

where does where does his path lead it

leads all the way to golgotha it leads

all the way to the crucifixion it leads

all the way to the cross

and then it goes through the cross to a

place of resurrection to a place of true

redemption but again jesus didn't come

to take away our pain he came to

transform our pain he didn't come to

remove our suffering he came to redeem

our suffering and this is so important

because the the critical thing is i'll

talk about this tomorrow night at the at

the holy massive holy thursday if you

want to kind of join us please go to

your parishes and join in the prayer but

i'll mention this tomorrow night at the

holy thursday mass

is the thing that transforms stu's life

is the thing that transforms every one

of our lives

and that is

at the beginning of the movie here is

god i do not trust you in fact i hate

you

by the end

stu got to the point where he knew who

god was no matter what would happen to

him he could say god i know who you are

and i trust you

even though you're not you're not

removing my pain even though you're not

taking away my suffering you have

redeemed my pain you have transformed my

suffering and no matter what happens to

me

i know that i can trust you

this is the switch this is the

transformation that god wants in every

one of our hearts

because this is the message of the

gospel jesus didn't come to take away

our crosses he came to transform our

crosses so so that our lives don't end

in death but pass through death

into new life and we will always we will

always uh

be willing to question god's role god's

action in our lives until we get to that

place that father stew got to where we

say okay god no matter what happens to

me i am going to trust you no matter

what happens to me i'm let you i'm going

to let you get close to me

in my wounds in my suffering in my pain

and literally even in my death

so do i recommend this movie i think

it's really really good not for children

not for kids just let you know that um

and not for the faint of heart just like

the gospel is not for the faint of heart

but it is for those who have broken

hearts which is

for people like you and for people like

me anyways for all the citizens presents

my name's father mike

god bless and happy holy week

[Music]

you