Catons Corner: November 2024

If you ask a young child what they want to be when they grow up, their answers will likely fall into two categories: one will be professions that they know of or have experience with, such as a teacher or doctor or policeman. The other category will have something to do with them being famous. They want to be NFL players, movie stars, recording artists, or, more recently, YouTube streamers.    

Why is it that fame is something that children seek? Is it the prospect of wealth? Status? Prestige? It’s true that sports, music, drama, and watching YouTube  are all activities that many children love and enjoy, so it’s not surprising that they would want to keep doing those things for as long as they can. However, I believe there’s something more deeply rooted in our childrens’ dreams of fame or notoriety. At its foundations, this desire for fame is really a desire for greatness.

God has stamped within us a desire to do great things, because his plan for each of our individual lives is just that: great. And, since this call toward greatness is hard-wired into us, young people look around at NFL players, Hollywood actors, or Taylor Swift and say, "That's what greatness looks like. I want to be like that.”

As adults, we know that fame and fortune are an unlikely outcome for most children. The odds are just not in their favor. However, that truth doesn’t mean we want to dampen our children’s desire to do great things. Many of us can likely identify other adults in our lives who have lost their will to make their lives special or noteworthy, and instead simply spend their time moving from one entertainment activity to another. That is not what God wants for us. 

Even though fame might not be in your child's future, we don't want to stamp out their thoughts of doing something great. We want our kids to embrace it. This desire to do great things is good and holy. Pope St. John Paul II lived a life of greatness, so much so that many now title him “St. John Paul the Great.” Whether it was fighting against communism in his home country of Poland or offering forgiveness to the man who tried to assassinate him, St. John Paul II’s life was filled with examples of courage, love, and a tireless defense of the truth.

At World Youth Day in 2000, John Paul said this to the young people in attendance: “It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

Make sure your children know this truth: God has an amazing plan for their lives.  Let’s continue to inspire in our children the desire to do great things, but at the same time let’s expand their idea of what greatness can look like. It is not merely highlight plays on ESPN or sold out concerts. It’s a father who works midnight shifts so he can be present for his children’s activities. It’s Mother Theresa of Calcutta and a life spent in service to the poor. It’s caring for an elderly neighbor. It’s a friend who loves unconditionally. It’s St. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave up his own life to save others in a Nazi concentration camp. It’s a soldier or law enforcement officer who heroically stands up for the poor and marginalized. Wherever a man or a woman lives a life of virtue, greatness is found. 

Your child might be destined for the NFL. Or they may not. But one thing is certain: God has great things planned for them. And it is our great responsibility to help them embrace that call.