Actor Shia LaBeouf, who was recently confirmed into a Catholic Church, can be seen and heard discussing his view of the importance of Christ on the Cross in a resurfaced video about his faith. In the video, LaBeouf explains why Christ’s suffering on the cross matters, and why he thinks Jesus was “joyful” when he made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity.
In the video, LaBeouf explains how he views the cross and what Christ represents, saying, “When I look at Christ on the cross, I think, is that a joyful man, as he bleeds out and dies on the cross for humanity? Is that man joyful? And I think the answer is yes. That even in his suffering, that’s what Christ represents, for me, meaningful suffering.”
Continuing, he goes on to add his views on Christ the Redeemer for man and why that should be something we understand and think about, saying, “You know, the story of Christ is that God became man for our betterment. So that means that he is the ultimate example the supreme priest, the ultimate Redeemer. If I look at Christ on the cross, I think that’s very instructive.”
Then, returning to the topic of joy and saying that he thinks Christ should be represented as joyful, he said, “You don’t see a lot of smiley face Christ’s on the cross, you’ll see . . . Christ, dying and laughing with aplomb and joy, and ultimate joy. But I think you should, they should make some Christ’s on the cross, in ultimate serenity and ultimate joy.”
He then added that those who can only envision Christ as being sad aren’t thinking deeply enough about the moment, saying, ” They always make Christ-like this sad face. And that seems stupid. It seems like it seems like it’s not deep enough, like the artists who manufacture those crucifixes. It’s almost like they, they’re not seeing the full story.”
From there he turned to the full story and explained why he thinks Christ was full of joy on the cross, he said, “And the full story, I believe, is that Christ is in maximum joy in that moment, he is fully in his purpose. And that’s, if you can tap into how you can use your suffering to help other people. That is maximum, maximum Joy.”
He then used that to explain what true joy is and how that Christian understanding conflicted with his previous, secular understanding of it. He said, “I always thought Joy was all ‘I get this and then I’m happy’ or ‘I do this and then I’m happy’ or ‘I get her and then I’m happy’ or ‘I make that and then I’m happy’ or ‘they respect me and then I’m happier.’ I always thought happiness was to be acquired by the things I would gain from life. That’s why I was always grabbing.”
And, explaining how his life changed when he better understood joy, LaBeouf said, “If I knew early on that happiness actually is in me offering all of my suffering up for other people as an instructive thing, or something that could benefit man than I maybe would have lived my life different. So I guess the question I would ask anybody is how do you how do you use your suffering, to tap into your joy.”
Watch him here:
The Capuchin Franciscans, who led LaBeouf on his faith journey and confirmed him into the Catholic Church, posted about his faith journey on their Facebook, saying, “🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the Church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation! 🙌🎉 The Capuchin Franciscan friars are overjoyed to welcome him into the fold and witness his deep commitment to his faith journey. Shia LaBeouf, known for his incredible talent and passion in the entertainment industry, has embarked on a profound spiritual journey that has led him to embrace the teachings of the Catholic Church. His decision to fully enter the Church is a testament to his sincere desire to grow in his relationship with God and live out the Gospel values.”
They continued, “As Capuchin Franciscans, we believe in the transformative power of faith and the incredible impact it can have on one’s life. We are humbled and grateful to walk alongside Shia as he takes this important step in his spiritual journey. We invite you to join us in celebrating this momentous occasion and to keep Shia LaBeouf in your prayers as he continues to deepen his faith and seek God’s guidance in his life. May his example inspire others to explore their own spiritual paths and find solace in the loving embrace of the Church.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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