Teresa Tomeo, author of Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture, on the need for a true and lasting "makeover":
Turn on the TV any given night and you’re bound to find some program that deals with some sort of makeover. ...
What we really need is Extreme Makeover: Catholic Edition. After all, given the long list of social ills that seems to keep getting worse, thanks to the very toxic and slippery slope we’ve been on, who couldn’t use a spiritual makeover?
That said, don’t hold your breath. It’s highly doubtful that one of the major broadcast networks or cable channels would spend the time, money and effort to develop a program that deals with issues that go well beyond the surface.
First of all, it’s not “sexy” enough or bizarre enough for prime time. Secondly, and even more importantly, in my humble opinion, as someone who came back into the Church kicking and screaming along the way, real self-examination, real change is very hard work.
It’s painful to take a good, long look at your life. In today’s instant-gratification-and-all-about-me culture, not too many of us want to go deeper. Instead, we often opt for the quick fix. It’s very challenging, after all, to admit your mistakes and humble yourself before God and ask forgiveness. Your first inclination is to stay right where you’re at and maybe just do a few minor “makeovers” that you hope will get you far enough in the Lord’s eyes to land that ticket into heaven. Again, I am speaking from personal experience.
The old saying “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know” is very true when it comes to the idea of total abandonment to God, and especially within the Catholic Church.
Read the entire essay, "What Society Needs Is an Extreme Makeover, Catholic Style", on the National Catholic Register site. Read more about Teresa and her work on the book's website.
And here is a video interview with Teresa in which she talks in detail about her book and the challenge of being Catholic in a culture that is often directly opposed to truth, goodness, and the gospel:
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