During the Super Bowl yesterday, millions of Americans were able to pause from the craziness of the game and pray.
In an ad for Hallow—the Catholic prayer app founded by University of Notre Dame alumni Alex Jones, Erich Kerekes, and Allesandro DiSanto—Catholic actor and businessman Mark Wahlberg led viewers in prayer: “God, we take this moment just to give you thanks. We thank you for this time to come together as a family, as friends, and as a country. Help us, Lord, especially this Lent, to grow closer to You.”
He finished with his signature line: “Stay prayed up.”
We need reminders like this ad, even if we don’t download Hallow or pray with its spokespeople. And its helpful to have phrases like “Stay prayed up” because they stick in our minds. I dare say they even make us smile.
Cofounder Alex Jones said that when he and his team were thinking about what to do for the Super Bowl ad, they thought, “Why don’t we just take 30 seconds to pray together, give thanks to God for this opportunity. . . . It’s the Lord’s Day, it’s Sunday, so it feels fitting.”
And that is what they did.
Prayer is now an integral part of Jones’ life, but that hasn’t always been the case. According to the University of Notre Dame IDEA Center, Jones “launched Hallow in 2018 as a result of his own pursuit of faith through prayer.”
In an interview with the IDEA Center, Jones admitted that his “college years were a relatively dark and empty time” because he had begun to fall away from Catholicism. After graduation, he spoke with a priest at Notre Dame who helped him understand the power of prayer. Jones began to see the importance of his faith and broke down in tears while meditating on scripture. He stated, “The passage was about Jesus teaching the Lord’s prayer. The word ‘hallow,’ to make holy, stuck in my mind. It gave me a deep sense of peace—and changed my life.”
Hallow is now one of the top Catholics apps and in May of 2023 “had the honor of becoming the first faith-based app to ever make the list of Top 10 apps in the App Store.”
It’s fitting that this prayer ad occurred during a Super Bowl in which a prominent Catholic athlete played such an integral role. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicked the tying field goal to send the game into overtime, which eventually led to his team’s win.
Butker unapologetically puts his faith first in his life. During a talk a few years ago, he said, “Outside of the bright lights of the stadium, with the fans and the notoriety that come with being an NFL player, the greatest impact that I will make with my time on this earth is remaining dedicated to my primary vocation—helping my family get to heaven.”
Wahlberg agrees, as he too is unapologetically Catholic. Before Lent last year, he acknowledged that his faith is “not popular” in Hollywood but said he could never deny it because that would be “an even bigger sin.” When asked what his faith means to him, Wahlberg said “it’s everything.”
Our faith should be our everything, and we need only look at the crucifix to see God’s love for us.
During the football game we paused to pray. Let that be the start of many prayers this Lent.
Pray for those suffering from violence, from fear, and from ignorance. Pray for wayward leaders to once again become strong and moral. Pray for moms contemplating abortion. Pray for the sanctity of life. Pray for those who have lost their faith and those who are lukewarm. Pray for the young, who have not yet realized that God should be their everything. Pray for the old and the sick, who feel they have lost everything and cannot yet see that God is there with them. And pray for those who mock people of faith and for moral courage for those who are mocked.
Butker once told a group, “Now is the time for you to take up your task . . . to bring Christ back to our daily lives.”
We can only do that through prayer.
As we enter Lent, let us build a culture of life by heeding the words of both Butker and Wahlberg. Let us welcome Christ back into our lives and stay prayed up so that the habits we form this Lent become a part of our daily lives as we—and our families—journey toward eternity in heaven.
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I have this Hallow app!! I was so excited to see that this commercial aired during the Super Bowl. Glad to hear also that someone from Hollywood is unapologetically Catholic. Mark Wahlberg thank you for showing so many your faith. Great article!
My wife and I are wintering on Ambergris Caye, Belize. We’ve gotten friendly with the pastor – a member of the S.O.L.T community. In one of his homimilies, Fr. Eduardo suggested that, when we’re dining out and as we’re about to ask God’s blessing on the food, we might consider asking the restaurant server if there was something he or she would want us to pray for.
So, when we took Father to lunch one day, we actually took him up on his suggestion. The server didn’t hesitate to tell us sonething deeply pressing on his mind that he wanted us to pray for. So I pass this along as a suggestion to my fellow readers here.
Thanks, very nice idea.
Nice article, although I do get a little nervous about connecting faith and success on the field (Butker). What if he had missed?
I do appreciate his words about his primary vocation to get his family (presumably including himself) to heaven. We don’t hear this often enough.
There was a difference in this year’s superbowl. Advertisements were less raunchy and bizarre, the halftime show more entertainment that display. The healthy love story of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Wondered about the influence in all this, perhaps Wahlberg’s call to prayer. There is little that can draw us out of our self inflicted cocoons than intercessory prayer.
I am very concerned for Liam Neason. His faith is very important to him. I think Jesus would have welcomed him to stay on the app Hollow in Love and understanding. Not having him still involved is our loss. I join him in prayer and with his faith. Much Love.
So, does this mean that Mark Wahlberg will “Stay Prayed Up” when deciding what movies to make? Or will he continue making movies filled with violence, vulgar language and immoral plots? That is, “Stay Prayed Down?”
Delighted by your warm article, this chilly week, Ms. Susan Ciancio! Such a need indeed for our Catholicism to be uplifting us collectively-& during the Super Bowl on the Lord’s Day! Hooray, for the experience of creative co-founder Alex Jones and the success of the “Hallow” App from your fellow alumni, Susan! Grateful for my former fellow Dorchester, MA, resident Hollywood’s Mark Wahlberg’s Faith shared!
Deacon Pietler: “ditto” to your share.: Upon our praying “Grace” in a restaurant, the chef rushed out to my friend and I and exuberantly commended us and we all smiled and said that “God was good and we should”!
Let’s nudge neighbors to awaken the Church, “The Sleeping Giant “ to stand up to bring Christ to those in need this Lent for an amazing Easter Sunday celebration of eternal life, and Divine Mercy Sunday for absolution of sins! And when we empty ourselves, God’s grace, power, and creativity can enter us and we can transform the world (ie Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Cabrini, Chinese martyrs, etc.)
Recall the football player who collapsed on the field last year and how gracious and outwardly prayerful many people were then? After his miraculous recovery, he was smiling and thankfully praising God with his medical team on stage!
It made me laugh-out-loud hearing that the only baseball team that didn’t support immoral conduct won this year’s World Series! God’s blessings most certainly!
These days we must persevere and shine Christ’s light and pray. We must remember that when evil is rampant, grace is more prevalent! Truth, love, peace of Christ, friends, 🎶MK
I have prayed all my life and my
Children. I was. Brought up with prayer and I have turned to my priest and pastor for help praying and you know what my friends and family have prayed people out of illness and loneliness etc. To the point people come to me to please put them on prayer chain . I love God and I have my favorite Saints too Talk to them all the time and make sure I say thank you,