(31^stSunday of Ordinary Time Cycle C) Asked, “Why are you doing that?” Young children often employ the refrain, “…just, because.” To a parent, this response can be frustrating, but there’s something saintly about our children’s innocent motivations for digging a hole in the sand or better yet, randomly giving mom and dad a hug… “just because.” Of course the implied conclusion to our young people’s response is “it seemed right.” “What was that hug for junior?” “…just because it seemed right mom.” Likewise the saints we venerate on this All Saints Day. They lived the life of faith, a life of fitting responses to God’s love not for any benefit it brought them, but because it was apparent to them that it was the right thing to do. Sometimes it brought them earthly joy, other times it brought them earthly sorrows, even martyrdom, but they offered their love to God …just because they were convinced it was the right thing to do. This is the origin and definition of excellence: to do something well simply because it is fitting to do so. Likewise our athletes. Whether they’re at the top of their game, or having a really bad day when that opening buzzer sounds, Catholic athletes should strive to play the best game they can, “…just because…” it’s the right thing to do. It won’t always feel great, and even when it does, the feeling will eventually fade, but the certainty that you played with excellence can never be taken away. In sport, that ongoing comfort that you played well is called “love of the game.” In the life of faith, the ongoing consolation of living well is called paradise.

For the Kids: Look up the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati – an inspiring young Catholic athlete who dedicated his life to loving others and sport. See the following links for info:

• American Frassati Site
• Italian Frassati Site (with English translation and biography)

(30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle C) Have you ever noticed that really good athletes continue their training throughout life? Baseball players keep playing baseball, basketball players build courts in their backyards, and runners just keep running long after their trophies and medals have begun to collect dust. Why? Because the successes we achieve are fleeting, as is the happiness attached to them. Lasting happiness comes in the enduring pursuit of the goal: the friends we make at practice, the laughs we share on the way to a tournament, the exhilaration of shaving a few seconds off our best time. St. Paul spoke throughout his ministry of running the race of life so as to win, but it wasn’t until today’s reading from II Timothy… a letter written just before his martyrdom… that he could actually speak of victory. A victory gained, not by looking back on previous triumphs on the shelf, but rather a victory of perseverance in faith and good works. It took an entire lifetime of practice getting to know Jesus before Paul could kneel beneath the executioner’s sword and have no fear of death.

“…the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me…” (II Tim. 4)

For the kids:

• What do I love most about my CYO practices?
• What do I love most about the “practice” of my Catholic faith?

(29^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle C) Few people would probably think of cheering on one’s team as a very deep part of sports. Sure, it’s nice to have a supportive team, but what’s the big deal? Actually the role of our teammates, family and friends as a fan section is wildly important to the spirituality of sports. Like Moses praying with up-raised arms for his people in their battle against Amalek, our fans give us the extra “umph” we need to succeed on the field. But this support isn’t just a friendly gesture, as Catholic sportsmen/women our cheering is a matter of love. Love comes in many shapes and sizes, but it is always, as one Catholic philosopher describes it, an action that affirms the life of another. Moses was an old man by the time of the battle of Amalek. He probably could’ve gotten away with praying in his tent, out of the desert sun. Instead, he climbed to a height over the battlefield, sat on a rock and raised up his old arms in a victory prayer over his people. He sacrificed, and maybe even looked a little foolish so that he might affirm and support the life of those he loved. If that’s not a form of cheering, I don’t know what is. Obviously, the average CYO game doesn’t usually resemble the battle of Amalek (we hope), but each game is nonetheless a chance for us to get up and affirm the life of our teammates through our cheers, which can be little prayers of their own sort. Consequently, our cheers should always be for the good of our team and teammates, for building up… and not merely for the failure of our opponents. As with any prayer (no matter how small or simple), we should choose our words and our body language carefully so that they reflect the respect, and yes – the love – that we have for our teammates. So, when in doubt, be not afraid to “root root root for the home team!”

For the kids: What kind of positive team cheering goes on during our games? Do we have team cheers or mottos that we can use to effectively affirm our fellow players?

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(28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C) With the craziness of our family calendars and the joy that we experience as members of a vibrant parish community with a great CYO program it can be easy for us to forget that there are other sports leagues out there. School leagues, county leagues, and other private sports affiliations each with their own talented group of athletes and dedicated coaching staffs. In many ways these other organizations are better than us at their tasks. They might have more funding, or better facilities access. They may draw from a larger talent pool than our own community does. And so the question rises, “What’s the CYO difference?” As Catholics on the sports field, whether we do so now in the CYO or later in life on a community team, our sport is part of our act of thanksgiving to God for the talents and gifts he has given us. Because our sport is a sacred thing, a gift to God, we keep our language, our attitudes, our fields and our uniforms clean and well-ordered because they are an extension of the thanks we offer in the sanctuary of our parish church. In this way we try to be like that one cleansed leper who, unlike his nine other colleagues, returned to Jesus to give fitting thanks for the gift he has given us. There is, however one more twist on the story. Recall that the grateful man in this week’s Gospel was a Samaritan, a foreigner, ostracized within the larger society of Judea. He was, put simply, a minority. Likewise the true Catholic athlete. Hearing a group of athletes at a non-CYO league recently, I was reminded that It is a counter cultural thing to keep our language, and behavior on the field clean and Gospel-oriented. When in doubt, look around at your fellow CYO athletes, and the smiling faces of your families on our humble but loving field and remember, your sacrifices for a clean and holy league are well worth it.

Question: How can I as a coach/player better perfect my thanksgiving to God through sports?

(26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C) An athlete’s performance can be an intensely personal thing can’t it? To begin with the athlete is using his/her body to play the game. Inside his/her mind exists the constant struggle to maintain focus amidst web of distractions; some germane to the game, others not. There’s also a healthy sense of competing against one’s own personal records and achievements. And all of this has to be negotiated before the Catholic sportsman even begins to deal with his/her team, itself another bubble of existence on the field. Given the physical, emotional and intellectual challenges inherent in a healthy and holy centering of oneself both personally and as a member of a team, it’s no surprise that student athletes rarely expand their vision beyond the scope of their team. Nevertheless, St. Paul in this Sunday’s reading from 1st Timothy reminds us of the intensely public nature of the ultimate competition: the race for eternal life. Throughout his writings, St. Paul uses sports metaphors to describe how we might think of our spiritual lives (e.g. “run the race as if to win”). This week he advises us:

“But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

As Catholics our lives of faith are intensely public, just like our soccer games, track meets, etc. Whether they be our Baptismal promises, our profession of faith at Confirmation or our Marriage vows, we receive our sacraments in public settings precisely so that our teammates in faith (our fellow parishioners) can hold us accountable for living up to our highest standards. We then lift those standards high for all in the world to see the life we lead with Christ. Sports provide a microcosm in which to live this public life. When the people in the stands see us pray reverently before a game, when they see our smiles, our discipline, our humility both in winning and losing, we satisfy not only our personal or team need to do well, we inspire people with an example of Catholic sportsmanship, doing our small part to prepare ourselves for life and spread the Gospel at the same time.

Question: How have I lived my faith publicly this week, on the field and off the field?

(25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C) One memory of high school is the storage spaces surrounding our locker rooms. Here were kept mountains of shin guards, mountains of football armor and racks of basketballs neatly lined up and locked in their cages. Whenever the time came to use the items, whether in gym or in interscholastic sports, the coaches made us well aware that we had to take care of the equipment, not only for our good and safety, but for the good and safety of the people with whom we were playing, and of course for future classes of kids like us. We had received our sports equipment as the result not only of our parents’ tuition payments, but also as gifts from alumni and benefactors. None of it was ours, but nonetheless, we got to use top of the line equipment. Honestly, we had a responsibility to use it well, to make the sacrifice of our donors worthwhile. The same goes for our CYO program, its fields, lights, backstops, equipment, even the snack shack itself. …and likewise in life. We have done nothing to merit or earn life. None of us chose to be born, and none of us can force God to give us more gifts. Insofar as we have not earned these they are as our Lord refers to them in the Gospel, "dishonest wealth." We receive everything as the result of his total generosity. Consequently, as we reflect on the storage spaces of our lives and the many gifts with which God has stocked them, we do well to ask the question: Am I using these gifts at least as well as I use my sports equipment? Do I use these gifts for the good of others? Am I passing these same gifts on to my friends, neighbors, and family? If we are, then God will recognize us as good stewards of his many gifts and reward us with more.

Question: What personal gifts do I have that can be used on the field for the good of my teammates?
If I am not the best athlete on my team, do I recognize the important gifts that I have which nevertheless contribute to building up my teammates in Christ?

(24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C) Today’s first reading tells us about Moses going to bat for the people of Israel. The people had fallen away from the practice of their faith and just before God is about to destroy them, Moses goes to bat for his people “reminding” God of his promise and plan to make Israel his holy people. God offered to make Moses the leader of a whole new people, but Moses defended his old team. Did God actually forget about his promise? What’s going on here? God never forgets anything, he was testing Moses. Moses was more than just a contract leader for Israel, a hired prophet leading them back to the Promised Land. He was deeply involved in the lives of his people because they were his friends, even his family. It was this friendship this love for the people of Israel that compelled Moses to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to save his people. Our relationship with our fellow Catholics (and other Christians as well) is no different. We are called to live as a strong and vibrant community, a team, deeply involved in each other’s lives… deeply committed to helping each other fulfill God’s plan for our team. As we take to the sports field, practicing for games and for life how do we view our teammates. Do we know and love our teammates enough to go the extra mile, to save them, as it were… and do we carry that practice from the field into the rest of parish life?

(23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C) No team member likes a glory hog, a player who thinks that he/she did it all on his/her own. Even the most skilled players are still part of a team. Their achievements are only possible because the team supported them and the coaching staff taught them. It’s fitting then that every team member gives credit where credit is due, recognizing the good contributions of other team members, trainers etc. When we show this proper respect to others, acknowledging their role in the many gifts and talents that we enjoy, we call this humility. Our challenge is to translate that humility from the soccer pitch, the basketball court, the baseball diamond, into the wider experience of life, where the benefits of humility won’t end with the final buzzer. Just as in sports, the good things of life are not ours alone, they come from a higher source, God himself. And just as we have an obligation to be humble with our coaches and teammates, so too with God. Jesus sets the perfect example for us, as throughout the Gospel, out of respect for the Father he reaches out to people in need. What could be more perfectly humble than God himself serving sinful mortals like us? If we can practice humility with our fellow players and coaches on the field, how much easier might it be to then live it in the wider world, becoming more like Christ, and more prepared for heaven, our final GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!

Questions: How can I be humble before both God and my teammates on the field? In what way does Christ continue to humble himself in front of me every week.*

*Answer: He descends under the appearance of bread and wine to be received by us in the Eucharist.