A Theology of Sports: Part Four

Last in a four part series

Success in athletics requires discipline, strengthening, proper nourishment, and good decision-making. The Christian life is no different. Like an athlete in training, a Christian is often tempted to abandon their “workout routine” for other activities that may seem more enticing at the moment. The Christian life is demanding, success requires strength to endure to the end. Without the proper nourishment-the Body and Blood of Christ-Christians have no life in them.

“This is my body, which will be given up for you,“ is not only Christ’s institution of the Eucharist, it is the credo of every Catholic who engages in athletic competition. When an athlete commits to participate in a sport they make this pledge--whether or not they are consciously aware--to their teammates, coaches and fans: “This is my body, which will be given up for you.” An athlete sacrifices his or her body and all that dwells within--mind, spirit and will--to better someone and something beyond themselves. As people of the Eucharist, Catholic athletes make this sacrifice not merely in imitation of Christ, but truly in him and through him, as branches of the Eucharistic vine. When we feed on the Bread of Life we become bread for others, and our sacrifices for others, whatever they may be, are made in and through Christ in the Eucharist. Sports are thus a powerful avenue for Eucharistic living, and this good news needs to be shared with Catholic athletes everywhere.

A Theology of Sports: Part Three

Third in a four part series.

The body is the central image of the Church. We are the Body of Christ, and the source and summit of our life is the Body and Blood of Christ made truly present to us in the Eucharist. Catholic athletes can use sports to contemplate that image.

The importance of teamwork is an obvious connection, in context of St. Paul’s writing on the body of Christ. A team is made up of individual members, but functions as a group to advance a common goal while also trying to defeat an opponent. The Christian life is similar. We have noble goals set before us, which are difficult to obtain because there is always an opponent working against us who does not want us to attain our goal. Yet there is goodness in facing opposition; Thomas Merton noted: “Souls are like athletes, that need opponents worthy of them, if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers, and rewarded according to their capacity.”

While the importance of teamwork may be obvious, it can be overlooked when individual accomplishments are given too much emphasis. Professional sports offer many examples. I will offer two from the history of the World Series.

Bill Mazeroski is often remembered as “winning” the 1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates with a dramatic home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game, breaking a tie with the New York Yankees. Yet had his teammates not worked together to score the other runs (and prevented the Yankees from scoring more) Mazeroski never would have had that moment. If he and his teammates had not won three previous games, they would not have been in a position to win the series. If the team had not allowed the Yankees to have won three games, there would not have been a game seven!

On the negative side, Bill Buckner is often remembered as “losing” the 1986 World Series for the Boston Red Sox by letting a ground ball roll through his legs at first base--allowing the New York Mets to tie and eventually win the World Series--when the Red Sox were one strike away from winning. Again, if the Red Sox as a team had been able to score a few more runs that night, or had kept the Mets from scoring more, or had the Red Sox won more games earlier in the series, they would never have been in that position in the first place.

Games are won or lost by teams, not by individuals. While an individual player’s actions may seem to win or lose a game, the pivotal situation was provided by the entire team throughout the whole game.

While as Christians we ultimately contribute our individual efforts to an overall team effort, we still have individual struggles; we all battle personal opponents. Yet our personal battles all contribute to the greater good of the body. This is an essential truth to the sacrament of Reconciliation. All of our actions affect the greater body, even though they may not seem to. When we sin we make ourselves a weaker member of the body, and thus the body is weaker. That is why we have the chance to reconcile with the body through this sacrament.

Next: The Eucharistic Implications of Sports.

Please also check out my article "Healing Football's Spiritual Wounds" at www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=35654

A Theology of Sports: Part Two

Second in a four part series

For centuries sports have been universally recognized as a means of religious expression. The Greeks celebrated the Olympics as a festival to honor their god Zeus. Ancient Egyptians employed ball and stick games in their religious ceremonies; the ball represented fertility, and ritual hitting, catching and throwing were believed to encourage spring rains. In fifteenth century England and France ball games were often played to celebrate religious holidays, especially Easter.

In the United States, the YMCA was formed using sports to lure youth to their Christian ministry, giving them a wholesome alternative to other pursuits. In 1901 a writer describing the YMCA’s physical education programs proclaimed: “We are soldiers of Christ, strengthening our muscles, not against a foreign foe but against sin, within and without us.”

Sports can truly play a central--not peripheral--role in contemporary Catholic faith formation. Foundational to Catholic theology is that God made human beings body and soul united, inseparable, both now and for eternity. The health of one affects the other. Jesus sacrificed his earthly body so we could be restored to eternal life. How we live in our earthly bodies will affect how we live in our heavenly bodies; sports, and the sacrifice and physical discipline they entail, can play a major role in this scheme.

God’s original plan was for humanity to live forever in our earthly bodies. But our bodies, like our souls, became tainted through sin, and so both must be purified before we can enter heaven.

St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians: "What you sow doesn’t come to life unless it dies! What you sow isn’t your body as it will be--it’s a bare kernel, like wheat or something of that sort. God gives the body he’s chosen for it, and each type of seed has its own body.... There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of heavenly bodies is one thing and the glory of earthly bodies is something else." (1 Corinthians 15: 36-38, 40)

At the resurrection we are promised “glorified bodies,” but bodies nevertheless, for that is how humanity was fashioned. We remain human in death, but glorified to what God intended humanity to be in the first place: body and spirit united in the divine image.

Sometimes Christians view the body as inferior to the spirit, but this has dangerous consequences. Pope John Paul II, writing of the “culture of death” in Evangelium Vitae, stated: “Within this same cultural climate, the body is no longer perceived as a proper personal reality, a sign and place of relations with others, with God and with the world. It is reduced to pure materiality: it is simply a complex of organs, functions and energies to be used according to the sole criteria of pleasure and efficiency.”

We would do well to revisit this famous passage from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: For the body isn’t one member-it’s made up of many members. If the foot should say, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body,” it would still be part of the body for all that, and if the ear should say, “I’m not the eye, so I’m not part of the body,” it would still be part of the body for all that. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? But as it is, God arranged the members of the body-each one of them-as He wished them to be. If they were all just one member, what sort of body would that be? As it is, though, there are many members, but one body. The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor can the head tell the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body which seem the weakest are much more necessary, the members of the body which seem less honorable are the ones we grant the most honor to, and our private parts we treat with more modesty, whereas there’s no need to present our more presentable parts that way. But God has formed the body in such a way as to give greater honor to the members which lack it, so that there will be no discord in the body and the members will feel the same concern for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice. (1 Corinthians 12: 14-26)

Next: Implications for Sports in the Body of Christ

A Theology of Sports: Part One

First in a four part series.

“As a boy I played ball games, and that play slowed down the speed at which I learnt letters…. I was disobedient not because I had chosen higher things, but from love of sport.” St. Augustine

It doesn’t seem to have slowed him down that much.

Although he was one of the greatest philosophers and theologians in history, St. Augustine may have missed the importance of athletics in the life of God’s people, and the possibilities of finding God in our games as in any of our activities. In his Confessions he laments his childhood abuse of sports: “In competitive games I loved the pride of winning. I liked to tickle my ears with false stories which further titillated my desires…. Look with mercy on these follies, Lord, and deliver us who now call upon you.”

Yet as with any gift from God which can be abused, we sometimes view the abuse as the norm and thus become ashamed of it, losing sight of the beauty of the gift itself. Such can be the case with sports. They have sometimes been considered an inconsequential element of our society; athletes who bring their faith to their games have been accused of trivializing religion by doing so.

But when we truly understand how limitless God’s love for us is, it becomes clear that there is no such thing as an activity too “trivial” for God not to be interested and involved. God cares deeply about every aspect of our lives, and he wants to be included in our every activity. God can be found on an athletic field just as he can anywhere else--there is no place God can’t be found. Why then can he be difficult to recognize in our “insignificant” moments?

Perhaps it is because we tend to downplay sports and recreation as merely a break from the more “important” business of life--the inconsequential opposite of our essential work. Yet former baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti observed that leisure is, “in Christian terms, a moment of contemplation…. Contemplation is the result not of work but of an activity freely assumed whose goal is to so perfect the self that for a moment we see what lies beyond the self…” Our relationship with God is not (or should not be) forced upon us, but freely chosen. Why not use our athletic and recreational activities--also freely chosen--to explore the depths of that relationship? Recreation indeed means “re-creation,” when God uses seemingly trivial activities to build us back into the body he created us to be. Sports provide us with a ripe opportunity to do so.

In three subsequent part of this series, we will explore some theological implications of sports. Stay tuned.

Reflections on the Church and Sport

Sorry it's been over a week since I've added anything. I've been working on a big writing project which I hope to be able to post soon.

In the meantime, enjoy these quotations reflecting on the importance of sports in the life of a Christian disciple:

The Christian life is a contest and a struggle against the powers of evil. Therefore, as an athlete of Christ the baptismal candidate is anointed with oil, signifying that he is willing to engage in the contest, and that he is being given suppleness and strength for this purpose. In olden times the entire body of the candidate was anointed, in imitation of wrestlers and athletes who anointed their entire bodies with olive oil prior to entering the arena. (Commentary in the 1962 Roman Missal, Rite of Baptism)

The Church looks at sport with great sympathy, since it considers the human body as the masterpiece of creation. God the Creator gave new life to the body, thus making it the instrument of an immortal soul. Man became a living being; moreover, redemption by Christ turned the human body into a temple of the Holy Spirit, thus making man a member of the Christ destined to be resurrected from his own ashes to live in eternity thereafter. When sport is practiced in a healthy way, it exalts the dignity of the human body without risking idolatry. The Church sees sport as a mighty element of moral and social education. (Pope John Paul II, address to the International Olympic Committee, May 27, 1982)

Sport, properly directed, develops character, makes a man courageous, a generous loser, a gracious victor; it refines the senses, gives intellectual penetration, and steels the will to endurance. It is not merely a physical development then. Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument of the mind, it also makes the mind itself a more refined instrument for the search and communication of truth and helps man to achieve that end to which all others must be subservient, the service and praise of his Creator. (Pope Pius XII, “Sport and the Spirit”)

Sport is one of the human activities which is also waiting to be enlightened by God through Christ, so that the values it expresses may be purified and elevated at both the individual and the collective levels. (Pope Benedict XVI, Message to the 20th Winter Olympics).

Souls are like athletes, that need opponents worthy of them, if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers, and rewarded according to their capacity. (Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain)

The world of sport is an important areopagus of modern times, awaiting apostles who are ready to boldly announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Vatican Office of Church and Sport, preface to The World of Sport Today: A Field of Christian Mission)

The Necessity of Ritual

A few years ago the Baptist church down the street from my Catholic church bore this message on the sign announcing their service times: “A Spiritual Experience Rather Than a Ritual.” I wrote a letter to the pastor kindly asking him to remove those words. They implied, wrongly, that a ritual is not a spiritual experience—not to mention the suggestion that their services are superior to anyone who worships through ritual. Though I never received a reply, the words were removed from the sign shortly afterwards.

The importance of ritual came to mind as I watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. We’ve seen these rites time and again, year after year: the parade of nations, the speeches, the raising of the Olympic flag, the lighting of the cauldron. Even the cultural expressions of the host country through art, music and dance have become an expected part of this ritual.

But why? Isn’t athletic competition the reason for this gathering? What does any of this have to do with sport? Why are these rituals considered so important that the Games do not begin until the ceremonies have been completed?

Because the human spirit needs to express transcendent realities that dwell deep below the surface, and ritual is the best way to do this. The question is not what does this ritual have to do with sport, but what does sport have to do with the greater scheme of life, a scheme that is best explored through ritual.

No matter how many times we've seen the parade of nations, the ritual seems fresh with each new Olympiad. They may be the same flags we've seen before, but each nation is four years older than the last time we saw them, with new experiences and new perspectives. We've seen that flag with the five interlocking rings raised over many stadiums in many lands, but the international unity it represents has a different dynamic each time. And that flame that is relayed across the world and sent ablaze in the Olympic cauldron is perhaps the most revered ritual of all--we would be hard pressed to find someone who does not consider that a spiritual experience.

Whether it be in religion, sports, or any other facet of life that involves body and spirit (which is pretty much everything), ritual will always remain the optimal expression of what ultimately unites us all to each other, our ancestors and our descendants. They present an outward sign of the inner reality of God working through all of us in so many varied and mysterious ways. If ritual appears rote and stale, the remedy is not to throw it away; rather, it needs to be explored to discover its hidden meaning, which can do nothing but enrich the lives of its participants.

"A Spiritual Experience Through Ritual"--now that's a message worthy to put on any sign.

Ashes can Be the Eye Black of the Soul

For years athletes have used "eye black," a dark substance placed under their eyes, to reduce glare and improve their vision. Earliest forms of this practice included smearing burnt cork ash beneath the eyes. As Christians prepare to be marked with burnt palm ashes this Wednesday to begin the season of Lent, we can think of those ashes as the "eye black" of the soul.

As disciples we yearn to leave the darkness of sin and follow the light of Christ--illustrated by the service of light we will celebrate at the Easter Vigil. Yet the more deeply entrenched we are in the darkness of sin, the more blinding the light of Christ can be. Just as when we turn on a light in the middle of the night and have to squint because our eyes are used to the darkness, so it is when we truly turn from sin and accept the light of Christ; there can be a painful period of adjustment. (St. Paul experienced this when he was initially blinded by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus.)

Ashes represent our desire to be blinded by the penetrating light of Christ, the light that blinds us to sin so our vision can be focused on what is holy. The light of Christ reveals what is hidden so that anything hindering us from being the image of God can be removed.

Since that light can be initially blinding, may the ashes we receive on Wednesday represent the "eye black" that will reduce the glare and focus our vision only on what is true and good.

A very blessed Lenten season to all.

Let the Games Begin

In the spirit of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics, I present these excerpts from my book Living the Eucharist Through Sports:

The Olympic oath states: “In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true nature of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.” It seems to paraphrase what we say when we make our gesture of oath, the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the community to which I am bound—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—I promise that I shall take part in the life of the body of Christ, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern it, in the true nature of fellowship, for the glory of God and the honor of him and his people.”…

The Olympics have a formal Creed, which is displayed on the scoreboard of the stadium during the opening ceremonies: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” The Creed we recite together at Mass has a similar theme. We don’t need to “win” or to “conquer” our opponents—sin and death—for Jesus has done so already through his victory on the Cross.

Let the Games begin!

Catholicism is an Extreme Sport

While watching the Winter X Games on television, I became curious to learn the definition of "extreme sport." It's applied to events like snowboarding, skateboarding, mountain biking, snowmobile jumping, and a host of others. What is the common thread that puts these kinds of sports in the "X" category?

An entry in Wikipedia says extreme sport "is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger and that are counter-cultural." This describes Catholicism to a T.

Catholicism is highly dangerous in a number of ways. Participants must let go of comfortable attitudes and behaviors with a willingness to be changed to the very core. It embraces uncertainty, trusts in mystery, yields to irrational inclinations abounding in contradictions. It welcomes sacrifice and discipline, shuns complacency and passivity. It calls everyone to take frequent risks.

It's brightest stars have suffered persecution, imprisonment, torture, and even death to compete in this arena. Yet while dangerous to participants, it is even more so to its opponents, who can crumble in the face of its power.

Catholicism is counter-cultural--defending life, marriage, family, sexuality, battling the ever-present culture of death. Even among fellow Christians, Catholics counter the culture with our sacraments, devotions, ancient rituals and traditions.

Extreme sport is characterized by a rush from the thrill of the danger involved. Catholics truly in touch with their faith experience a rush as well, one that ultimately comes from communion with our heavenly Father through the Body of Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

All glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Take it to the extreme!

The True Genius of the Tebow Super Bowl Ad

Pam and Tim Tebow's much publicized Focus on the Family ad finally aired Sunday night during the Super Bowl. Pro-abortion activists can offer a free breakfast deal—there is enough egg on their face to feed the nation.

Hearing their rhetoric these last few weeks, this ad was supposed to be some extremely dangerous propaganda piece--the ad was attacked as “offensive to women,” "political" and "anti-abortion rights," and many feminist groups militantly called on CBS to cancel it as if it were a threat to national security.

Now that we've seen it, what in the world was all the fuss about?

As is now well known, Pam Tebow rejected doctors' advice to abort Tim, and the family has long shared their story in advancing the pro-life cause. Yet not only was the word "abortion" never spoken in the ad--the procedure itself was never even referred to.

Pam called Tim her "miracle child," and simply said she "almost lost him" and that was hard--without ever saying how she could have lost him. She went on to say that even though Tim is grown up she still worries about his health. The spot ended with Tim appearing to tackle her, and joking about how tough she is. An invitation then appeared on the screen for anyone who may be interested in learning about the Tebows' story to visit Focus on the Family's web site.

That was it. If you want to know the details of their story, log on. If not, thanks for watching.

The true genius of this ad--and its effectiveness--became apparent only after it crossed millions of television screens across America. Whether deliberately or not, Focus on the Family and the Tebows efficiently employed a strategy known well by any good poker player--a good bluff wins you all the chips. All they had to do was announce this was a pro-life ad, featuring a famous woman who chose life for her child, and they knew what would come out of the woodwork: the venom, the condemnation, the vitriolic calls to cancel the ad or boycott CBS if they didn't--all over a 30 second spot where a woman simply says she almost lost her baby.

It brilliantly revealed the irrational and reactionary nature of the pro-abortion movement. Whether or not it was intentional, it worked.

I am reminded of Gilda Radner's "Emily Litella" character from the early days of Saturday Night Live (pictured above). Emily would appear on the Weekend Update segment and go on a rant about a topic she had misheard and misconstrued. When advised by the news anchor of her misunderstanding, Emily would sheepishly reply: "Oh, that's very different...never mind!"

Thank you Focus on the Family and Pam and Tim Tebow for helping the pro-abortion movement put yet another foot in its mouth. I hope the rest of the nation noticed.

Pope Greets Winter Olympic Participants and Spectators

Below is the text of the letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, Archbishop of Vancouver, as the archdiocese prepares to host the Olympic Games.

I was pleased to learn that the XXI Winter Olympic Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games are to be held in the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Diocese of Kamloops, from 12 to 28 February 2010. As I send my cordial greetings to you and Bishop David Monroe, my good wishes also go to the participating athletes, the organizers and the many community volunteers who are generously cooperating in the celebration of the significant international event.

Such an important occurrence for both athletes and spectators allows me to recall how sport "can make an effective contribution to peaceful understanding between peoples and to establishing the new civilization of love" (John Paul II, Homily, 29 October 2000, 2). In this light, may sport always be a valued building block of peace and friendship between peoples and nations. I also note the ecumenical initiative More Than Gold, intended to provide spiritual and material assistance to visitors, participants and volunteers alike. I pray that all who avail themselves of this service will be confirmed in their love of God and neighbor.

With these sentiments in mind, upon all associated with the celebration of the XXI Winter Olympic Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.

On Eagle's Wings: Eddie Edwards Won Glory in Defeat

How would you like to be forever remembered as "comically inept" at your profession?

These words are often used to describe Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards and his ski jumping at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Edwards' performance ranks among the worst in Olympic history; yet he remains one of the most beloved athletes ever. Though his religion (if any) is not publicly known, reflecting on The Eagle's story provides a number of spiritual insights.

Edwards was actually an accomplished downhill skier who barely missed qualifying for Great Britain's Olympic team in 1984. He set his sights on Calgary, but could not raise enough funds to continue training for downhill. Determined to compete in the Olympics, Edwards decided to try his hand at ski jumping. Not only was it less expensive, but with Great Britain having no competitors in the event it would be easier for him to qualify.

The Olympics had never seen the likes of him. Entirely self-funded, Edwards had to train and compete with borrowed equipment; he needed six pairs of socks to make his second-hand boots fit, and a helmet with a string for a chin strap once fell off during a practice jump. He took room and board in a mental hospital because he couldn't afford housing. Edwards was overweight by ski jumping standards, and his near-sightedness forced him to wear thick glasses beneath his goggles--which fogged up so much that when he jumped he couldn't see where he was going anyway.

His style was unintentionally eccentric: flapping his arms as he dropped like a rock, falling well short of an Olympic caliber landing. Edwards' awkward jumps were greeted with laughter from spectators, whom he greeted in turn with endearing smiles and waves. Crowds began chanting his name and greeting each new flailing attempt with loud and affectionate cheers. He finished last in all of his events, and was jokingly nicknamed "The Eagle."

Not everyone found him amusing or endearing. Two years after his performance the International Olympic Committee--believing he had made a mockery of the games--adopted a rule requiring athletes to rank either in the top 50 or top third in international competition in order to qualify (known as the "Eddie Edwards rule"). Olympic officials in Great Britain still consider him an embarrassment.

Yet the rest of the world fell in love with The Eagle. He was a man with very little talent for his event--but he took the little he had and gave it his all. On a stage where only beautifully polished athletes normally appear, room was made for this rough, incompetent ski jumper with other skills to exhibit: determination, ingenuity, and a joyful spirit that prevailed in the midst of failuire.

Eddie Edwards stood out at Calgary the same way the poor widow leaving her small but total self-offering stood out at the temple; he taught us that it is not how much we have to offer that matters, but how we offer what we have. Like the children shunned by the discipes but beckoned by Jesus, he showed us that there can be different criteria for evaluating someone than prevailing institutional ideas.

And who among us has never been in his cavernous, borrowed ski boots? Truly living up to God's ways is as difficult for us as was ski jumping for Eddie Edwards: our vision is often blurred, we become overweight with worry, anxiety and other heavy burdens, we can fall well short of where God wants us to be. And we can hear the laughter or scorn of those who find our failures amusing.

But can we respond to these humbling experiences like Eddie Edwards--with a smile and the hopeful determination to get back to the top of the hill and try again?

Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards is perhaps the sporting world's most vivid example that the last shall be first. Never before have so many accolades been bestowed upon a last place Olympic competitor:

*He was referenced by the IOC president during the closing ceremonies of the Calgary Games--the first Olympic athlete to be mentioned in those ceremonies.

*In 2006 Time magazine included his performance in its list of the 25 most memorable moments in Winter Olympic history.

*In 2008 he participated in ceremonies celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Calgary Olympics.

*He recently carried the Olympic torch for part of its relay to Vancouver.

Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards was not trying to be funny--he was just doing his best with what he had. By doing that with a positive outlook he became a star. So will we when we take whatever God has given us and give him our best effort in return.

He will raise us up on eagle's wings.

How Well Do We Love Our Athletes?

As you can gather from my profile picture, I'm a Detroit Tigers fan. Last October they broke my heart. After leading the American League Central Division for most of the season they sputtered at the end, finishing in a first place tie which was then lost in a dramatic 12-inning duel with the Minnesota Twins.

Yet a much greater tragedy emerged from the final weekend of the season, when the Tigers lost two out of three to the White Sox to leave the door open for the Twins. Our slugging first baseman, Miguel Cabrera, went hitless in that crucial series, and we learned of a greater trouble he faced. Police were called to his home that weekend because an intoxicated Cabrera and his wife had physically fought. He admitted to being an alcoholic, and immediately entered a treatment program which so far has yielded promising results.

I recently read this statement from Cabrera that broke my heart more than losing the division title: "I know it will take awhile (for the fans to forgive me), but I won't let them down again."

If it's going to take awhile for fans to forgive him, that's the real heart-breaker. If that's the case, then perhaps we as fans need to examine our hearts to evaluate what kind of "love" we have for the players we cheer for.

Yes Miguel, you let us down on the ball field. We'll get over it. Your well being and that of your family is infinitely more important. You are not a hitting and fielding machine whose sole reason for existing is to perform for the entertainment of others. You are a child of God made in his image and likeness, fighting an addiction that keeps the image from shining as brightly as it can.

There is nothing to forgive as far as baseball is concerned--just get better. As much as we love sports, we love our fellow man even more. If you can beat the forces seeking to drag you down and strive to be the man God made you to be, you'll be a winner. And we'll cheer for you all the way.

For sports to be an effective forum for evangelization we must counter the utilitarian view of athletes, the one that sees them only as instruments for our pleasure and amusement--and thus fair targets for our frustration and anger. (Comments posted to most sports blogs about struggling athletes vividly illustrate man's inhumanity to man.) How can we see God's presence in sports--and its tremendous potential for ministry--if we don't uphold the basic human dignity of all its participants?

This goes beyond how we treat professional athletes--it speaks to how we treat our kids as they strive to integrate the constructive aspects of sports into the greater fabric of their lives. If a child's participation in sports does not positively form their whole person, treating them instead like a glorified video game, it's not only a waste of time--it's an unconscionable injustice.

May all who love God and love sports work to make this holy connection known and realized at all levels of athletics. And may we always love unconditionally--win, lose or draw.

Sports as God's Instrument

In August of 2005 the Louisiana Superdome was the scene of anguish and despair, becoming a temporary shelter for New Orleans' newly homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Last Sunday it hosted a joyous civic celebration, as the New Orleans Saints clinched their first NFC championship and trip to the Super Bowl.

Trivial by comparison? Hardly. Said Saints safety Darren Sharper: "This means a lot not only to us, but to the city of New Orleans, because everyone knows what they've been through. I can't count the number of times fans have come up to me on the street and say, 'Thank you guys for bringing happiness and life back to the city.'"

It's not the first time the success of a sports team has pulled a community together in the wake of tragedy. The 1968 Detroit Tigers' World Series championship helped heal a community ravaged by riots the previous summer. The 2001 New York Yankees' American League pennant was a catharsis for the city after 9/11.

Society easily recognizes the power of sports to be an instrument of healing for a hurting community. If we accept that all healing ultimately flows from God, then we must recognize that God uses sports for his purposes. Too often pushed aside as something on the periphery of "real life," sports are truly an instrument God often employs to draw us closer to him. In a society with a heavy interest in sports, they need to be utilized more and more as a means for evangelization and catechesis.

That's the mission I will continue to advance with this blog, with my work for Catholic Athletes for Christ, and with an exciting new partnership CAC is forming with Catholic Online (www.catholic.org) to provide many more sports-themed articles to this dynamic Catholic news outlet. With profiles of Catholic sports figures as well as articles reflecting on the theology of sport, we will continue to spread the word about the "Good News" of athletics.

I hope you'll stay on the team--we have so many places to go!

What Is NOW Afraid Of?

In my post of January 24 (“Facing Our Frank Larys”) I dealt with the fear of losing, and how it can keep us from winning. Leaders in the pro-choice movement seem to be playing with that fear regarding Focus on the Family’s pro-life television ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother, set to air during the Super Bowl.

When she was pregnant with Tim, Pam Tebow ignored medical advice to abort him. The family has long since shared the blessings of choosing life, and that's what they will do on Super Bowl Sunday. Several pro-choice organizations, including the National Organization for Women (NOW) have called on CBS to cancel the ad, condemning it as inappropriate and divisive.

Erin Matson, NOW Action Vice President, posted this message on NOW’s "Say it, Sister!" blog on January 26: "Make no mistake about this ad: it's offensive to women.... Standing alone, it sends the message that all women who give birth are heroes; it sends a message that abortion is always a mistake; and it is insulting to the one in three women in this country who have abortions."

I wish everyone who feels this way would sincerely take this question to heart: What are you afraid of? Why do you fear the Tebows’ story being told? What would lead you to make these kinds of statements?

"It sends the message that all women who give birth are heroes." If the definition of hero does not include self-sacrifice and a willingness to suffer so another person can live, we must have different dictionaries.

"It sends a message that abortion is always a mistake." Wearing different colored socks is a mistake. Abortion is a tragedy, for the children whose lives are lost and the women whose lives are forever scarred. Always.

"It is insulting to the one in three women in this country who have abortions." Denying women information about the choice of life is an insult--no, it is a grave injustice to them and their unborn children.

Fortunately, not all pro-choice proponents share NOW’s fear of the ad. Several women identifying themselves as pro-choice or feminists responded to the post with pointed criticism, expressing disgust that NOW would try to suppress Mrs. Tebow from sharing the choice she made. (If you are truly “pro-choice,” they argue, you want people well informed about all their choices.) The thoughtfulness expressed in these posts offers hope that one day all in the pro-choice movement will join the cause of life.

In the meantime, we give thanks for the progress being made, and pray for the success of the Tebows’ testimony.

Jesus and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance

“It’s just like riding a bike.”

That’s easy to say if you know how to ride one; it really is something we don’t forget once we've learned. But memories of skinned knees, scraped elbows, and trying to stop a falling, moving vehicle with one outstretched leg remind us that learning to ride a bike isn't always easy.

Trying to teach my children to ride, I was faced with a humbling reality--this was something I really couldn’t teach them to do. I could offer tips on how to get started, how to sit with their weight in the center, how to pedal, brake, and brace for the inevitable fall--but I couldn’t teach my children to ride a bike. They would have to get the feel of it by themselves. The most I could do was run alongside, try to stop them from falling, and lend constant encouragement that at some point they were going to be able to do this.

How similar to our efforts to bring people to Jesus and the Church. We can’t give anyone a relationship with the Lord and a life of discipleship. We can introduce them, encourage them, give them tips on how to begin and to how grow in faith--but everyone has to ultimately find their own balance in order to ride with Jesus. But it’s so hard when we see someone we love falling-- or not even trying.

My children did learn how to ride a bike. In fact, I don’t know of anyone who sincerely tried being doomed to a life with training wheels. Everyone who tries eventually rides.

It’s the same with Jesus, because he seeks everyone, is available to everyone, and welcomes everyone. It can take time, but everyone who sincerely seeks truth--by whatever name they may happen to call it--eventually finds Jesus, because he is truth. It is Jesus who gives the gift of faith, and he gives to all who search.

Is there someone in your life you are teaching to "ride" with Jesus? Keep running alongside, keep encouraging. Someday--through Jesus' doing, not yours--it will be just like riding a bike.

Facing Our Frank Larys

As a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the 1950s, Frank Lary earned the nickname "Yankee Killer." He compiled a 28-13 career record over the Bronx Bombers--including a perfect 7-0 mark against the eventual World Series champions in 1958. So strong was Lary's grip on the Yankees that manager Casey Stengel once shuffled his pitching rotation so Whitey Ford would not have to face him. "If Lary is going to beat us anyway," he reasoned, "why should I waste my best pitcher?"

Perhaps Stengel's Yankees could afford to wave an occasional white flag. But in the game of life we don't have that option. God calls us to give our all every time we take the field--especially when the odds seem to be against us. Faced with our own Frank Larys, we can't let the fear of losing cause us to give less than our best.

This point is well illustrated in a wonderful book called Come Sunday: Inspiration for Living With Heart by Paul C. Stomper, MD. (www.ComeSunday.net) As a cancer doctor, musician and athlete, Stomper draws insight from all three callings to reflect on our life in God. In a chapter titled "The Spirit of an Athlete," he presents a simple yet profound premise about fear.

Some athletes play with a fear of losing, because losing hurts. They've sacrificed and invested heavily but didn't get the outcome they expected. Some are tempted to decrease their investment, so when they lose it doesn't hurt as much. Decreased investment leads to decreased preparation, so losing becomes a foregone conclusion.

Stomper quotes Reggie Witherspoon, basketball coach at the University at Buffalo: "If you try to avoid the pain of losing, then you'll never win."

In Come Sunday Witherspoon supports this premise by relating a junior college coaching experience when his team lost a close game because of an obvious lack of investment:

"We lost. But I noticed that pain didn't seem to be evident. The loss was dismissed rather early. There was disappointment, but not a lot of pain or hurt."

The next day he held a team meeting and discussed what it's like to be hurt, not just by a sport, but by life:

"We talked about what our options are after that. Do we now withdraw everything and never invest at all in this relationship or this outcome that we desired? And if we do that, we don't experience the pain, but we will never experience the joy of winning either, the joy of being successful or of having a good relationship.... And if we do have that total investment of our emotions and our energies, but we fall short of our goal, then it's OK to have that pain--it's supposed to hurt because that will drive you to prepare harder the next time."

Or as Eugene Kennedy wrote in The Pain of Being Human: "We are grateful, too, that we bear these scars that are the proof that we have said yes to life."

We have no greater example of how to deal with the fear of losing than Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Knowing the complete self-sacrifice that was required of him--and the physical and spiritual pain his "loss" to death would entail--Jesus prayed: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

Yes, Jesus "lost" on Good Friday, but it had a redeeming purpose. He rose to glorious victory on the third day, and promises that all of our losses will eventually result in glorious triumph as well, if we join ourselves to him and remain faithful to his call.

So bring on the Frank Larys in our life--united with Christ we'll win no matter what.

January 22, 1973

These NFL stars from recent seasons have something fascinating in common; see if you know what it is:

Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Adam Vinatieri, Tony Romo, John Randle, Adewale Ogunleye, Willie Parker, James Harrison, Wes Welker, Jeff Saturday, Jake Delhomme, Priest Holmes, Antonio Gates, and Rod Smith. There are many others, but we’ll leave the list at that.

I’ll tell you at the end of the post the intriguing factor they have in common.

But first: Today we observe a tragic anniversary in our nation. This day in 1973 began an era in which the United States of America officially placed conditions on who is entitled to the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which are endowed upon us by our Creator. Yes, rights endowed by our Creator—not by any branch of government. And yes, you remember correctly, these rights are inalienable, according to our nation’s founding document. That simply means no human being has any business alienating people from their God-given rights.

This date also gave rise to the victimization of countless women who have been misinformed, ill-advised, and outright lied to about a choice that not only ended the life of their unborn children, but would traumatize them—emotionally, spiritually and physically—for years to come. (It is agonizingly ironic how a movement that calls itself “feminism” can inflict so much harm on women.)

So today we pause to remember and pray for all victims of this heinous tragedy: the children who have died and the women who bear the deep and lasting scars. And we pray for the enlightenment of our country, that all Americans will see the value of each and every human life—no matter its stage of development or circumstances.

Now for the answer to the question: All of these football stars were passed over in the NFL draft. When coaches and front office staff evaluated and chose who they deemed worthy to participate in the life of the NFL, football “death” was chosen for each of these future stars. Their potential was not recognized, and they were discarded as useless. But because they were able to speak and act on their own behalf, they were eventually signed as undrafted free agents and enjoyed life in the NFL.

Of course this is a very imperfect analogy for the right to life. But if it offers something for our sports-influenced culture to think about, I'll leave it on the table.

Angels in the Outfield Bleachers

You know God is present in every person when a brief encounter with a stranger lives in your memory years afterward. Such is the case with me and a quiet, elderly Chicago Cubs fan who called himself "Just Me Ernie." (Though "Ernie" was not his actual name, I'll use it in this post for the sake of privacy.)

Ernie's path and mine crossed ever-so-slightly in the centerfield bleachers at Wrigley Field about 15 years ago. It was nothing dramatic--more like the "tiny whispering sound" in which Elijah heard God after failing to find him in the wind, earthquake and fire. (1 Kings 19:11-13)

I had made a trip to Wrigley from west Michigan with some friends, and Ernie was seated just to our right. He was all by himself--sort of. While he sat unaccompanied on the bleacher bench, a young woman checked on him every now and then, bringing food and drink when needed. But when she was not tending to Ernie this gal kept her distance, remaining near the back of the bleacher section where she could keep an eye on him--like Ernie, all by herself.

On his lap Ernie held a Polaroid camera. He asked me and my friends if we would like our picture taken. We accepted his offer, and in a moment the Polaroid zipped out our image to develop in the Wrigleyville sun. Before handing it to us, he took out a pen and autographed the bottom border of the print: "Just Me Ernie."

I don't know how much film Ernie went through that day, but he took pictures of many other people. To all he affixed the same signature that, curiously, drew attention to the fact that he was alone.

My thanks were the only words I shared with him; but in the many years since I have often thought of "Just Me Ernie" and wondered about his life.

Why did he want us to notice he was "Just Me"? Was he proud of it, or was he calling to us that he was lonely? Did he have anyone close to him? Who was that gal who took care of him, and why did she keep her distance? How many games did he attend, and did he come so much for the baseball or the companionship, and the chance to give his simple gift of photographs to strangers?

And why do I still think of him after all these years? I had come to Wrigley Field as a baseball fan to watch a game--but all I remember about that day is Ernie.

I'll never find the answers to my questions about Just Me Ernie, but I'm beginning to figure out the last one. Nobody sticks in your mind for so long--no less a stranger you met only once--unless God is trying to tell you something.

So what is there to learn from this angel in the bleachers? Here's my list:

*Just one person, performing even the simplest act of kindness, can make a lasting impression.

*Even when it may seem like we're alone, we too have someone watching over us, taking care of our most essential needs.

*No one is "Just Me"--either in the sense of being alone, or being insignificant.

*If I want to find something out, I need to ask questions. I'm sure Ernie would have given me answers to all my questions if I had bothered to ask. The answers may not have been what I was looking for (such as "none of your business"), but I would've received answers. Likewise, God will always give me answers to my questions--whether or not they're the ones I expect--but nothing will happen unless I pray.

*Last but not least: Wrigley Field really isn't cursed--it has been blessed by "Just Me Ernie" and his gentle presence.

The Best Super Bowl Ad Ever

The Super Bowl broadcast is perhaps the only television event in which people look forward to the commercials as much as the program. This year's telecast will feature the best Super Bowl commercial of all time.

It was announced today that Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, will appear in a 30 second pro-life ad titled "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." The spot is sponsored by Focus on the Family, and is being funded by private donations given specifically for the project.

Tebow's parents were working as Christian missionaries in the Philippines while Pam was pregnant with him. She refused medical advice to abort Tim after she contracted a life-threatening infection. Doctors warned that the drugs she took to fight the infection could harm her child's development. Instead she chose life for the future college football star.

The Tebow family remains committed to Christian missionary activity, and are very active in the pro-life movement.

Congratulations to the Tebows. May their message on Super Bowl Sunday inspire a nation that needs to re-discover the incomparable value of human life.

We'll Always Have the Bull's Eye on Our Back

Prior to Saturday's basketball showdown between Michigan State and Illinois (both undefeated in the Big Ten going into the game), Spartans guard Durrell Summers used a familiar analogy to describe his team's position.

"We kind of have the bull's eye on our backs once again," he said. "I think that helps us at our place, just because teams are going to try to come in here and give us our first loss on our home court. I think it keeps us focused and will help us win the Big Ten championship."

When your team is the leader, everyone guns for you. Your opponents feel threatened by you, and the proverbial bull's eye is always on your back. When you're at the bottom of the pack, no one pays much attention to you. No one tries to knock down a last place team like they do the league leader.

In sports it's clear which position is more desirable. While it is much more stressful, the bull's eye is embraced as a sign that your team is on the right track; the arrows shot at it are welcomed because they keep the team focused on persevering toward their goal of a championship.

It's no different on the field of spiritual competition. When your team--the Church--is the leader, the bull's eye is always on your back. Your opponents go after you much harder; you are seen as a threat they need to eliminate. When you stand up for what is true and just--the sanctity of human life in all its stages and circumstances, marriage and the family, even faith itself--the arrows come full force.

Would we rather be in the cellar, with the anonymity and apathy that comes with losing? No sports team would, and neither should we.

Let's embrace the bull's eye as all athletes do, as a sign of the power, strength, and ultimately the undeniable truth of our team and its mission. We're number 1!

(By the way, Michigan State won on Saturday. Just one more arrow that missed the target.)

Sports World Reaches Out to Haiti

Information for this report was gathered from espn.go.com and cbc.ca.

Athletes with and without ties to Haiti are stepping up to lead relief efforts to the earthquake stricken nation. Among those efforts:

Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garçon already had plans to travel to Haiti in April with his charitable organization, the Pierre Garçon Foundation. But after the earthquake struck, Garçon started using his Twitter account to ask fans for immediate help.

Denver Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil is urging people to donate to help the relief effort by texting "YELE" to 501501; $5 will automatically be charged to their wireless account. The money goes to hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean's Haitian charity, Yéle Haiti.

Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada is preparing a container van with emergency supplies that will be sent to Haiti. "I've authorized my staff to prepare a shipment to help the needy people in Haiti as soon as possible," Tejada told ESPNdeportes.com. "The plan is to fill up a container van with items needed in an emergency. In these situations they would need water, canned food, medicine, powdered milk and kids clothes." Tejada said the Haitian Consulate in Miami would be in charge of channeling the aid. Tejada also encouraged others to coordinate any aid through the consulate.

The New York Yankees announced Wednesday they would donate $500,000 in support of rescue and relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. The Yankees hope their donation will inspire people throughout the United States to do everything they can to aid the people of Haiti.

HoundDogs, a Knoxville, Tennessee retailer which sells Tennessee Volunteers apparel, advertised a 20 percent discount for fans who brought shirts to the store for donation. In addition, the owners were hoping to turn a "negative into a positive" when they heard fans talk of burning and ripping up shirts with the former Vols coach's name or face on them in the wake of Kiffin's abrupt resignation. (He accepted the head-coaching job at Southern California.) The store has already been promised a large donation of shirts from a fan in Maryland.

Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert will present a $100,000 check for Haiti earthquake relief during the team's next game, the club announced on its website. Dalembert will also match fan donations dollar for dollar at Friday's game against Sacramento through his foundation, which partners with UNICEF, Feed the Children and the American Red Cross.

Yvenson Bernard, a running back for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, announced Wednesday the creation of a relief fund, with details on how to donate money on the Blue Bombers website.

Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that Major League Baseball is donating $1 million on behalf of the league and its 30 teams. MLB also encouraged fans to help in the relief efforts as part of its global outreach program, "Going Beyond." MLB Network will air public service announcements encouraging fans to make donations aiding Haitian relief efforts, and MLB.com will prominently display links to UNICEF where fans can make contributions online.

May the hand of God continue to touch the earthquake victims through these efforts, and inspire many more people to help.

The Spiritual Legacy of the Steroids Era

Major League Baseball has a great TV ad explaining the dangers of steroids. A voice-over intones a litany of damages done to the body, while on screen a statue of an athlete crumbles apart--a striking image of the physical devastation wrought by these euphemistically dubbed "performance enhancing drugs."

In the face of Mark McGwire this week, we've seen the spiritual counterpart.

We've looked into the eyes of a man who cheated, broke one of his sport's most hallowed records by doing so, denied for years having done anything wrong, and now cradles a crumbled spirit that needs healing as much as his body.

I'm not judging Mark McGwire; Heaven knows we can all claim solidarity with him to some degree. In the game of life we have all at times played outside the rules, denied or tried to justify having done so, and faced the messy consequences of our own poor choices.

So while McGwire's body seeks to heal from the physical damage of these dangerous substances (if it hasn't yet, it will), we can and should join with him--as his brothers and sisters--in diagnosing and treating the spiritual wounds.

If I were to triage, I would place as a treatment priority not whatever weakness caused McGwire to choose steroids, but the one that led him to lie. The instinct to deny our sins deserves at least as much attention as the instinct to sin in the first place, if not more. Why?

As much as we try to be open to the grace of God working through us, we all sin--though hopefully less and less as we continue along our journey. Sin is a given in our earthly life, and will always be until we reach the Heavenly banquet. That's why Jesus sacrificed everything for us, and established a Church through which he could save us from sin.

Given the ever-present reality of sin, there is an essential quality we must all possess in order to be healed by Jesus--the humility to admit our sins, to repent, and to ask forgiveness. Anything is possible when we honestly admit our guilt and ask for the help we need to change. Nothing happens when we don't. In fact, we make the devil's work much easier when we look the other way or refuse to call his fouls.

That's why the overriding lesson that needs to emerge from the "Steroids Era" is not that it's evil to ingest dangerous substances or to cheat, as critically important as those lessons are. What needs to emerge above all else is that when we do wrong we need to stand up and say, "I did wrong, I'm sorry, and I want to change." When we do that there is forgiveness, redemption, and transformation of mind and heart.

Without that message firmly in place, the others miss their mark. What's the point of teaching that steroids and cheating are wrong, if we have not first laid the foundation of humility, contrition, and the infinite mercy of God that are required to properly process those other lessons?

Catholics are blessed with a rich tradition that lays that foundation. Part of that is the sacrament of Reconciliation, whereby we verbally confess to Jesus (acting through his ordained human instrument) that we have sinned, and are absolved and given his grace to grow closer to the divine image in which we were created. Another is the penitential rite at Mass, through which we admit to God and our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ that we have sinned, and ask for prayers and the grace of God to move forward.

In the words of the Confiteor (one of the options for this rite), we find perhaps the greatest lesson that needs to emerge from the steroids era, words that I pray Mark McGwire and all God's people take to heart:

"I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do. And I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

"May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen."

"Soles for Souls" and the Essence of Sport

At their core, sports are a profound way to live the Eucharist.

As I wrote in my book Living the Eucharist Through Sports: "'This is my body, which will be given up for you' is also the motto of everyone who participates in sports.... An athlete sacrifices his or her body and all that dwells within--mind, spirit and will--for the good of someone and something beyond themselves. As people of the Eucharist, Catholic athletes make this sacrifice not only in imitation of Christ, but truly in him and through him as branches of his Eucharistic vine."

A group of runners in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey called "Soles for Souls" takes this to heart every time they lace up their shoes.

“Soles for Souls is a new way to evangelize to Catholics who love to run and be
active,” said Liliana Soto-Cabrera, coordinator of the Office of Evangelization for the archdiocese and a co-founder of Soles for Souls, in a 2007 article in the archdiocese's newspaper, The Catholic Advocate. “Not only are we able to share our faith with other runners, we also use our training as a means of offering up the sacrifice for conversions and other special intentions."

The group's members include the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, auxiliary bishop of Newark. “We can offer anything we do as a prayer,” said Bishop da Cunha in The Catholic Advocate. “Running can also be offered as a prayer. Physical activity, although good for the mind and body, can also be good for the soul, and it can also bring good fruits for others, if it is offered as a prayer”.

The group's apostolate seems to reflect St. Paul's teaching to the Colossians: "I rejoice in what I'm suffering for you now; in my flesh I'm completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions on behalf of his body, that is, the church." (Colossians 1:24) Joining our sacrifices--be they physical, spiritual or both--to those of Jesus truly joins us to his sanctifying mission. When sports are approached in this light, they become a powerful means of prayer and a way to live as people of the Eucharist.

Congratulations to Soles for Souls, and many more blessings upon their mission!

Being Healed in the Clutches of Crutches

One of the classic, time-honored criticisms of religion is that people use it as a crutch. Reason would hold that if an image is used to level criticism, the image should be a negative one. This begs the question: at what point in the history of medical science did a crutch become something bad--a detriment to health, rather than an aid to healing?

Last month my ten-year old son sprained his foot while playing at recess. My wife got him a pair of crutches to bear the weight for his injured foot so it could rest and heal. I hope we didn't send him the wrong message.

I seriously doubt that an atheist in the same situation would have told their child to crawl or hop on one foot rather than rely on a crutch. The discrepancy between the image and the reality of crutches reveals a disconnect in the criticism. Physical injuries remind us that there are limits to what we can do by ourselves, and that sometimes we need crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, casts, slings and splints to be restored to health and wholeness. Why can't the same principle apply to emotional and spiritual wounds?

And the idea that crutches are somehow an easy way out of difficulty can hardly be reconciled with the experience of anyone who has ever had to use them to get around.

Of course the criticism does have merit when we turn to religion only as a crutch, taking it out of the closet in times of trouble and then putting it away when we feel fine. But even someone in that circumstance shows a deeper spiritual awareness than one who tries to go it alone--at least they know their limitations and humbly acknowledge a greater power that will come to their aid.

This is one of the many ways sports can offer insights into our relationship with God. We see the glorious potential when spirit and body are wed, pushing each other to excel--as well as the dangers that lurk when they try to exceed their bounds or are not properly prepared. When the weight of an injury becomes too overwhelming, a crutch can bear the weight while healing takes place. An athlete who has relied on a crutch can then become one for others, reminding us that crutches should never be put back in a closet but kept ready to offer to the next teammate who may need them.

And what a beautiful image of God a crutch becomes--supporting weight that is too painful to bear on our own, so we can be healed and eventually walk again. And as we struggle to walk with the injury, the crutches work with us.

In 2004, a man from Ireland named Simon Baker had his right leg amputated below the knee. Four years later he made the Guiness Book of World Records by completing the Dublin Marathon (a 26 mile, 385 yard course) in six hours and 47 minutes--entirely on crutches. He did so to raise money for an organization that helps children with terminal illnesses.

Anyone who believes that relying on a crutch is a sign of weakness may want to visit with Mr. Baker. I'm sure he has quite a different viewpoint.

Are You "Coachable"?

Imagine you're a coach having to choose between these two players to add to your squad:

Player A has exceptional, superstar talent, but won't let anyone tell him what to do. He'll follow his own inclinations instead of your instruction, and thinks his phenomenal talent precludes him from having to work as hard as his less-talented teammates.

Player B is not as talented, but knows that because of this he has to work harder. He'll listen to your direction, allow you to mold him into the team, and will do whatever it takes to contribute.

I'll choose Player B hands down--and Player A has no one to blame but himself.

Attitude is such an equalizer in sports; a less talented athlete with the right work ethic can outshine a more gifted but selfish player.

And so it is in the team game of Christian discipleship. God does not distribute talents equally, but he does give everyone some kind of ability to contribute. It doesn't matter what particular talent we are given or how much of it we possess--what matters is the attitude we bring to placing that talent at the service of God and his people.

We can be blessed with phenomenal talent; but if we refuse guidance, follow our own inclinations instead of God's will, and think that we don't have to work as hard as others, we run the risk of being cut from the squad. And if that were to happen we would have no one to blame but ourselves.

But if we recognize that we have to work hard with any talent we're given (no matter the quantity), listen to God's direction, allow him to mold us into his team, and have a willingness to do whatever it takes to contribute, we can be sure of our place on the roster. (And the entire team will strengthened by our presence.)

The buzzword to describe Player B--and even Player A if he has the right attitude--is "coachable." All the talent in the world means nothing if a player is not willing to be taught by the coach and molded not just into a player, but a teammate.

In the Body of Christ, just as in sports, the most coachable players often turn out to be the most unlikely heroes.

"People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." (Luke 13:29-30)

Mass Even More Exciting Than A Buzzer-Beater

It's often observed that people will happily spend three hours at a sporting event, but grumble over one hour spent in church. Homer Simpson once tried to reconcile the two--listening to a football game on radio earphones at a Sunday service. In the middle of the sermon he jumped up shouting "IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD!...er...It's, uh, good to see you all in church today."

To Homer and his friends the difference may seem to be a no-brainer: sports are exciting, church is boring. Pass the nachos.

Yet for all the excitement sports can bring (and it has brought me a lot over the years), Mass has some thrills to offer that don't even compare.

When I walk into church I dip my fingers into a bowl of water in which Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who descended upon Jesus "in bodily form" when he rose from the baptismal waters of the Jordan now beckons to me "in bodily form." I touch the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit touches me. This is the same water used in baptism, effecting rebirth into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and joining us to his body. And I'm touching it! I haven't even gone into church yet and already I'm given this awesome, exciting gift that allows me to be in physical contact with God. (I'll take that over a bobble-head or a floppy hat any day.)

As Mass begins I stand with a crowd of people to do something much more memorable than "The Wave." Together, out loud, we confess that we have sinned through our own fault, in what we have done and in what we have failed to do. And we ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, all the angels and saints, and our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for one another. Yes, Harry Caray fans, this is a "Holy Cow" moment! (And I don't care if I ever get back.)

After all, we live in a world where people often sue other people to avoid accepting responsibility for their own mistakes--and here an entire community admits publicly that they have sinned? This is radical! Nobody does this "out there"--how exciting is this!

We ask not just the folks we can see to pray for us, but we're rubbing elbows with Mary the Mother of God, the angels and the saints! The shirtless guys in sub-zero temperatures with their team name painted on their bellies are pretty cool, but I get to hang out with angels and saints!

I listen to words written centuries ago, half-way around the world, in languages and cultures I don't even know--and they speak to me. Together with these other folks I recite a Creed which, as Scott Hahn has pointed out, people in the first few centuries AD risked their lives to say.

Most amazing of all, I see bread and wine transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. I am then called forward to be both physically and spiritually fed by the Bread of Life, and thus become physically and spiritually one with him and his mystical body. "We are" [Clap! Clap!] "the Body of Christ!" [Clap! Clap!]

We are then sent forth not merely to "drive home safely," but "to love and serve the Lord," having been joined to him with his promise to transform us into the divine image in which we were created. Who needs a foam finger!

So yes, Homer, "IT'S GOOD!" It is so much more than good. Sports are exciting, no doubt, and I am so blessed to have sports as part of my life. But I am so much more blessed by the opportunity to participate at Mass. If we can all bring the same zeal from the stadiums and arenas to the altar of the Lord, what a truly exciting game this life of ours can become.

Bring it on!

Five New Year's Resolutions for Christian Athletes

As we begin 2010, here are five suggested New Year's resolutions/habits to help Christian athletes grow stronger in their faith through participation in sports.

1. Say this simple prayer to Jesus before every practice and competition: "This is my body, which will be given up for you." Jesus sacrificed his body for us. As you sacrifice yours for your teammates and coaches, tell Jesus that you are doing it for him and his glory. Join all your successes, failures, suffering and joy to the body of Christ.

2. Bring the same intensity of athletics to your competition with sin and evil. As an athlete you want to defeat your opponents in the game. Do you have that same zeal to defeat your opponents in life--anyone who would try to separate you from God? Thomas Merton wrote that souls are like athletes, who need opponents to test them and stretch their capacities. How are you doing against those opponents? NHL referee Kerry Fraser shares this bit of wisdom he received from his spiritual adviser: "He told me there is war going on, but it is heavenly war and we are all players. We can score goals for one side or the other, but everything we do makes an impact on the score of the game." Which side are you scoring goals for?

3. Cultivate the relationship between your body and your spirit. Your body and your spirit do not exist side by side--they are an inseparable union, so much so that they form one nature. The body is animated by the spirit, the spirit is invigorated by the body. Be aware of their union, and nourish them simultaneously. What affects one (for good or for bad) affects the other.

4. If you are not already doing so, develop Christian fellowship with other athletes. The body of Christ, much like a team, is not one individual member but many united. Just as you need your teammates to train and compete as an athlete, you also need them to train and compete as a disciple. And they need you--there may be someone who needs your spiritual companionship to help them defeat their opponents.

5. Learn about the spiritual life of a famous athlete. There are so many prominent athletes who use their celebrity as a platform to evangelize. Pick one and find out as much about his or her faith life as you can, and emulate their example.

Have a very blessed and victorious 2010.