"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!