Sports have been a great love of mine for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed playing different sports when I was younger and even though I was not blessed with natural athletic ability, I would play with my friends whenever I had the chance. If there was no one around, I would, like every kid does at one time or another, stand in the backyard pretending to hit the game winning home run in the seventh game of the World Series, catch the game winning pass in the Super Bowl or sink the game winning basket for the NBA championship. With these dreams playing out in my head, it was difficult to accept that I would never be the best player on the team, but I did not let this discourage me. I would come back each day because my skill level was not what ultimately mattered to me. I played for the love of the game, and I approached every situation with the hope that I might have that one shining moment of glory.
As much as I loved playing sports, I was equally drawn to watching them on tv, which has stayed with me into adulthood. I have my favorites of course but, in most cases, if there is a game or sporting event on, I will watch it. The pinnacle of this for me is the Olympics. For two weeks straight I am glued to the tv as I attempt to catch at least a few minutes of every event. The summer games have the tradition, and the winter games have the more extreme events, but I find them both equally as exciting. The message and what the games stand for is also very appealing to me – athletes from around the world, putting aside their differences and coming together for the love of their sport to compete for the ultimate trophy, an Olympic medal. The amount of hard work, sacrifice and dedication that these athletes put in from a very early age to compete for the chance to represent their country in the sport they love, has always been inspiring to me. I particularly enjoy seeing the backstories of how the athletes got to the games which adds another aspect by highlighting the humanity of the participants. It does not matter where you are from or what your background is, when you step on the Olympic stage to compete, anything can happen. We have all witnessed underdog stories in sports and the Olympics allow them to play out on the world’s biggest stage.
I thought it was interesting that, in the first reading on the final day of the most recent summer Olympics, we heard the story of Elijah who, in fleeing from the events on Mount Carmel, came to a point on his journey where he just could not go on any longer. Elijah’s situation is certainly different than what an athlete faces, but after hearing this story I wondered how often an athlete has the feeling that they cannot continue. Elijah stopped and was visited by an Angel who came bearing food and encouraged him to eat. Athletes do not have the luxury to stop in the middle of a competition so they must rely on their training and preparation.
Most of us are not athletes performing at the highest level, but we often experience situations where we feel like we cannot go on, or as athletes call it, hitting the wall. This can happen in any aspect of our lives, including our faith. This was especially true this past year when many of us were not allowed to attend Mass or receive the Eucharist due to the pandemic. We watched Mass at home and added a little extra to our prayer life to compensate, but we realized, maybe for the first time, how important the Eucharist is to our well-being. Just as athletes need the proper nutrition to perform, we need Eucharistic nourishment for the well-being of our souls. It is through attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist that we receive the spiritual nourishment we need on our path to salvation. Receiving the Eucharist is one of the most important things we can do as Catholics, and we should appreciate the beauty and significance of this most precious gift and recognize the role that it plays on our journey.
This proper nourishment will help sustain us and keep us focused, but sadly, no matter how hard we try, there is no gold medal for life. Some may equate getting into Heaven with winning a gold medal, but we do not earn Heaven in the sense of it being a prize. Heaven is not a gold medal; it is a gift of God’s grace that we cannot enter solely through human deeds. That is not to say, however, that our deeds are not important, they certainly are. We know this because God gave us the blueprints in the form of the Ten Commandments. These would be considered the baseline, but we are also called to be good and loving and to live a life of faithfulness and gratitude every day. Faithfulness in our love of God and the promise of salvation and gratitude for God’s grace and Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice. As Colossians 3:12 also teaches us, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”. Living a life of faith, loving service to God and others and receiving the proper nourishment through the Eucharist will set us on the correct path.
The main goal for many who play sports is winning. Athletes are focused on sticking to their game plan and they know that if they do, they will have a good chance to succeed. In life, results are important, but our top priority should be living the lifestyle of Christ and following the teachings and examples that He left for us. When we fail, and we will at times, God will be there to lift us up and encourage us to get back on the right path. If our goal is to live a faith filled life, to know and to love God and ultimately to get to Heaven, we just need to stick to the game plan that Jesus has provided. In life, just as in sports, our training, nourishment, and focus will prepare us for those moments when we hit the wall and will give us the strength to reach the finish line. There may not be a gold medal for us at the end, but what will be waiting for us will be so much greater.