The beginning of the new sports season has already started. NFL Football camps have begun, colleges are beginning practice for fall sports and high schoolers are beginning two-a-days. Even our junior high football team has begun practicing! I bring up the theme of sports because Pope Francis I at a vigil for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, used the sports field as an analogy for the spiritual life. In other words, the Holy Father was teaching that sports can be understood as a metaphor for the spiritual life. Of course, he spoke about European football, i.e., soccer. :-)
Telling the youth that “Most of you love Sports!”; he asked, “what do players do when they are asked to join a team?” He continued, “They have to train, and train a lot.” Pope Francis stated that is the same for those who wish to be disciples and that we have to get ourselves into shape. The training: PRAYER!
Carrying the metaphor of sports and training into the spiritual life leads to the conclusion that a solid routine of prayer is necessary to be a true disciple. This means more than just the token Morning Prayer and Blessing Before Meals. Pope Francis is referring to extended prayer where we dialogue with questions to Jesus such as “Jesus look what I have done, what must I do now?”; and, “Father, are you asking us all to pray?”
To start this “training” in prayer the Pope offers an examination of oneself with the following questions: “Do I pray? Do I speak with Jesus, or am I frightened by silence? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to speak in my heart? Do I ask Jesus: what do you want me to do, what do you want from my life? This is training.” As our sports culture begins training for the Fall sports season, let us all start training on the “spiritual” field. We can begin with the questions that the Pope offered to the youth listed above. This is a great starting point.
One thing that I will promise you, if you schedule out a sustained amount of time for prayer each day, at least 15 continuous minutes, you will be surprised at the change in your experience of daily life. You will get more done and you will experience more peace. Why? Well, because you are training the spiritual field of your soul to be a disciple of Christ who continuously strengthens us.
Ad majorem Dei gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God),
Fr. John F. Jirak, Pastor
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