Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Saints Training Camp: Begin training for the prize that lasts
Saints Training Camp: Begin training for the prize that lasts: Blessed John Paul II opened his homily on the Jubilee of Sports People on Oct. 29, 2000, with a familiar verse from Saint Paul's Letter to t...
Begin training for the prize that lasts
Blessed John Paul II opened his homily on the Jubilee of Sports People on Oct. 29, 2000, with a familiar verse from Saint Paul's Letter to the Corinthians.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it!" (1 Cor 9: 24).
This verse of Saint Paul's summarizes well what this blog will be about. God has a prize for each of us, eternal life with Him. In order to obtain that prize we need to put forth the effort, the response that an athlete does when going after a prize, a championship or a medal. An athletes denies self, exercises discipline, and displays courage.
Blessed John Paul II saw goodness in athletics, and he spoke about athletic many times during his 25-year Pontificate. The late pope had been an avid sportsman himself, particularly when it came to skiing in the mountains of Europe.
He told the pilgrims on that October day, "playing sports has become very important today, since it can encourage young people to develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity."
That has held true more than ever as sports on all levels grown in popularity in the past decade. Athletics impacts culture, and the qualities of an athlete reflect characteristics that God calls all to strive for in a life of following Him. Blessed John Paul II referred to Saint Paul as God's athlete in his homily.
The Pontiff said, "he, in fact, is God's true athlete: Christ is the 'more powerful' Man (cf. Mk 1: 7), who for our sake confronted and defeated the 'opponent', Satan, by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus inaugurating the kingdom of God. He teaches us that, to enter into glory, we must undergo suffering (cf. Lk 24: 26,46); he has gone before us on this path, so that we might follow in his footsteps."
This blog will explore what it means to "follow in his footsteps," the footsteps of Christ. We will look at the goodness, truths and virtues that athletics require and connect that with what it means to be Catholic, a disciple of Jesus. Saint Paul and Blessed John Paul II can say it better of course.
The Holy Father told the pilgrims, "once again the Apostle Paul has reminded us of this: 'Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable' (1 Cor 9: 25). Every Christian is called to become a strong athlete of Christ, that is, a faithful and courageous witness to his Gospel. But to succeed in this, he must persevere in prayer, be trained in virtue and follow the divine Master in everything."
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it!" (1 Cor 9: 24).
This verse of Saint Paul's summarizes well what this blog will be about. God has a prize for each of us, eternal life with Him. In order to obtain that prize we need to put forth the effort, the response that an athlete does when going after a prize, a championship or a medal. An athletes denies self, exercises discipline, and displays courage.
Blessed John Paul II saw goodness in athletics, and he spoke about athletic many times during his 25-year Pontificate. The late pope had been an avid sportsman himself, particularly when it came to skiing in the mountains of Europe.
He told the pilgrims on that October day, "playing sports has become very important today, since it can encourage young people to develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity."
That has held true more than ever as sports on all levels grown in popularity in the past decade. Athletics impacts culture, and the qualities of an athlete reflect characteristics that God calls all to strive for in a life of following Him. Blessed John Paul II referred to Saint Paul as God's athlete in his homily.
The Pontiff said, "he, in fact, is God's true athlete: Christ is the 'more powerful' Man (cf. Mk 1: 7), who for our sake confronted and defeated the 'opponent', Satan, by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus inaugurating the kingdom of God. He teaches us that, to enter into glory, we must undergo suffering (cf. Lk 24: 26,46); he has gone before us on this path, so that we might follow in his footsteps."
This blog will explore what it means to "follow in his footsteps," the footsteps of Christ. We will look at the goodness, truths and virtues that athletics require and connect that with what it means to be Catholic, a disciple of Jesus. Saint Paul and Blessed John Paul II can say it better of course.
The Holy Father told the pilgrims, "once again the Apostle Paul has reminded us of this: 'Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable' (1 Cor 9: 25). Every Christian is called to become a strong athlete of Christ, that is, a faithful and courageous witness to his Gospel. But to succeed in this, he must persevere in prayer, be trained in virtue and follow the divine Master in everything."
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