Spiritual Athletes And the Lives of the Saints

BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY

Even though the 2024 Paris Olympics began on a “sour note,” with an offensive and disrespectful depiction of the Last Supper, for which the organizers gave a less than satisfying apology, there is still something impressive, inspiring, and encouraging in the opportunity to see the best athletes from throughout the world coming together to compete with one another. Most of us have personal favorites when it comes to a specific Olympic sport or competition. My favorites are basketball and golf, but no matter the particular sport, competition at the highest level can bring out the best (and sometimes the worst) in the human spirit.

As believers created “body and soul” in the “image and likeness” of God, our Creator, it is not surprising that spiritual writers, such as St. Paul, from the very beginning of Christianity, have seen and reflected on similarities between “running the race” in athletic competition and the truly important “race” to win “God’s crown of victory.” In these days of early August 2024, there was another “Olympic Games” that did not get as much media coverage as the games in Paris. While the “IOC” (International Olympic Committee) organizes the summer and winter Olympics, the FILCAA (Filipino Clergy Association of America) organizes the “PariLympics” every year, which is an annual “Filipino priests sports fest.” “Pari” is the Tagalog (Filipino) word for priest. This year the Filipino priests of New Jersey and New York, including many of our Paterson Filipino priests, hosted the “PariLympics” and they invited me to celebrate Mass for them on the evening of Aug. 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration. I was very impressed and encouraged to learn that approximately 100 Filipino priests from all over the country had come for three days of athletic competition, in games such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, and others, including “indoor games,” such as chess.

It is probable that a reference to “God’s athlete” and “the good athlete” in St. Ignatius’ letter to Polycarp, written sometime before Ignatius’ own martyrdom (c. 107) and quoted above, would have caught my attention at any time, but reading those words a few days before celebrating Mass at the “PariLympics” helped me to keep them in mind. In my homily at the Mass, I shared the words of Ignatius with the priests who were gathered, as I encouraged them to appreciate the importance of priestly fraternity and friendships as we strive the “fight the good fight” of living our vocations, day by day.

Whether or not you are a sports fan and no matter your particular vocation, as Christians and disciples of Jesus, each of us is called to “fight that same good fight” and we need to stay in “good spiritual shape” as “God’s athletes,” as St. Ignatius so eloquently instructs Polycarp and each of us. More information on St. Ignatius of Antioch. The full text of the Reading from the Office of Readings.

In my own spiritual life, at different times during the course of each year, I am grateful for moments when I am inspired, instructed, and encouraged by those that I (and others) have referred to as “God’s All Stars.” We can so easily underestimate and fail to appreciate the gift and blessing of the Lives of the Saints and the ways in which those friends and intercessors in Heaven can encourage, guide, and strengthen us as we strive to “fight the good fight” and “run the race” of living our daily lives of faith. I have found that the end of July and the month of August is a wonderful time of year to reflect on the Lives of the Saints.

In an article two years ago, entitled “God’s All Stars,” I wrote the following:

Here is a list of some of the Saints and Blesseds whom we commemorate in the last two weeks (10 days) of July and the first two weeks of August:

• July 22 — St. Mary Magdalene Aug. 1 —
   St. Alphonsus Liguori
• July 25 — St. James the Apostle Aug. 3 —
   St. Peter Julian Eymard
• July 26 — Ss. Joachim and Anne Aug. 4 —
   St. John Vianney
• July 28 — Blessed Stanley Rother Aug. 8 —
   St. Dominic
• July 29 — Saints Martha, Mary, & Lazarus
   Aug. 9 — St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross
• July 30 — Blessed Solanus Casey Aug. 10 —
   St. Lawrence
• July 31 — St. Ignatius of Loyola Aug. 11 —
   St. Clare of Assisi
• Aug. 12 — St. Jane Frances de Chantal
• Aug. 13 — Blessed Michael McGivney
• Aug. 14 — St. Maximilian Kolbe

This is not even a complete list. As I have done many times before, I highly recommend the website, “Franciscan Media — Catholic Saint of the Day” where you can find out more about some or all of the “Spiritual All Stars” listed here and many, many more. There is literally a saint (or Blessed) for every day.

I am very grateful to the Filipino priests for the invitation to be with them and pray with them during their “Olympic Games.” It was a helpful reminder for me to continue “working out” and striving to “stay in shape” as “God’s athlete.” I hope that any and all of us who have been inspired by the great athletes competing in the Olympics in Paris, will look to the Lives of the Saints and remember what St. Paul teaches us:

“Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus, I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” 

1 Cor 9:24–27