“…So we have the rituals of sport and the rituals of faith. And the rituals of faith point explicitly to the transcendent … I think they can potentially remind us of the relative significance of sport. I don’t know if you have read Jay Wright’s book? He was the coach at Villanova when they won two national championships. It’s almost a book about Father Rob Hagan (the team’s priest chaplain), because he could tell so many stories about what Father Rob said to the players … in the locker room right after the game (when they won the National Championship), ‘don’t let this be the most important day of your life. You’re called to be good fathers, members of your community, helping the poor’…”
Prayer in sports: healthy spirituality or superstition?
As I was writing this column (on the first weekend of the NCAA Basketball Tournament), I realized that it will be published during the Fifth Week of Lent, a few days before we enter Holy Week, and could be published on Wednesday, March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation (and Incarnation), which, this year, is also “Opening Day” (for the Yankees) of the baseball Season.
I hope that many readers have heard that a preacher (homilist), as he exhorts and encourages his listeners to reflect on the Word of God, put their faith into action, and Love as Jesus calls us to love, is often “preaching to himself.” A good homilist is aware of his own weaknesses, temptations, and challenges to living the faith and can (hopefully) inspire others as he shares some of the ways he seeks God’s help, the help of the Church and the Sacraments, with confidence that we can do “all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
Instead of changing the subject of this column to a more specifically “spiritual” focus, I think there may be “something here” for our reflection, for both sports fans and those who have no interest in sports. For fans of college basketball (and the NCAA Tournament, aka “March Madness”), there could be a temptation to be distracted from prayer and reflection on Palm Sunday Weekend and Holy Saturday, when some important games will be played – this is the part where I am “preaching to” (reminding) myself.
For the non-sports’ fan, chances are you have people in your family, friends, or colleagues who are fans of college basketball, baseball, or some other athletic competition. I write with the hope that something in this column could “open a door” to conversation or greater understanding.
The quote above is from an interview on the Jesuitical podcast, from an episode released on Feb. 6, a few days before the Super Bowl. There are two excellent interviews on the topic of the “intersection” of sports and faith, of the lessons of the spiritual life that can often be learned by those who compete in or watch sports. Hearing the interviews and, especially hearing what Father Patrick Kelly, S.J., who holds the Heider Chair at Creighton University and is an expert in the theology of Sports, says about Coach Jay Wright, motivated me to read a book written by Coach Wright. I would think that most fans of Villanova Basketball would be aware of the book, but I would highly recommend it, not only for Villanova fans, but any sports fan, especially fans of college basketball.
For those who may be familiar with Coach Jay Wright or those who may be interested in hearing how our Catholic Faith, a faithful priest chaplain, and the values of a Catholic University helped a basketball coach, not only win two National Championships, but much more importantly, allowed him and his colleagues to teach young college athletes some important “life lessons,” you can hear Coach Wright when he will be visiting our Diocese on Wednesday, May 6 and giving a presentation on “Winning and losing as disciples and as a team.” For more information and to register, you can click on this link.
I also decided to “stick” with the “sports-themed” subject for this week’s column because we were blessed to have a special guest on the Beyond the Beacon podcast last week. Deacon Steve Javie has been a deacon of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since 2019. He was a referee in the NBA for 25 years, from 1986 – 2011. As a NY Knicks fan, I remembered Steve Javie as a “ref” in some pretty intense playoff games in the mid and late 1990s. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had been ordained a deacon when I heard him (where else?) on the Jesuitical podcast in the summer of 2024. My co-host, Jai Agnish, was more confident than I was, thinking that Deacon Steve would be willing to be a guest on Beyond the Beacon, but he graciously accepted our invitation. It was a pleasure to meet Deacon Steve and to interview him. You can watch and or listen to the interview here.
A common theme, whether it be Coach Wright, Deacon Steve, or others, who are people of faith and are also successful in sports or other professions, is the importance of keeping in perspective, realizing, and remembering what and who is most important in our lives. Whether it be a bishop, priest, religious, or lay person, there is much we can learn from athletes, artists, businesspeople, or other professionals who “excel” in their given field. Hard work, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, teamwork, and other values that can lead to “success” in more secular pursuits can lead to “true success” if they are offered to God and in the service of others and the common good. Sports and other pursuits can also teach us some “hard lessons,” such as we can often learn more from a loss and overcoming adversity than we can from an easy or even hard-fought “win.”
As I conclude this column, I am tempted to say that I received some affirmation in my choice of topic. When I began writing this column, my alma mater, St. John’s University, was scheduled to play a very “big game” in the NCAA tournament against a tough opponent, the University of Kansas. St. John’s had a 14-point lead late in the second half, but Kansas came back to tie the score in the final minute. St. John’s scored a basket as time ran out to win (and advanced in the tournament). We remember, “it’s only a game,” but it’s still fun, once in a while, when your team wins a big game.
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