Football and Faith
Football season has begun! Youth and High School programs have a few games under their belts, the Badgers won their season opener, and the Packers begin their season with a storied rivalry against the Chicago Bears.
We know faith and football can come together. In Green Bay, the legendary Vince Lombardi celebrated Mass daily and even had thoughts of joining the priesthood.
Writing on the website of Catholic Athletes for Christ, author Jim Penrice said, “If the NFL needed a Catholic epicenter, Green Bay was a natural fit. Historically the city has been an extraordinarily Catholic community, with some estimates reporting as much as 70 percent of the population claiming membership. That identity has helped shaped the Packers from the very beginning. The team’s founder came from a devout Catholic family, whose life centered upon St. Willebrord Church in downtown Green Bay.”
Is your Church of the Home football fans? What are the attitudes toward football that we should have towards our faith? (adapted from FIVE ATTITUDES WE HAVE TOWARD FOOTBALL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOWARD CHURCH by Matt Swaim)
1. ARRANGE OUR DAY AROUND IT
What if we arranged our day, not around games, but around attendance at Mass and prayer time? We should prioritize our days as Lombardi said: “Think of only three things: your God, your family and the Green Bay Packers-in that order.”
2. TALK ABOUT IT
What happened for three hours on a football field on Sunday can dominate our conversation for the entire week. If you showed up on Monday morning at work or school, and someone were to ask you what the Gospel reading was at Mass over the weekend, would you be able to tell them?
3. HONOR THE GREATS
The NFL has been around for roughly one hundred years. Multiply that by twenty, and that’s how long the Church has been around. Over that time, it has been home to spiritual giants, whose holiness has impacted the world. We should want to read what they wrote, to hear stories about them, to get to know them. And not all heroes of our faith have died yet. Seek out those people who have a heart for Christ in our parishes, and learn what makes them great. Then go and practice those things and become great yourself.
4. REMEMBER WHY
The game is not about the concessions. It is not about the face paint, the merchandise, or proving how loyal of a fan you are. t’s about the action on the field. Take that away, and everything else is pointless.
Similarly, the Mass is not about your attitude, your favorite pew, the family with the misbehaving kids a few rows ahead of you, how much you put in the basket, or how well you dress. To the dismay of many involved in liturgical music, it’s not even about that (although some with liturgical music backgrounds would argue it’s all just a setup for their big moment). It’s about the action on the altar. Take that away, and everything else is pointless.
5. DON’T BE A FAIRWEATHER FAN
When our teams are winning, it’s much easier to stick with them.
It’s much more comfortable to admit to being a Mass-going Catholic when Pope Francis is making positive headlines and has a soaring approval rating. When the Church is in the news for horrible things that her members have done, or when her leadership gets caught in political crossfire, our tendency can be to downplay our loyalties.
It’s a fact that we all know intuitively, but still bears repeating: the Church has endured heresy, persecution, scandal, revolution, you name it, and remains standing two millennia after her founding by Christ himself. It can be easy to cite a negative experience at a parish, or a frustrating conversation with a priest, or any number of complaints as reasons why we don’t feel like going to Mass.
The Packers have always been a team of great faith. "God, Family and the Green Bay Packers" explores the parallels of the Green Bay Packers community and the faith community that Vince Lombardi laid out for his team.
60 Days to 60 Years Continues
As we continue the countdown to our 60th Anniversary,
Resurrection invites you to participate in the many events being offered
Join us for Mass this weekend in person
at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.
READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES
VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION
We are each other's keepers. We are called to recognize that all are in need of our love and concern. How can we show we care and make other's lives better? And when someone strays, we must work towards forgiveness and reconciliation, not estrangement. Join Sr Marla as she reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.
Families
This Weekend's Bulletin
(click to read)
Recent Losses in Our Parish Family
Announcements
Katie and Tony honor the legacy of Jimmy Buffett by reflecting and praying with his song "I Wave Bye Bye" through the Auditio Divina process.
Lyrics:
I wave bye bye I pray God speed I wish lovely weather More luck than you need You'll only sail in circles So there's no need to cry No, I'll see you again one day And then I waved bye bye
Ruby and Res
Until the leaves fall off the trees, Ruby has to settle for rolling around in the leaves on the carpet.
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