NFL Championship Games are here –
Philadelphia vs Minnesota & Jacksonville vs New England (again New England)
People will be doing a lot of
praying! Especially for Tom Brady’s
hand! Ok to Minny to pray after their miracle?
Yes. Of course – no public
prayers before games – and athletes usually pray they do well and won’t get
hurt.
Surveys taken 2 years ago reveal that
a lot of praying is going on before the Super Bowl: 26 % of American pray to God to help their
team - 23 % believe their team is
cursed! No more Cubs or Red Sox Fans!
31 % of Catholics &
45 % of Protestants believe: God
plays a role in determining the winner of a sporting event!
65 % of Catholics believe that God
rewards faithful athletes. Wow!
This is how God works? What happens if a faithful athlete
loses? He didn’t pray enough?
Website “Open Doors” says that: Each month
322 Christian are killed because of their faith 214 Christian Churches and properties are
destroyed 772 forms of violence are
committed against Christians. Worst
country – North Korea – followed by Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan & Pakistan.
They did not have faith????
I remember my Dad one year before
death – his health was getting worse – Michael: what did I do?
Did I do something wrong? This was
a faithful, good man who went to daily Mass after he retired. Broke my heart - no, dad, you just got old! Since when does having faith mean bad
things do not happen? What about the
Cross?
Young priest was talking with a group
of old priests like me. Would you do it
all over again?
He said: The expected answer is YES
The Question is WHY?
Not because I had good support from
other priests -
Not because I met so many wonderful people
-
Not because everything went well: IT
DID NOT ALWAYS GO WELL! -
Not because it was an easy life: IT
WAS GOOD BUT LIKE MOST PEOPLE, NOT EASY.
(Or else our seminaries would be full!)
WHY? – because somehow God worked
through me! - CALLED!!!!
I was used for good –
somehow my life made a difference -
despite sometimes lousy homilies or
not best advice –
yet God was at work.
I Wonder – would Andrew, Peter, James
and John done it all over again? – said yes and followed? – nothing like they
thought – yet they were used for good
How about Mary? - do it all over again?
Faith does not mean things will
always go our way – but that God will always be there – and if we cooperate with
His grace – God can use us for good!!!!
So, who will win games today? God knows (which does not mean he fixed it!)
May the best teams win!
