Catholic Schools Week
St. John Regional Catholic School
February 10, 2023
Superbowl LVII
So, Sunday is the Superbowl – # 57 – the Eagles are playing the Chiefs. The winning team is the one that will work together the best. You can have the greatest quarterback but if the wide receiver fumbles the ball…well, it’s not so good! But if each player contributes their skill to the team and the team clicks, it’s more likely to win.
Not everyone is a quarterback or a wide receiver or a defensive lineman. But together they make a team – but only if they’re willing to put their skill and energy at the service of the team.
One Body in Christ
St. Paul tells us that we are One Body of Christ – and what does he mean? You might say that the Church is Jesus’ team and each one of us are players. We joined the team when we were baptized and we stay on the team by taking part in Mass, receiving the Eucharist, confessing our sins, and by moral training – learning to discipline ourselves and to grow in virtue.
Each of you has gifts from God – sports, math, technology, language arts, you name it. Jesus is like the coach who brings us together as team and helps us to use our gifts and talents for the team – the Church – and our team wins when we and those we love follow Christ and share in his love. There are also assistant coaches – your parents, teachers, priests, and so forth. God the Father is like the owner of the team who really, really cares about it. And by the way, the Owner and the Coach really get alone great – the Father and the Son are one in the Holy Spirit! Now, if the owner, the coach, the team and each player work together – you’re going to win more than the Superbowl – you’re going to be on the winning team. Good will win over evil. Love will win out over hate. Justice will triumph over injustice. Life will win out over death – and you and your teammates will enjoy eternal life in heaven.
The Role of Catholic Schools
St. John’s Regional is a wonderful Catholic school – I’m so grateful to your principal and teachers but also to your parents for sending you here. It helps you develop your gifts and talents as individuals but also trains you to be part of a team – how to be “One Body in Christ” – how to put your gifts and talents at the service of others and at the service of the Church.
I hope you will always love the Owner, the Coach, the Assistant Coaches and the Team, and someday be named a most valuable player – a saint! God bless you and keep you in his love!