"The image of the athlete, used famously by St. Paul -- 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (1 Tim 6:12) -- was a favorite of the Fathers of the Church also. Perhaps its most marvelous expression is in a passage by Clement of Alexandria: 'This is the true athlete -- he who in the great stadium, the fair world, is crowned for the true victory over all the passions. For he who prescribes the contest is the Almighty God, and he who awards the prize is the only-begotten Son of God. Angels and gods are spectators; and the contest, embracing all the varied exercises, is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), but against the spiritual powers of inordinate passions that work through the flesh. He who obtains the mastery in these struggles, and overthrows the tempter, menacing, as it were, with certain contests, wins immortality. ... The spectators are summoned to the contest, and the athletes contend in the stadium; the one, who has obeyed the directions of the trainer, wins the day' (Stromata, vol. VII).
"Great spiritual writers draw upon the same image. The Blessed John Henry Newman described monks as a distinctive class of Christian athlete: 'Our Savior speaks of the power of exorcising as depending on fasting and prayer, in certain special cases, and thus distinctly countenances the notion of a direct conflict between the Christian athlete and the powers of evil.' (Life of St. Anthony). St. Pope John Paul II, a great sportsman himself, as well as a great pope, not surprisingly emphasized the same theme, 'Every Christian is called to become a strong athlete of Christ, that is, a faithful and courageous witness to his Gospel. But to succeed in this, he must persevere in prayer, be trained in virtue and follow the divine Master in everything' (Homily for the Jubilee of Sports People, Oct. 29, 2000). This by the same pope who in the early years of his pontificate, before he became ill, would slip away from the Vatican dressed as a layman to go skiing in the Dolomites, hidden in plain sight, never recognized on the slopes."
In a recent commentary, Dr. Michael Pakaluk, Professor and Chairman of Philosophy at Ave Maria University, reflected on the connection between sports and living the Christian life.
To access Dr. Pakaluk's complete post, please visit:
The Boston Pilot: Echoes: The Christian athlete (4 SEP 15)
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