"My high school batch at St. Paul College of Pasig, a Catholic school
for girls here in the Philippines run by the Sisters of St. Paul of
Chartres, just celebrated its homecoming. We prepared for it for a
year, a year that was spent reminiscing about high school memories and
organizing a grand celebration dinner.
"Among the fond memories of our high school days, a favorite is that
of the Intramurals. The Intramural athletic competitions were, and still
are, a big thing in our school. Rivalry between batches in volleyball,
softball, track-and-field, swimming, and chess events was intense,
although everyone played fair and clean most of the time. Even members
of the non-athletic majority, such as I, were expected to take the
Intramurals seriously as we formed part of their batches' pep squads in
the cheering competitions. The cheering competitions were the biggest
events in the Intramurals. We practiced hard for hours amidst the
demands of high school homework, and each batch tried to outdo each
other in coming up with the most sophisticated and most artistic pep
squad and cheer dance routines. . . .
"It seems that sports competitions were a big thing, too, to our school's
patron saint. In St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he used
athletics as an example to illustrate the determination and sacrifice it
takes for a Christian to reach the highest goal in life, which is union
with God. . . .
"I like the way St. Paul viewed the struggle for sanctity as a sport.
"Often, we balk at the suggestion that we should aim to be saints. We
tend to think that sanctity is reserved for an elite few, and that the
rest of us are doomed to either spiritual mediocrity or damnation. We
want to be good but we find it hard. . . .
"Perhaps it is because he knew how discouraging the struggle against
oneself can be, that he wrote about it in terms of sports to encourage
his readers. Sports are tough and demanding. They involve pain and hard
training. But they are fun, too. They are all about a sense of
accomplishment when one wins, hope for another second chance of victory
when one loses, and camaraderie with one's teammates in any case."
In a recent commentary, writer Cristina Montes reflected on the parallels between striving to be a good athlete as one prepares for athletic competitions and striving to improve one's spiritual life as one lives her/his life.
To access her complete post, please visit:
Ignitum Today: On St. Paul, Sports, and Sanctity (17 JAN 18)
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