Reflections on Football, Hope, and Holiness--

Well, how about that. The Patriots won that game-- total shocker to me, but then, isn't that why we play all 60 minutes? Actually, it was not that close, even. Imagine that. And now, they go on to Denver to face the Broncos next Sunday. I honestly thought it was just going to be casual football watching for me after yesterday, but nope. 

Alexander Pope was famous for his essays, and from those, come a plethora of pithy epigrams. One that seems appropriate for the football season, and, to be honest, for much of life in general is "Hope springs eternal in the human breast./ Man never is, but is always to be blest." 

To always be about to be blessed, but never be blessed? Grim, I think. But then, we often don't notice what our blessings truly are until they are in the rear-view mirror. It is only through recollection that we notice how good things have been, or what we've been given, or even what we were directed away from. But Hope (capital H) is a forward-thinking emotion, right? 

On the lighter side, I didn't have a lot of hope (lower case h) for the football game until they started capitalizing on errors from the opponent. They were playing situational football. I finally felt a glimmer of hope when they proved that they could do the job. Isn't that what we all feel, metaphorically speaking? I mean, it's not easy to have blind faith or hope without a foundation to build upon. But yet, isn't that the trust in God that we are supposed to have? (Okay, stepping away from football here.) 

In church yesterday, Fr. Ryan's homily focused on what it means to be holy, and how we each have the capacity to be holy, to act with thoughtful intention. We should view our actions, words, and deeds as opportunities to become more holy, more --as he put it-- "saintlike." Saints were and are just people, too. But they approached their daily tasks and interactions differently. We tend to get really bogged down in routine, in doing the necessary and expected stuff with a resigned air, often impatiently. But the thing is, we have to flip that narrative -- and it is not easy to think this way. We have the opportunity to serve. Doing dishes, watching children, donating food to the free pantry-- all those things can be chores, or they can be opportunities to act with grace and intention. (See, I listened in church.) 

But how do we train ourselves to be more holy in our actions? First, we need to root out impatience and resentment. This is a huge problem for me, much of the time. I despise cleaning bathrooms. I don't like folding laundry. I don't want to get up extra early and face snowy roads to go to work. And so on... you get the idea. But I *could* say, I have indoor plumbing that works, and keeping it clean is a gift to myself and my family to keep us safe and healthy. And we have plenty of appropriate clothing that is clean and ready to be worn, to keep us warm and dry. And I have the opportunity to go to work, to make a difference in young people's lives, to model appropriate levels of professionalism, scholarship, and care. 

It's really hard work to flip the thinking on tasks like these and so many others. It's really hard to extend space and grace to people who seem to be going out of their way to obstruct what we want and need to do. It is far too easy to just slump spiritually and slog our way through the days, weeks, months, years... but we have been given the gift of one life to live, and what exactly is complaining and fussing going to accomplish? Who is helped by resentment? If we've got limited time on this planet, why not use the moments ahead to act and think with better intention? It's a big question. It's a big request. It's a big task. And I know I will fail at it often, but I should try. 

Am I up to it? I hope so. 

I have my own "sixty minutes" to play, and I should use them all. 

Have a good day, folks. Hold your loved ones close to your heart. We'll make it, if we are all in this together. 

C