There is a story I heard once (and as the Irish say, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story), that a Boston College coach approached Lou Holtz before a game and said, “Well, Lou, since we’re both Catholic Schools, at least we know that God doesn’t care who wins,” to which Lou Holtz responded, “But His Mother does.”
And this first reading is probably the perfect reading as we welcome back our Powers Catholic Varsity Soccer team to St. Pius X, after they became District Champions by beating Unionville-Sebewaing, and as they prepare for the Regional games. I can just see Brent Zloto and Luke Mattar holding up my arms during the entire game!! That’s definitely one reading of the passage from Exodus: as long as we do the right thing, or have the right spiritual leader praying for us on the sidelines (holding hands up is the posture of prayer), then we’re going to win every game! Granted, so far, it has worked that way for Districts. But I can also remember a couple of games where I was cheering you on from the sidelines, and maybe the end result wasn’t exactly as we wanted.
So what’s the deal?!? Jesus tells us to pray in our Gospel, and we have this example from the Book of Exodus of the power of prayer of the Israelites demolishing Amalek and his army when Moses prayed for them. Shouldn’t this mean that if we just pray hard enough, then we’ll get what we want?
I think we all know, deep in our hearts, that God doesn’t work this way. We may think that if we pray, we will change God’s mind or alter His plan, but then if we think about it, and we think about all the bad things that happen around the world, does that mean that those people weren’t praying enough, or in the right way?
In fact, prayer does not change God, but it does change us. And prayer is very different from superstition. Superstition is trying to use supernatural stuff to get our way, and as Catholics it’s easy to fall into superstition. But superstition is forbidden by the first commandment, that tells us to not have any gods besides the one, true God. And superstition is where we try to make ourselves God and determine nature according to our will.
Prayer, on the other hand, yes, asks God to do something particular, but comes from the advantage that we do not always know what should happen. In fact, we rarely know what is best even for ourselves. Prayer always asks God to do what is best for us, which He does, as St. Paul says: all things work for the good of those who love God. Prayer does not so much change God’s heart, as it does open our hearts up to the wider possibilities of good that God desires for us.
So why does Jesus tell us to “pray always without becoming weary”? Because sometimes we don’t know what is best for us, and often we need to continue to ask God in order to know God’s will for us. Prayer is also an act of faith, and our persistence in prayer is a demonstration of our faith. Look again at the Gospels: Jesus never heals anyone without their faith in Him. And in some cities, it even says that Jesus did not work many miracles because of their lack of faith. When we keep praying, as you are today, Chargers, it is a demonstration of your faith in God who wants what is best for you. It is a way of saying, “God, I know that you love me and you want what is best for me, and I entrust my desires into your hands.”
So, do I pray for our sports teams in general, and right now for our varsity soccer team? You bet I do! I pray that you use your gifts and talents that God gave you; I pray for your health and safety; I pray that how you play glorifies God and honors Powers Catholic High School; and yes, I pray that we win. Is that God’s will? I hope so, but I entrust it to Him. And I know that whatever God has planned for each of you will make your life the best that it can be, full of joy, peace, and love, even if that comes, as it always does, with challenges, frustration, sacrifice, and pain.
St. Paul advises St. Timothy and us today, to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” To all of us, and especially our Powers Catholic Varsity Soccer team, with whom I am honored, truly honored, to stand on the sidelines with you and pray for you, have faith in God’s will for you. Pray with faith that God will give you every good gift that you need. Practice and pray with that confidence in the love and wisdom of God.