Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of September 6, 2011!

Congratulations to Catherine Birdwell!

Catherine will receive a copy of The Catholic Family Connections Bible, a $26.95 value.

The Catholic Family Connections Bible helps families connect to:

- Each other- through family faith conversations
- Faith through practices of prayer and devotion
- Community-through participating in Christian service together

The Catholic Family Connections Bible uses the New American Bible text and is woven around the core content of the bestselling Catholic Youth Bible® (loved by nearly two million Catholic young people), which includes:

- Over 700 lively articles help you Pray It! Study It! Live It!®
- Catholic Connection” articles provide a presentation of key Catholic doctrine
- 28 articles address the seven principles of Catholic social teaching
- 75 inspirational illustrations
- Helpful index to life and faith issues
- Easy-to-use glossary of Scripture-related terms
- Sunday Lectionary readings for all three cycles
- "Catholic Connections" index
- "Sacraments Connections" index

The Catholic Family Connections Bible
ISBN: 978-1-59982-088-0, paper, 1968 pages

Athletics and Privilege

I will confess that even though I spend a great deal of time on the computer, I am not an avid user of YouTube. I have seen, and was amused by, “Charlie Bit My Finger” and the sneezing baby panda, but that is about it. Last week, however, a regular reader of The Servant Leader (and a longtime friend of mine) forwarded me a link to a YouTube video he found interesting and inspirational, and I would like to pass it along to you. The following video is a clip of Kirk Cousins speaking at the 2011 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon. Kirk Cousins is a college senior and the starting quarterback for the Michigan State Spartans:

In this brief 8-minute video, Kirk Cousins speaks to what it means to be a servant leader. He explores how he, as an athlete, has been privileged in his life. He goes on to explain that with privilege comes responsibility. In his own words:
“It is here in this place of privilege where perhaps danger lies. I have been taught that human nature is such that the place of privilege most often and most naturally leads to a sense of entitlement, the notion that I deserve to be treated as special because I’m privileged. The truth is, privilege should never lead to entitlement. I’ve been raised and taught to believe that privilege should lead to responsibility, in fact, to greater responsibility.”

When so much of what we see from athletes is grandstanding, questionable behavior, and selfish “me first” attitudes, it is inspiring to hear from a young man who understands that privilege is not about “what’s in it for me.” Instead, it is about recognizing that the privileges a person experiences call one to a greater purpose. Cousins provides a wonderful definition of servant leadership: “. . . Privilege should lead to responsibility, in fact, to greater responsibility.” 

I invite you to share this clip with the coaches and student athletes you know. One possible way to use this clip is to view it with student athletes and then have a discussion in which they are asked to identify and share about the responsibilities they have as athletes: to themselves, each other, the community, and God. Because athletics is such a major part of many young people’s lives, we must work to help them recognize that their faith does not stop when they step onto the field or court. Instead, the time they spend preparing, competing, and simply being recognized as an athlete is an opportunity to grow closer to God and contribute to the building of his Kingdom.

Kirk Cousins also says that athletes should act in such a way that alumni, parents, and friends can proudly say, “He is one of ours.” Ultimately this is what we should want for each student athlete: that the team, community, and Church can look at each one of them and say, “He or she is one of God’s children” with a pride not based on performance but instead based on character. As always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Click Here for More Information

Reflection 2: Being in the Zone
From More Than a Game: Stories, Prayers, and Reflections for the Student Athlete,

Reflection
Colleen had a good feeling going into the semifinal game of the soccer league championship. She was confident in her own ability, and she was sure of her team’s ability. The coaches prepared the team well, and they were ready to avenge one of their earlier losses by defeating Sacred Heart Academy.

The bus ride to the game was fun—everyone singing and charged up. The atmosphere was electric. The warmups went quickly and easily. Colleen could see her family in the stands. From time to time, they yelled her name and number: “Number 14, good luck!”

As the game started she recognized some of the opposing players. She knew she could hold her own against them; she could feel it in her bones. Colleen had speed on her side, and she felt relaxed in her game.

Early in the game, her teammate Sue broke loose from the pack. She and Colleen were on a two-on-one break going toward the goal. Colleen saw the goalie cheating to her right side and easily lifted the ball over the goalie’s left shoulder for the game’s first goal. Colleen’s teammates jumped all over her in celebration, and momentum was on their side.

Later in the game, on a corner kick, Colleen managed to head in a ball to put her team up 3–1. It was this goal that cemented their win and propelled the team to the championship game.

That night, as she was reflecting on the game, Colleen was amazed at the success of the day: the satisfaction of a game well played and won and the intensity of the competition. She pictured over and over again the goals she scored. She recalled the celebration the team shared at the end of the game and reveled in her teammates’ congratulations on her fine performance. She also remembered the coaches’ appreciation and support. Her family, too, was on her mind. She recalled the elation of the ride home and the prayers of thanksgiving during dinner that night. Things came together for Colleen that day, and she felt great. She thanked God that night for the blessings of the day.

Reflecting on the Experience
Breaking Open the Story

What a great experience it is to feel that everything is working out for you. It can be a magical experience filled with awe and wonder. There are times in sports when everything lines up perfectly and, either individually or as a team, we experience brief moments of perfection. If we take the time, we can recognize God’s presence in those moments. It’s not that God has “chosen” us to win the game; rather these are moments to experience the perfection of God’s creation and revel in the moment.

Your Own Reflection on the Story
- Have you ever felt like you were “in the zone” while playing a sport? Where did you see God’s presence in that experience?
- How much practice time did you put in to prepare for that moment?
- Have you ever had the feeling that you just wanted to say “Thank you, God”? Describe the situation.
- What does it feel like to be aware that God truly wants the best for you?

The Role of the Community in the Experience
What specific roles do the following members of the school and sport community play in this situation?
- the coach
- the family
- the team chaplain
- the school minister
- the sports team

Scriptural Reflection
I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. (Ecclesiastes 3:12–13)

- What does this verse say about God’s desire for our lives?

Prayer
Dear Jesus,
I thank you for those special moments when I have felt close to you. You have blessed me not only with the ability to play sports but also with an awareness of the ways in which you work in my life. I appreciate the ability to reflect on the many ways you help me in my life, especially in those sports moments. Help me hold on to those moments as a reminder of your love in times of struggle and times of feeling distant from you. Amen.

Going Forward—Action Step
- Write a letter of gratitude to God for the ways God has graced your life.
- Write a description of the event or game in which you experienced being in the zone. Describe everything about it that you can remember. In particular describe the feelings you experienced. Refer to this the next time you are struggling with practice, as a reminder of the “good” that is waiting for you.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 11, 2011
Matthew 20:1-16a

Opening Prayer
Jesus, we pray with a grateful heart for the outpouring of God's love and mercy in our lives. May we embrace this generous gift and show the same love and mercy toward all the people we meet. Amen.

Context Connection
The parable of the landowner, in this Sunday's Gospel, begins immediately after verse 19:30, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." The essence of this verse is restated at the end of the parable, verse 20:16, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." As we read the parable, Matthew wants us to remember that God's justice is gracious and full of mercy. As Christians we are called to live out this justice in our daily lives.

The parable compares the Kingdom of heaven to the landowner who hires laborers for the vineyard. The landowner agrees to pay the first group hired the "usual daily wage" (20:2), which was one denarius. A few hours later, at nine o'clock, the landowner hires more laborers, telling them that he will pay them "whatever is right" (20:4). The landowner does the very same thing each time he hires more laborers, which he does at noon, at three o'clock, and at five o'clock. "When evening came" (20:8), which would have been about six o'clock, the landowner began to pay everyone who had worked for him that day. At this time and place it was customary to pay workers daily, not weekly. He began with the laborers that he hired last and ended with the ones he had hired first. Everyone received the same amount, which was the usual wage for a day's worth of work. When it came to the group that was hired in the early morning, they gave the landowner an earful, "they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat" (20:11-12). The landowner replied by addressing one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?" (20:13). The laborers could not argue with him; they were paid what he had promised. The landlord had been just, and he goes on to ask, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?" (20:15).

The parable reveals something of the last judgment. God's justice will be fair and generous, and those who loved and served their neighbors as themselves will benefit. Whether a person lived an unselfish life matters; what doesn't matter is when he or she began to live such a life. It is not our place to make comparisons, to try to determine who deserves what. We must always trust in the generous mercy of God. In short, the laborers in the parable said yes and went to work. How long they spent on the job wasn't important.

Tradition Connection
Jesus's main message is that everyone is called to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Everyone! Through Baptism we are committed to Christ. With the gift of his grace, we labor together with our fellow Christians to strengthen and build up the Kingdom of heaven. That Kingdom is open to all peoples. God invites everyone to come inside.

Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations.1 To enter it, one must first accept Jesus' word:
The word of the Lord is compared to a seed which is sown in a field; those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power, the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest.2 (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 543)
Jesus often spoke about the Kingdom of heaven belonging to the poor and lowly, those who are meek of heart and righteous before God.

The kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, which means those who have accepted it with humble hearts. Jesus is sent to "preach good news to the poor";3 he declares them blessed, for "theirs is the kingdom of heaven."4 To them--the "little ones"--the Father is pleased to reveal what remains hidden from the wise and the learned.5 Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst, and privation.6 Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom.7 (Catechism, paragraph 544)
In his ministry on earth, Jesus showed to his followers the boundless mercy of God and the desire of God that all people be saved. The challenge to the Christian community is not to judge others but rather to be about building the Kingdom of heaven here and now.

Wisdom Connection
Matthew points out that the landowner and the laborers hired early on understand justice quite differently. God's justice is based on the relationship between God and human beings. It is based on their response to God's continuous call and invitation. It is a justice that has its foundation in compassion and love, which makes it different from human justice. How often do we as Americans, indeed how often do members of any society, associate justice with compassion and love? Because the parable reveals something of the final judgment, it reveals something of salvation: all who labor in the vineyard of God's Kingdom will receive "the usual daily wage," which is eternal life, salvation. The Kingdom of heaven has room for more and more workers. God's invitation is constant and the reward consistent. Everyone is invited and everyone is paid in full. There is no such thing as half-salvation. The parable also reminds us that God's love for us doesn't depend on anything we have done, but on our value as children of God. We have infinite value because we were created by God. This parable powerfully expresses the equality of all human beings before God. Our God is never constrained by human logic or justice, for God is generous and forgiving.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. Cf. Matthew 8:11; 10:5-7; 28:19.
2. Lumen gentium 5; cf. Mark 4:14,26-29; Luke 12:32.
3. Luke 4:18; cf. 7:22.
4. Matthew 5:3.
5. Cf. Matthew 11:25.
6. Cf. Matthew 21:18; Mark 2:23-26; John 4:6-7; 19:28; Luke 9:58.
7. Cf. Matthew 25:31-46.

September 5 is the memorial for Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Albania. In 1950 she founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity with a commitment to serve the poorest and most neglected among us. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Throughout her life she lived as a true servant leader, recognizing that it was her responsibility to offer love, comfort, and care to all of God’s children.
           
For more information on Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saintt1v.htm.