BOLIVIA, Lizzie Loetz. Sunday Mass at the Shrine of Achumani in La Paz, Bolivia, on June 29th, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, had a different, happy and motivational homily. Father José Neuenhofer had prepared a unique interview for us, which caused us to reflect profoundly on our enjoyment for soccer, the current world cup that was taking place, and how we should apply the essence of soccer in our lives.
Father Neuenhofer continued: You know that reporters like to ask some important people in the stadiums for their impressions, and they ask for their comments. I did the same thing during these days. I went to heaven – in my imagination – to interview the four most sublime people: God the Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit – and the Most Holy Virgin Mary. I went with my microphone, and I wanted to know what they thought about soccer and what comments they had about the World Cup in Brazil.
God the Father: at the hour of creation I made this world like a ball, round and wonderful
I approached God the Father first. I asked him for his opinion and he answered like this: I like soccer, I truly like it. That is why, at the hour of creation I made this world like ball, round and wonderful. My creative idea is that men/women and the nations be a large team, that plays by the rule of love, respecting the characteristics and the talents of each nation of each person. The Bible, rightly so, names me the God of life and the friend of men/women. I love all my creation, and above all the men/women, my children. I want their happiness, and it gives me joy when they play, they are happy and they celebrate. The soccer championship is a great opportunity to offer respect and friendship, surpassing borders of language, culture and nation. Despite the competition on the court, they can contribute to build a more peaceful and fraternal society. This is my desire for the organizers, the players and all the spectators. From eternity I am the partner and merciful referee of this World Cup.
Jesus: At the age of 30, I formed my team, the apostles – 11 remained
In the second place, I approached Jesus and I asked him for his comments. Our Lord explained the following: Many people do believe it, but I am a soccer fan. Already as a child, I played ball with my companions in Nazareth. Of course, it was not a modern inflated, leather ball. But my mother Mary gave me a ball that she had made from rags and filled with sawdust from my father Joseph’s carpentry. This ball made me happy and it accompanied me.
At the age of 30, I formed my team, the apostles. At the beginning they were 12, but Judas left and he got off the court with a red card. Eleven remained; it is the number that each soccer team currently has. I was the trainer, and each one of the apostles, had their position and specific task on the court. The majority of them played at mid field. Peter, was very good, but a little slow, he played defense along with James, a very conservative person and almost incapable of making a goal. John was the youngest one on the team. He could run like nobody else. He – and later Paul – played as forwards, and they made many goals in this position. Paul was the motor on the court, he was always restless, and he opened new paths with long and admirable passes. I placed Thomas as goalie, he was called the “incredulous”. He was very critical and a realist. He had placed his hand on my heart, and for this reason, he was especially blessed and capable. I named Peter, captain of the team, with the task of uniting, of leading and of representing his companion players. For this reason, the New Testament always names him in the first place. – It was not easy to train the team of apostles. They had to overcome their egoism and their individualism, because it is only possible for a team to make goals and to win the game if all 11 players play as a community like good companions and friends in solidarity. – And something else: I taught my apostles not only to win; but also to lose, because both realities are a part of human life. But above all, I filled them with optimism, and I made them believe in the final victory.
Now, beloved little Joseph, do you understand – Jesus told me – that I like soccer and that I am a fan of this sport? Today, preaching the Word of God again on earth, I would begin with one of my parables with the words: “The Kingdom of God is like a soccer game…”
Holy Spirit: “At the end of your life’s game, selected and chosen for the Cup of heaven.”
I also met with the Holy Spirit. He was happy when I approached Him with the microphone, and he commented the following: In the first place, he stated a negative aspect. The World Cup should be a game, but not a war between two enemy teams, with wounded and victims. The loss of a soccer game is not a national catastrophe, and the value of a team is not measured by a game that was won or lost. I also do not like the commercialization of the sport and the buying and selling of the players at astronomical prices.
The positive thing that I see in the sport of soccer is that on the court men meet in a school of life. There they can learn attitudes and values such as loyalty and fair play, perseverance, friendship, sharing, solidarity, and respecting one’s opponent. All these virtues are joined in the rule of love. Jesus introduced this commandment of love as the greatest and only rule of the game of human life. To dominate this rule, you must train – like the soccer players – every day and always anew. He who practices and dominates this rule of love, makes goals daily in the eyes of God, and at the final judgment in the game of his life, he will be selected and chosen for the Cup of heaven.
The Virgin Mary: Yes, the great and powerful favorites, lose against the small ones
At the end, I interviewed the Most Holy Virgin Mary. She answered my questions this way: I have to disillusion you, Little Father, and I confess that my greatest interest is not soccer. Once in a while, I watch a game, accompanying my Divine Son. What makes me enormously happy and what makes me even happier during this World Cup in Brazil – is if the great and powerful favorites lose against the small ones, if the small David conquers the almost omnipotent Goliath. (I am thinking about Spain, Italy, England, Russia and Portugal). Then I smile and sing my favorite song: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. (Magnificat) I thank God that this song that I dedicated to my cousin Elizabeth on the occasion of my visit to her house is not a beautiful dream; but rather, a reality that we can observe once in a while in our life. I want to congratulate and encourage all the small and unknowns so that those unexpected results of the World Cup will give them courage and confidence.
I want to mention something else: I am delighted how every player on the court gives his ultimate effort and giving of self with soul, life and heart for the victory of his team. This training and that total giving of self for the Kingdom of God is lacking in many baptized. This is what I think when I watch a soccer game in this World Cup.
Bless the soccer championship
In this very original and creative liturgy the prayer of the collect was:
Eternal Father! A soccer game is so beautiful: to see how the players dominate the ball and the pass it to one another with such speed and precision, how they take the pass and work anew with their companions. We imagine that even in heaven You observe the games of your creatures here on earth with pleasure, because You are happy with our joy and our happiness. – Bless the soccer championship so that it will contribute to a better understanding and to an increase of peace among men/women and nations. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord…
This time, the Offertory prayers of the faithful were concentrated on petitions such as:
- Make the Soccer Championship and all the international sports games be a contribution for greater closeness and understanding among the nations and cultures…
- Motivate the players and the fans in the stadiums and in front of the televisions to practice and to admire a fair game, and do not allow the courts to become fields of insults and wars.
- Teach us to win and to lose with dignity, so that the victory will not make us proud and the loss desperate, and especially bless the small and forgotten ones…
- Infuse us with your Spirit and form our Sunday community and our family as a team in which everyone is useful and valuable for the good and the service of everyone…
- Help us overcome our individualism and our egoism in order to discover the beauty and efficacy of the group and of the community…
- Make us train on the court of our daily life and that we practice the rule of love, in order to receive the cup of heaven as the prize at the end of our life…
Eternal Father, we are sure that you are a soccer fan
The offertory also had a special prayer…
Holy Father, receive our sacrifice, symbolized in the bread and the wine, as proof of our daily training. We want to overcome our egoism and to be on your Son, Jesus Christ’s team. Above all, help us to practice the golden rule of love, and teach us how to live like a Christian community in which each and every one has a special talent and his/her unique task for the good and in service to all – like a soccer team. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord…
In the closing rite of the Mass Father José prayed:
Eternal Father and Good Father. We are sure that You are a soccer fan. You have created our world like a ball – round and wonderful -. You want us, the baptized to play on Jesus’ team and under his direction. Victory awaits us only if we play together, one for all and all for one, and if we practice “fair play”, a clean game under the rule of love. Help us to be good players. You are a merciful referee. And when you blow the final whistle at end of our lives, we want you to choose and select us for the Cup of heaven. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord…
All the participants of the Sunday Mass were delighted with this homily that filled us with enthusiasm for “sports”, it made us truly think about the soccer matches where fair play, solidarity, unity and the joy of participating is emphasized, like a life with these values to be conquered day by day.
Original Spanish: Translation Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
