Super Bowl Sunday

Dear Parishioners,

Super Bowl Sunday.

In our secular society, the importance of the events of Super Bowl Sunday seem to surpass what I would consider much more important Sundays like Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday.

In much earlier times, for peoples in Christian cultures the cathedrals (and other churches) of the city were typically the largest and most magnificent buildings in tribute to Almighty God. What are usually the largest buildings in our cities today? They are our sports stadiums. Unfortunately, they have become the new cathedrals. What are they a tribute to other than ourselves?

Sports figures are often held up as people to emulate and honor. It seems to me that the martyrs and saints (and I don’t mean those guys from New Orleans!) held this position of esteem at one time.

People will pay insane prices for a ticket to view the Super Bowl live. Thousands of dollars are spent in Super Bowl weekend packages. Advertisers are willing to pay millions of dollars for 15 seconds of commercial notoriety. And that poor old George Washington or Abraham Lincoln bill still found in many collection baskets is perhaps seen as adequate to support the local church and its activities—if the people go to church and give at all.

We gather together with family and friends to share pizza, wings, sandwiches, sodas and different types and strengths of “liquid refreshment.” Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the same enthusiasm and participation when it comes to gathering around the table of the Lord to share the Bread of Life and the Cup of Eternal Salvation?

I would hate to be seen as a kill-joy, party pooper or spoilsport (no pun intended), but does it not seem that our priorities sometimes are out of whack? We live for today, for the moment. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Did the Epicureans have it right? They propounded an ethic of individual pleasure as the sole or chief good in life.

Whether you will root for those guys from Seattle or the ones from New England (or couldn’t care less since your preferred team is out of it), people throughout the world will be fixated for a few hours on a football game. We all might be amused by some of the cleaver or funny television commercials during the game. However, I must confess that in recent years I have been generally unimpressed by the halftime entertainment. Other than the fact that he is from Puerto Rico, I know nothing about Bad Bunny, the headliner this year.  

Sadly, I think that if Christ were to decide to return to earth during this game, some people would ask him to wait at least until it is over. What a sad commentary on the world we live in.

Enjoy the game!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor