Thanksgiving & Football

“It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy…” Eucharistic Prayer II

In the U.S., we just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday and the many traditions that come along with it; some more stereotypical and others unique to each individual domestic church. Many Catholics gave thanks to our Lord at holy mass before feasting on the Thanksgiving meal or playing in their neighborhood “turkey bowl.” At mass, it is likely that you heard the Eucharistic Prayer II from the roman missal which poignantly highlights that the act of giving thanks is not only just, but our duty, and even our salvation! 

Always and everywhere we should be giving our Lord thanks. What a message for our times and for our young people in a society wrought with consumerism and entitlement. As often as we complain or remain focused on the self, simultaneously, we find ourselves revering the hero who sacrifices himself for others or for a cause greater than himself. From the gladiator ring to the football stadium—there is something in our human nature that desires a good fight, a virtuous victor, and a team to pledge our loyalty and allegiance to. 

So what do Catholicism, Thanksgiving, and football have in common? Well, for this Catholic husband, father, athlete, and now, head football coach, I’d like to offer that the three are closely connected to the heart of the Catholic life—and all three have inspired much of my journey and the work that I’m doing now at Coeur du Christ Academy. 

What sports teach us…

I had the privilege of playing football at the highest level, a journey that included games on Thanksgiving day, so this time will always hold a close connection with the sport that I love. While that chapter of my life is over, I strive to continue to take the qualities of this game into my vocation and into society as a reminder of the call we all have as Christians—to be virtuous and to serve our Lord courageously in all things. 

“Sports contribute to the love of life, teaches sacrifice, respect and responsibility, leading to the full development of every human person.” - Pope Saint John Paul II

This past Fall our team of coaches and fourteen courageous young men embarked on our inaugural season of eight-man football at Coeur du Christ. We began the year with limited experience and a steep learning curve ahead of us. We ended the season as a well-formed, united, humble, and dare I say talented football players who played as one for the One who gave us His all. From the turnovers and miscues during our first game to beating an undefeated, top-tier program at the end of the season, Fall 2024 was quite the journey and one that will leave a lasting mark on all who were involved in CDCA’s inaugural season. As our young athletes learned, this sport will highlight every weakness—both mental and physical. It will torture you, it will try you, and it will inspire something deeply courageous and self-sacrificial in the human soul who accepts the call. As his holiness, Pope John Paul the Great said, “sports contribute to the love of life, teaches sacrifice, respect, and responsibility.” Sports are not just about X’s and O’s or the final score. Sports are a microcosm of life and our Catholic faith. They are a means to our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being and they are crucial in the development of foundational virtues.

The hallmarks of football (and sports in general)—discipline, sacrifice, work ethic, grit, competitiveness, and loyalty—all translate directly to our citizenship, our faith, and our journey through life. They teach us and provide us with the necessary tools to lead a faithful and fulfilled life. Through sports we develop strong leadership skills, build character, grow in humility, and develop resilience in the face of adversity. Sports teach us the importance of continually striving for excellence, while at the same time understanding that when we fall short, we can and must get back up and begin again—for “a Saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.” 

The greatest lessons are often found in the adversity that comes with falling short or losing. It is in these difficult moments when our character is forged in the fires of struggle and disappointment. You will hear me say “Nunc Coepi” time and time again. It means “Now I begin,” and it is in this simple phrase that we learn and come to terms with our shortcomings and what it means to be human. Failure is inevitable. But with God’s grace and guidance, we learn that it is in the standing back up and beginning again that we set ourselves apart and grow in resilience. Our talents and gifts come from God and only with humility, faith, and trust in Christ, will we be able to ride the waves of each storm and see those gifts to their fullest potential. 

A Brief History of Thanksgiving

History tells us that Thanksgiving is a day of remembrance for America’s founding at Plymouth Rock, when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe came together after a great suffering and the loss of many to disease, starvation, conflict, and the elements. Catholics also like to highlight the first mass, community meal, and gathering that took place 50 years earlier between the Spaniards and Timucua tribe in St. Augustine, Florida. After spending months on a ship with similar death rates due to starvation and disease, the people came together to thank God and to pay homage to Him through the Sacrifice of the Mass. Talk about handling adversity well!

The Thanksgiving holiday itself originated in 1863 when Abe Lincoln tried to encourage our country in unity and peace following the Civil War. Interestingly, Thanksgiving wasn’t overly popular or celebrated until the Intercollegiate Football Association began hosting their championship game on the holiday itself in 1876. Ever since, football has almost become synonymous with Thanksgiving Day.

Football certainly shares elements of warring and overcoming adversity. The Latin origin of the word compete is competere, “to strive together.” That is the purpose of sport, and that is certainly the purpose of sport at CDCA. To compete daily and strive together for a common goal whether it be on the field, on the court, surviving challenges of a historic nature, or in our ordinary day-to-day lives—all of it should point us on our journey towards Heaven and the communion of the faithful. 

For Catholics Today

Once we set our eyes on heaven, holidays like Thanksgiving can be a cause for much reflection as we realize how bleak the outlook must have been for many of our ancestors and the generations of saints who've gone before us. And yet, in all circumstances, they gave thanks. It shouldn’t take much for every single one of us to reach a state of utter gratitude for God’s Divine Providence and the many blessings that we encounter in our daily lives. Adversity is a guarantee in this life, but so are the many miracles and consolations of a generous, self-sacrificing God who continues to love and feed His flock.

As Athletic Director and now the Head Football Coach at Coeur du Christ Academy, it has been my true honor to witness young men who are grateful to their coaches, their parents, our benefactors, and this community for making the football program possible. These young, virtuous Catholics are worth supporting and they give me great cause for hope.

In closing, I recall the words of Pope John Paul the Great…

“Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” – Pope Saint John Paul II

Be thankful... Be a Saint!
Find out more: coeurduchrist.org 
Support the cause: coeurduchrist.org/donate 
 #BEASAINT #HEAVENISOURMISSION

Some of our greatest moments have been when these young Saints-in-the-making score a touchdown and quickly kneel in a prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord.
Pictured: Greg Hayes after a touchdown on October 23rd, 2024