Many of the Dominicans of Sparkill are BIG baseball fans. At some point during the summer they host a party in the refectory between the New York branch and the St. Louis branch of Sisters to cheer for either the Yankees or the Cardinals.
With the World Series coming at the end of this month, things are getting interesting despite baseball being a leisurely game with no time clock. It is a scared time which parallels time with God.
Like Mass, the devotees, gather together just to be and watch the game unfold. With the excitement of going to a game, we escape from the daily mundane and encounter one another in new ways: we enter this beautiful green ‘cathedral’ with its high walls and sit in ‘pews.’ All pay close attention to the mystery unfolding before them: the ‘sermon’ of the announcer, the beauty of the miraculous catch, the suspense of stealing home base.... In the Seventh all join in to stretch, do the ‘wave,’ and if you are lucky, you may be caught on the Kiss Cam! In the Eighth, everyone sings ‘Sweet Caroline,’ and partakes in the ‘ritual meal’ of hot dogs and beer.
At
the World Series, two teams will ‘fight the good fight,’ but only one will win.
Cheering
for your team is like praying: hoping no one is injured and trusting your
team will get back home in the face of the trials of running the good race. It’s as
St. Paul said, ‘Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only
one
receives the prize? Run, then, that you may win.’ 1 Cor. 9:24.
As
in baseball and the game of life, we learn humility when failure is accepted as
an opportunity to grow. Patience and
grace under pressure is key. Team
playing is essential. Praying, cheering for
one another, singing a song of praise lifts all to a
better way of being. We, at the end of
our World Series, having ‘Fought the good
fight of faith, will take hold of eternal life, to which we have been called.’ 1
Tim. 6:12
Let us run then, so that when we get to Green Cathedral for all eternity then we can really ‘Play Ball!’
