From our pastor
Every fall, thousands in Northeastern Wisconsin
prepare themselves for a weekly challenge. They
pack their bag, throw it in the car, and proceed
to their local bowling establishment. Bowling is
a strange game. Its goal is simple: throw a ball
down a 60 foot alley in order to knock down 10
wooden pins, and if they are not all knocked down
after one shot, that’s okay, the bowler gets another
shot. It never ceases to amaze me how such a simple
concept can become so difficult. There are a lot
of factors that go into making one toss at the pins:
which ball should I use? Where on the approach
should I stand, where should I aim, and how
fast or slow should I roll it? Should I hook
the ball or throw it straight?
Whether a bowler is successful or not depends
upon how well planned and executed the shot is.
Once the ball is thrown and heading towards the
pins, there is nothing more that can be done outside
of yelling at it. Sometimes the ball is thrown so well
that it results in a perfect strike; other times it is
thrown so poorly that the result is disastrous. In
order to score well, one must find the right line
to the pins, the right speed at which to throw,
and properly follow through. Not only that, but over
the course of the night, the alley conditions change
and as they change, so must the bowler. Generally,
a bowler will not be bowling the same way at the
end of the night as was in the beginning. The game
itself takes practice and in order to become better
at it a commitment is necessary.
Our Catholic Faith, too, is a simple concept: to
live and move and have our entire being in Christ.
Our goal is to love and serve the Lord. Those who
live in Christ love one another. It’s a simple
concept; yet it takes a lifetime in order to grow.
Just as a bowler knows the basics of making a shot,
we, people of faith know the basics in Christ.
Everything that we do is rooted in Christ and the
Holy Spirit helps us discern how to live at every
minute of every day. Every time we make a decision
to do something, it is like releasing a bowling ball.
Once we act, there is no more we can do. When we
make good decisions in Christ that are pure the
result is virtuous; when we make poor decisions or
act carelessly, the result is disastrous.
Whenever a bowler does not get a strike,
something in the bowler’s delivery was off.
Sometimes the shot itself isn’t that bad, but
nevertheless, one pin remains. A good bowler
knows how to adjust in order to correct the
mistake next time in order to be successful.
Often, just a little change is necessary.
The same is true in faith; sometimes we may not do
horrible things, but nonetheless, they do not result
in being as charitable as they could be. In this case,
a simple change is all that is required.
Sometimes, though, a bowler really goofs. The
ball hits the leg and falls right into the gutter.
Once the ball goes into the gutter, there is no way
for it to come back to hit the pins. This will
completely embarrass most bowlers because it is
unacceptable. After a shot like that, the bowler
needs to make serious adjustments very quickly in
order to get back on track. If the bowler does not
do so, another horrendous shot will sooner or
later occur. In the faith if we were to perform an
act similar to throwing a gutter ball, we would also
miss our mark completely. In the same way, serious
sins always result in missing our target. Just as a
bowler would not tolerate throwing gutter ball
after gutter ball, neither can we tolerate poor
moral choices that result in missing the mark in
Christ time after time.
So, sometime this fall, take some quality time
take the family bowling and use it as a spiritual
exercise. During the game, watch yourselves and
how you adjust to the lane and make changes in order
to knock over more pins; then when you go home, try
to make those same little adjustments in your faith
life in order to grow in holiness and score more
treasure (or pins, if you wish) in heaven.
Blessings,
Fr. Brian