Football and Faith: The Perfect Collision.

Ask any football fan whether they prefer an offensive juggernaut or a shutdown defense and 90% of the time, the fans will choose the team with the offensive fireworks. Personally, I loved watching those USC offenses that scored at will under Pete Carroll and the Tim Tebow-led Gator offensive attack of 2008 was one of the all-time best. Even the Patriot’s offensive flare of 2007 and 2011 was a thing of beauty. The passion, the plays, the big gains and long touchdowns which left defenses sucking wind get seared into your memory.

It’s ironic though, that the games which tend to reach legendary status are not the offensive blowouts, but the defensive slug fests. They are the closer-than-expected-games where both teams had to dig deep to find that will to win while pushing themselves and their teammates to a level they never thought they could achieve. The upset, where David takes down Goliath, looks anything but pretty. However, the memories and celebration following the underdog doing the impossible and coming out on top remain not merely in our memories, but they stay locked in a special place in our hearts.

Super Bowl 50, between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, lacked almost all appeal for the average fans’ demand for high-flying offensive firepower. It did, however, show case two great defenses going at it like heavy-weight giants proving the old axiom that offense wins games by defense wins championships.

If you think about it, life doesn’t always have its fireworks. Sure, there are wonderful moments which very few things in life can top: your first kiss, your wedding and honeymoon, the birth of a child and a son or daughter’s first birthday. But these moments come and go. Once they are over, a new struggle will rear its head.

In the current cultural climate, there is no greater struggle we are engaged in than defending our Catholic Faith and the true meaning of marriage and family. The fight we are engaged in is akin to what we saw on Super Bowl Sunday. Oftentimes it is anything but pretty, but the fight, as well as the Catholic Faith and your marriage you are fighting for is beautiful.

How can we win this fight? We need to think like the underdogs. The Carolina Panthers were the heavy favorite to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Denver, many prognosticators thought, would be lucky not to get blown out. What did Denver do? They studied their opponent, focused on their strengths as a team and pushed through the pain to achieve victory.

Why would it be any different for us as Catholics? We too need to study our opponents and correct their lies with the charity of truth. Someone who is at odds with the truth has been deeply wounded in their past. Our calling is to bring them healing and hope so those wounds can heal and they can embrace the truth, beauty and goodness of Faith and Family.

To defend the truth, we have to know the truth which is our greatest strength. There are numerous Catholic Resources on faith, marriage and family. The Theology of the Body, Love and Responsibility and writings by Saint Maximilian Kolbe are wonderful defenses of faith and family.

Lastly, we need to push through the pain of rejection and being ostracized for our beliefs. It will not be easy but for the truth to survive it has to be done. When David was called upon to defeat Goliath, he rose to challenge. When Denver’s Defense, led by Vonn Miller, needed to make the two defining plays of the game; two strip sacks and subsequent fumble recoveries, they answered the call and passed the test with flying colors. In our struggle for defending our Catholic Faith and marriage and family, we will rise to the challenge. When freedom and truth were threatened, heroic men and women rose to their defense, answered the call and in time they won the battle.

Peyton Manning, after winning his second Super Bowl, summed up what is so important in life and worthy of public praise saying, “I’m going to kiss my wife and my kids, hug my family and I’m definitely going to say a little prayer, thank the man upstairs for this opportunity. I’m just very grateful.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efk8oxLJLKY)

God, marriage and family. Nothing could be more worth the struggle than that right now.