If NFL Was Religion, the Super Bowl is Easter Sunday

I won’t pretend to believe that sports are religion, but if the NFL was, the Super Bowl would be Easter Sunday.

How the NFL Approaches a Religion

Sports leagues like the NFL, though some treat them as such, are but play religions.

They have many of the characteristics of faith. Big games on Sunday (liturgy) have the vestments of uniforms. Players and coaches have positions similar to the vocations of clergy and bishops while the laity are in the stands.

Outside of game day, fans read news updates and commentary as their devotionals. They have bumper stickers professing their loyalty. Lastly, they will encourage others that their team is the best in a form of evangelization.

Super Bowl is Easter Sunday

In this analogy of the NFL as a religion, the Super Bowl would be Easter Sunday.

Though some would say Christmas, Easter is truly the big day in Christianity. This is the day that makes it breaks it all. It is the occasion that it is all about!

Post Season and Pro Bowl

Similar to lent, the NFL has a post season. During this time, teams work hard to fight to stay in the season as best they can. Some teams reflect on their past season. Then after the division championships are played, there is a period of quiet before the big day.

In a sort of Holy Week, all of the news talks about the events to come. On Pro Bowl Sunday, the winning teams fade out to prepare and the rest of the league tries to have a normal game the way the Apostles tried to return to normal life on Holy Saturday. But something’s not right, the game doesn’t seem to matter.

Super Bowl: the Big Day

In an event more elaborate and exciting than the rest of the year, the Super Bowl has lights, pyrotechnics, and glamor. Meanwhile, the Church has the Easter Vigil with fire and candles as the church building illuminates in the night.

Extra performances drag out the Super Bowl liturgy as do the seven readings at an Easter mass.

Commercials bring humor and joy as Catholics have sing the Alleluia to bells to celebrate the joy of Jesus risen.

The Essential Role of Food

Finally, a good Super Bowl celebration has to have food.

For the NFL fan, it is many foods: wings, pizza, and beer to name a few.

For Catholics, it is their God, Jesus in the Eucharist whom everyone is there for. He is what brings everyone together in a communal meal to celebrate, remember, and unite, with one God who is greater than them all.

The Next Days

At the end, the NFL has a victor and they relish in their win until they prepare to do it all again the next season.

Then, season after season repeat, and while their name goes down in a book, many of the victories are forgotten in the minds of the world.

On the other hand, Christ is the Victor of Easter Sunday every year, and for every Sunday ever. And at the end of all our days, He will remain the champion – of the world, of time, of all things.

I hope you enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday, and regardless of winner, know who is the Champion of the Truth. Amen!

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