Pope Leo’s prayer intention for June is a change of direction from the more serious intentions he usually has. However, as a devoted soccer granny, I understand how important sport can be in the formation of young minds and bodies.
Sports also give all of us a chance to bond together over a shared goal without having the burden of that goal being a life or death situation. In these fraught times, it breathes life into us to just cheer on our team, or in the case of those who play, in playing your heart out while knowing that, even if you lose, you win simply by having competed.
I’ve been immersed this past two weeks in the Holy Father’s encyclical on AI. Writing about AI and the vast menace it represents is heavy work. Writing about it while living through the terrible destruction that is being wreaked on our democracy and our country is almost too heavy to carry.
The time I spend at cheering my grands at their soccer games, gymnastic classes and basketball games, along with the practices, tryouts and team parties, provides a healing and life-giving space. It reminds me why it’s worth it to stay engaged and do all I can to promote the common good.
I hope you’ll include Pope Leo’s prayer intention when you pray the Rosary. Not only might you gain an indulgence, you will find that it connects you to the larger Church of which we all are a part.
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