Playing the long game with God

A Reflection for Friday of the First Week of Lent

Find today’s readings here.

When I read today’s first reading, the first thing that came to mind was the sacrament of reconciliation. Until recently, I was paralyzed by the thought of going to confession, not because of the thought of sharing my laundry list of sins but rather that I was going to say the wrong prayers, or not know what to do. 

During one of our weekly staff Masses in the America Media offices, the homily was the encouraging nudge I needed to realize that the sacrament of reconciliation is beautiful and freeing. I was reminded that no one has to be defined by their past wrongdoings. As children of God, each one of us is capable of walking away from sin, expressing our sorrow for past wrongdoings  and moving forward  on a path defined by goodness and faithfulness. 

I recently witnessed this at a CYO basketball game—and if you have been to a CYO game, you know that they can get heated, to put it mildly. Middle school players on both teams were chirping at the referees with their dissatisfaction at some of the calls. It would have been easy to dismiss the comments, keep playing for the win and move on with our days.

However, my son’s coach was irritated by his players making uncharitable comments. Without hesitation and with an elevated voice, he called a time out. Instead of using his dry-erase board to run plays during the time out, he made each player go over, look the referee in the eyes, apologize and shake his hand. 

On the ride home, my son shared that while it felt “weird” to have the other team and the fans watch them apologize, he knew it was the right thing, and it felt good to do what was right. He also expressed that after the time out, his team’s demeanor shifted on the court from being frustrated and shamed to being supportive and encouraging. Talk about moving the ball forward in treating others with respect! What a valuable and important lesson for us all because it offered the players (and all of us watching) a meaningful reminder that we are judged by our current actions and choices, not what has been done in the past. Each of us has the choice to right what has been wronged.

I felt the same way after (finally) going to confession—having the realization that receiving God’s grace and love to focus on the future, rather than the past, is life-giving on this earthly and human pilgrimage. My relationship with God and making conscious daily decisions to act with love, mercy and prayer is truly winning the long game. 

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