FR. TOM SHOEMAKER

February 18 & 19, 2006

Today, as promised, I won't bring up Antarctica at all.  There won't be a single penguin in this homily.  Instead, this week I have a new diversion.  Today I have an Olympics homily.

It seems to me that there are two kinds of people who love figure skating.

The first is the person who pulls up in front of the TV with a heaping bowl of ice cream; the person who wouldn't know a Triple Axel from a Double Lutz, but gasps when someone falls and loves to cheer for the Americans and for the pretty girl who falls down and cracks her knee but then gets up and keeps on going.

The second kind of person who loves figure skating is the person who hires a professional coach at age 6.  This person goes to the ice rink every day after school, leaves home in high school and moves to the city where a famous coach lives.  This person spends hours every day on the ice, hours every day in conditioning, hours every day working with choreographers and ballet coaches.  This person loves figure skating enough to devote a life to it.

It seems to me that there are two kinds of people who love ice hockey.

The first if the person like me; the person who turns on the TV, grabs some potato chips, and watches; the person who cheers with his team and yells at the referees.

The second kind of person who loves hockey is the champion; the person who spends years playing the game; the person who spends all of his money on ice time and coaches and equipment; the person who spends hours a day practicing with team members; the person who devotes his life to the sport.

Both love hockey.  One is an armchair fan.  The other is a champion.

Now...it seems to me that there are also two kinds of people who love the Church.

The first person belongs to a Parish and comes to Mass every Christmas.  He drops $2 in the collection basket when it goes by.  He brings his children to be baptized, and he brings his parents for a Catholic funeral.

The second person who loves Church never misses Sunday Mass and often comes to daily Masses.  This person who tithes - he gives a big chunk of his income and makes real sacrifices to support the Church.  This person takes Communion to a nursing home or serves on the School Board or the Eaglemania committee or with the St. Vincent de Paul committee.  This person comes to parish missions and steps forward when a volunteer is needed for some special cause.

Both love the Catholic Church.  If we want to use the sports terminology, we might call one an armchair Catholic and the other - a champion of the Faith.

Before we go any farther, I want to be clear that I don't mean any disrespect to the person I'm calling and "armchair Catholic."  We thank God for the person who comes every Christmas, for the person who finds it in his heart to donate $2 a year, for the person who makes sure his babies are baptized.  We thank the Lord for that Faith.

But for me...and I think for everyone here today...that isn't enough.  The Faith is far too important for us to be an armchair fan.  I need God at the center of my life.  I need the peace that the Church gives me.  I need the strength and the courage that the Church offers me.  I need the friends and the support that I find in the Church.  And I need to hear the promise of the kingdom waiting for me after death.  St. Paul said today that God gives us security in Christ.  I can't live as an armchair Catholic.  I need far more security than that in life.

That is just what the concept of Stewardship is all about.  The more we need of the Church, the more we need to give.

The good steward is the person who offers serious time to God and the Church; time for Mass; time in the chapel; time for prayer.  He gives time to help the needy and time whenever the parish needs it.  He gives time even when it is in short supply.

The good steward is the person who offers to share whatever talents he might have.  If he can sing, he joins the choir.  If he is good with children, he might help in the Parish nursery.  If he has a lot of ideas, he might help with one of our Parish committees.

The good steward is the person who shares his treasure.  He understands that it takes a lot of money for the Church to function.  He give a chunk of his salary and makes honest sacrifices to be sure that the Church is able to carry on.  He gives up some of the extras in life to be sure that the Parish can carry out its ministries.

Most of us probably sit in front of the TV with our ice cream or potato chips and secretly dream of standing on a podium, receiving a gold medal while the National Anthem is played and the world praises us.  I have dreams of being an Olympic champion.  But honestly, I can live without that.  I'm too old, and I'm not ready to invest what it takes to be an Olympic champion.  An armchair hockey fan is fine for me.