Marking today’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Catholic Youth Parramatta has launched a video exploring the close relationship between sport and faith. Source: Catholic Outlook.
Drawing on the words of St John Paul II, the video explains how beneficial playing sport is for young people and how it can grow faith.
“Sport’s inclusiveness means all young people can be involved and gain a sense of purpose, including what John Paul II described as ‘a healthy sense of competition’,” said Qwayne Guevara, Catholic Youth Parramatta’s local engagement leader.
“Sport teaches us discipline and intentionality. Practice is important in growth. Choosing to be open to suffering is part of getting better at sport.
“In a similar way, our faith isn’t just something that we push to the side and expect to grow. It takes practice, and often discomfort, for us to deepen our faith. Sport shows us that this is possible.”
In addition to faith, Ms Guevara said sport can benefit young people’s relationships with others.
“With culture focusing on the ‘self’ more than ‘others’, sport encourages selflessness and affirms a young person dignity and capacity to contribute in a team, community and as such, the world,” she said.
The video, filmed at Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium, also discusses how Pope Francis has expanded on this theme, describing how sports helps us “go beyond ourselves and our own self-interest.”
Details: thewell.org.au.
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A sporting chance for growing faith (By Christina Gretton, Catholic Outlook)
