The Olympics and Food - August 8, 2021

This Sunday is the closing ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. It was amazing to watch the athletes compete and to see the greatest feats of strength, endurance, speed, and agility across many events. The athletes train for years, dedicate their lives to their sport, and everything they do often including eating and sleeping revolve around their pursuit of excellence in their sport. There are several places in scripture where analogies are made between athletes and living the Christian life. The most classic verses are probably these from St. Paul:

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)

In our Sunday readings, the prophet Elijah performs an olympic feat. He walks 40 days and 40 nights (without carrying any food or drink) in the desert to the Mount Horeb. And he does this after walking a day’s journey in the desert after being pursued by enemies and being exhausted enough to pray for death. How did he do it? An angel from God came and fed him and gave him drink, saying “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” and the reading said, “strengthened by that food, he walked…”.

Always we see the New Testament hidden in the Old, and the Old foreshadows what Jesus will do for us. Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” What food will carry us through the tough journey of life and give us strength to run the race to heaven as to win? Clearly the food Jesus gives is it—the bread that gives us eternal life. Jesus tells us clearly that this bread is his flesh. The verses following which we normally would get next week, but instead we happen to have the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary fall on next Sunday, would give us greater detail and reinforcement that Jesus gives us his flesh to eat and blood to drink. We have retained this gift in the Church all the way back to when Jesus gave it for the first time at the Last Supper. We know it as the Eucharist, and it is our greatest treasure in the Church.

If we are to run so as to win, to drive and train our bodies as St. Paul tells us, not for earthly crowns or medals but for an eternal reward, then we need to pay attention also to what we eat and what fuels our efforts. We need food that strengthens us for our journey, and Jesus gives us it in the Eucharist at every single Mass. Let us do as the angel told Elijah, “Get us and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” Thanks be to God for this wonderful gift!

Peace,
Fr. Greg

P. S. Totally unrelated, I’m involved in a justice effort about predatory lending, i.e. payday loan reform. If you or someone you know has had an experience with a payday loan, I’d like to hear it. Thanks!