Keeping Us Connected Newsletter
July 30, 2021
I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
--2 Tim 4:7
Dear St. Mary Friends,
 
It’s Olympics time and many of us have tuned in. Granted it may be with varying degrees of interest, but even if you wanted to, they’re almost impossible to ignore. So, in light of Tokyo, 2020 (I know it’s 2021), let’s hear from two Olympians about their Catholic faith as their remarks appeared in the National Catholic Register. We begin with a lesser-known Karate Olympian, Tom Scott.
Tom Scott

Just over a month before the Tokyo Olympics, Tom Scott suffered the disappointment of a lifetime when the 31-year-old Texan did not qualify for the Olympics Karate Team, but he also leaned into the grace of God that his Catholic faith taught him to rely on. “That is what this was meant for….I am not afraid of suffering. It will bring me closer to God if I let it.” But then one of the athletes was disqualified and Scott was put on the team. He reflected on the unexpected turn of events.
 
Scott reflected on it all: “Resurrection… is one of God’s preferred ways of telling great stories. He is the best author of all time….I have been called to the front. I am going to the Olympics….And while I felt so near to Him following defeat, His plans are great and beyond me. I could never have imagined a story with beginnings like this. Sometimes I used to wonder, does Jesus care if I’m winning or losing or all this time that I’m spending on it? And it took time for me to realize that, yes he actually does. It pleases him to see his creation do something that they love to do, whatever it might be.”
Katie Ledecky
 
Katie Ledecky on her Catholic Faith: “It’s a big part of who I am and how I’ve made it here….I think the beauty of Catholicism is its consistency through both successes and difficulties. I’ve counted on my faith to give me strength through both training and competition — but also in school, with my family and everyday life. So, while my goals in the pool have changed, my faith remains something that’s consistent and something I can always rely on.” On praying a Hail Mary before each race: “More than anything, praying just helps me to concentrate and let go of things that don’t matter in that moment. It gives me peace knowing I’m in good hands.” (NCR)

Health and blessings,
Monsignor Royal
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