LIVING THE EUCHARIST THROUGH SPORTS (E-book Only)
Description
LIVING THE EUCHARIST THROUGH SPORTS
Author: James Penrice
Copyright: 2009
First Printed: 04-27-2009
| Only available as an E-book | ||||
| Amazon Kindle | Apple Book | Nook Book | ||
“This is my body, which will be given up for you.” With these words Jesus proclaims his ultimate mission, and changes bread and wine into his body and blood to be our food and drink for eternal life. Those words – central to our identity as Catholics – also express the mission of everyone who plays a sport. Athletes sacrifice their body and all that dwells within – mind, spirit and will – for the good of someone and something beyond themselves. As people of the Eucharist, Catholic athletes make this sacrifice not only in imitation of Christ, but truly in him and through him as branches of his Eucharistic vine. Sports are thus a profound way to live the Eucharist. This book will help athletes reflect on their sport as a vocation that draws them into a deeper sense of discipleship. The Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer, the Rosary, the liturgy year, humility, suffering, and what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ are among the topics covered, all from an athletic perspective. Each chapter concludes with questions for individual reflection or group discussion, as a resource for personal and communal growth. Finally, the presentation of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as the perfect model and mentor for athletes provides a fitting conclusion to a very practical look at the relationship between sports and the living of one’s faith.
About the Author: James Penrice is the author of seven other titles from ST PAULS/Alba House, including Crossing Home: The Spiritual Lessons of Baseball, and Goal to Go: The Spiritual Lessons of Football. He is the Director of Adult Formation for St. Mary’s Parish in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he lives with his wife Gina and their children Zachary, Elizabeth and Nicholas.
Book: 122 pages
ISBN-10: 0-8189-1292-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-8189-1292-4
Prod. Code: 1292-8
Reviews
Jesus proclaims his ultimate mission when he changes bread and wine into his body and blood, with the words, "This is my body, which will be given up for you." In his new book, Living the Eucharist Through Sports, author James Penrice points out that these words also express the mission of anyone who plays a sport. Athletes sacrifice their body, mind and spirit, he states, for the good of something beyond themselves. Penrice points out that, as people of the Eucharist, Catholic athletes sacrifice in imitation of Christ and through the branches of his eucharistic vine. Because of this, sports are a profound way to live the Eucharist.The book is designed to help athletes reflect on sports as a vocation that helps them develop a deeper sense of discipleship. It covers the Mass, eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, prayer and other topics about what it means to be a member of the body of Christ, all from an athletic prerspective. Each chapter includes questions for individual reflection or group discussion.
The book also presents Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as a model and mentor for athletes. A foreword is offered by Mike Sweeney, president of Catholic Athletes for Christ, and a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star. Sweeney describes how God challenged him to give up control of his life and give all that he had for the Lord. He found a peace on the playing field that had not been there before. Sweeney states that Jesus wants to run the race with us, and we cannot fail if we allow him to lead us. He points to 1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." --John Franko in The Pittsburgh Catholic, May 15, 2009
