A Soccer Player for Christ!


A Soccer Player for Christ!
Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB
            The 6th of November 2011 was a red letter day for the community of Divyadaan as it was a day to celebrate the stunning victory in the finals of the Inter Parish Football tournament. From being two nil down to making it 3-2 in just ten minutes was indeed a breath-taking achievement. Being an avid fan of football/soccer, I thought that there are quite a few values that one can pick up from the beautiful game.
            For those who do not play football/soccer, it is a game played with 11 players, where there is a goal-keeper, the defenders, the mid-fielders and the strikers. It is a team game where the whole target is about shooting goals and the more goals the team shoots, the better. What is striking about this is that, being a team game, each player needs the other to win; what would the strikers be without the defense or the defense without the midfield or the midfield without a goal-keeper. Each member of the team is important and each one contributes to the well-being of the team by his skill, insight and team play. Hence the more skillful a player is the better for the team as he will be able to contribute a lot for the team.   
            Keeping this as the background, apply this in the context of pastoral ministry in the Salesian context. Each one of us has been blessed in some way and each of us contributes to the good of the apostolate through our talents, skills and by our own personal holiness, not as individuals but as a team. Another thing that strikes is that just as every football/soccer team has a coach, we also have a Coach and He is none other than Jesus Himself. The difference between the normal football coaches and our Coach is that while there may be clashes between the coaches and the players due to various reasons, our Coach is a patient coach who gives us the freedom to develop our own selves. Sometimes it happens that in a match the team is playing well but for some unfortunate bad luck, they are not able to convert their chances. When I compare this to our own lives, sometimes we make mistakes and we don’t live up to the expectations of our Coach. Yet, as mentioned, He is a patient coach who loves His team and gives His players the freedom to develop themselves. Sometimes just as a good coach reprimands his players when they go off the hook, our Coach sends us tests and trials so that we may become better players. Hence, my prayer and wish for us is that as we play the beautiful game of life, we may always heed the voice of our Coach and shoot goals for His glory.  

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