Spiritual Aspect
Jubilee of Sports People, Homily of Pope John Paul II
"Playing sports has become very important today, since it can encourage young people to develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity. Precisely for this reason, in recent years it has continued to grow even more as one of the characteristic phenomena of the modern era, almost a 'sign of the times' capable of interpreting humanity's new needs and new expectations. Sports have spread to every corner of the world, transcending differences between cultures and nations."
"Because of the global dimensions this activity has assumed, those involved in sports throughout the world have a great responsibility. They are called to make sports an opportunity for meeting and dialogue, over and above every barrier of language, race or culture. Sports, in fact, can make an effective contribution to peaceful understanding between peoples and to establishing the new civilization of love."
Saint Sebastian
Patron Saint of Athletes
Saint Aloysius Gonzoga
Patron Saint of Youth
Saint Sebastian was a Roman martyr. Little more than the fact of his martyrdom can be proved about his life. The Acts, probably written at the beginning of the fifth century, relate that he was an officer in the imperial bodyguard and had secretly done many acts of love and charity for his brethren in the Faith. When he was finally discovered to be a Christian, in 286, he was handed over to the Mauretanian archers, who pierced him with arrows; he was healed, however, by the widowed St. Irene. He was finally killed by the blows of a club.
He is patron saint of athletes because of his physical endurance and his energetic way of spreading and defending the Faith. Sebastian is also patron to all soldiers. We celebrate St. Sebastian's feast day on January 20th.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, a Jesuit scholastic, died in 1591 at the age of 23 caring for the sick. He was from a princely family and was at one time in the court of Phillip II of Spain. He renounced his inheritance to enter the Society of Jesus. Saint Robert Bellarmine was his spiritual director, and he was strongly devoted to the Eucharist, interior prayer and charitable service.
If we know that peer pressure can make us say and do things we shouldn't, we can ask St. Aloysius for the courage to do what is right.
Saint Aloysius is the patron saint of youth and his feast is celebrated on June 21.