See the Ball, Hit the Ball
The professional golfer was becoming upset and his frustration bordered on anger and depression, as his golf game continued to deteriorate; nothing he attempted to do to improve his game helped. Advice from fellow golfers varied from suggestions about specific techniques and fundamentals that he should practice to “go out and have a good drink.” Disconsolate and worried about his future, he began to think that his life as a professional golfer would soon come crashing to an end. Then one day he stumbled upon a derelict old man sleeping in the rough on one of the golf courses where he was practicing. Angered at being awakened so abruptly, the derelict yelled at the golfer as he pointed to the golfer’s ball, “See the ball, Hit the ball.” The command was obviously an attempt by the derelict to have the golfer quickly leave him alone so he could return to his sleep. Without hesitation the golfer hurried up to his ball and quickly struck it. As he walked after his ball, he realized that the shot he had just made was one of his best in some time. Then it hit him! He had been so concerned with all the details and techniques of the game that he had forgotten the most basic fundamental. See the ball, Hit the ball! The golfer’s game began to improve almost immediately as he concentrated on seeing and hitting the ball.
A similar instance occurred with a baseball player, who was in a hitting slump. Having received all sorts of advice from coaches and friends, he was able to snap out of his slump only after a fellow teammate from another country suggested, in broken English, “See the ball, Hit the ball!”
Both the golfer and baseball player learned that, though there is value in learning and practicing certain fundamentals and techniques of the game, the most essential element cannot be overlooked or ignored. “See the ball, Hit the ball.” The same concentration on the basics is required in matters of religion. There is great value in the study of theology and philosophy so one can penetrate deeply into the understanding of God and man’s relationship to God. Unfortunately, individuals can enter into a slump of confusion and uncertainty as they forget to concentrate on the most important aspects of knowing and following God. One must be certain to concentrate on the essential elements of the religion.
For a Catholic, the “See the ball, Hit the ball” essentials can be summarized as follows.
- There is a God – a loving, personal god.
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God – Divine, yet human thus making all of us children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven.
- Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and continues to nourish it.
- Jesus provided man with the means to know Him and the Father and to live according to His teachings. (The Church and the Sacraments)
- Love God and one’s neighbor.
- All humans are destined for an eternal life. The choices each human makes during his life on earth will determine the type of eternal life, heaven or hell, he will experience.
See the Ball. Hit the Ball.