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See the Ball, Hit the Ball!

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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.

  1. There is a God – a loving, personal god.
  2. 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.
  3. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and continues to nourish it.
  4. Jesus provided man with the means to know Him and the Father and to live according to His teachings. (The Church and the Sacraments)
  5. Love God and one’s neighbor.
  6. 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.

Everything Is Temporary Except….

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Everything Is Temporary Except….

The long retired soccer star was pleased when a young fan raced up to him in the shopping mall and eagerly asked for his autograph. Of course the former star player happily signed the youngster’s autograph sheet; it was nice to still be remembered 20 years after he retired from active playing. The young boy thanked him by name for the autograph and wished him well. The former player stared into space in shock as the boy returned to his family in the mall; he had been taken aback when the young boy had called him by the name of another player of his era. The player recalled the times when his image was on posters in all corners of the city and his name was on the lips of every soccer fan; no one would mistake him for another player. Now, twenty years later, few knew his name or remembered his athletic accomplishments. “Fame is indeed fleeting, very temporary,” he thought to himself.

“Earthly life is short and very temporary”, lamented the dying man as he gave some last parting advice to his children. “Nothing last forever so live your lives to the fullest because life is indeed so very brief,” he advised.  He noted that even death is not permanent; God has promised to reunite human bodies with their souls at the end of time.

Man must always be conscious of the temporary nature of all things on earth. Athletic fame, business success, personal relationships all tend to be temporary and are often fleeting. For example, it is estimated that less than 20 percent of the major corporations doing business today will be viable businesses in 30 years. One person reflected upon the current status of his former company, “It was a leader in its business field; it actually started the business activity in which it excelled. Yet  today it is gone; few even remember it.” Fashions in clothes, hair styles, and even electronics change frequently and are temporary. Everything, including life itself, seems to be temporary.

“Only death is a permanent state,” announced the college professor with authority. Most of the students accepted the professor’s claim that death was permanent. However, upon reflection, several students postulated that death also was a temporary state, since God had promised man, body and soul, an eternal life to be shared with Him in heaven….or isolated in hell for those who ignored His teachings. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered into human form on earth to instruct man about God, man’s need for repentance, and the existence of a permanent, eternal life for those who believe and follow Him.

Considering the importance of the one and only permanent state for man, why do so many humans concentrate all of their energies on the temporary things in life, while ignoring that which is permanent?