The Olympics is a global event that unites people from all corners of the world, transcending race, color, lifestyle, and faith. It is a time when we showcase our shared humanity and our best through the spirit of sportsmanship.
The three values celebrated in the Olympic Games are excellence, respect, and friendship.
Sadly, at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris, a portrayal mocking Christianity and its central belief in the Eucharist was included. (I don't have to describe it to you. You can easily search for it online, or you probably tuned in and saw it on television.) This portrayal trivialized the sacred moment when Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The Eucharist is not merely a ritual; it is the very heart of our Christian life. Vatican II calls the Eucharist the "source and summit of our faith."
In the Eucharist, we encounter the real presence of Christ, who feeds and nourishes us just as He miraculously fed more than 5000 people in the Gospel.
The Olympics, which aim to unite people of different backgrounds and beliefs, have failed to respect Christianity and its faith. Do you think they would dare mock other religions in such a way? We know the answer. The disrespect highlights a bigger issue in our world today, where the values of respect and inclusivity are sometimes applied selectively.
As followers of Christ, how should we respond to this?
Second, we must stand firm in our faith by celebrating the Eucharist well, recognizing it as the true bread from heaven that sustains us.
Finally, just as Jesus fed the multitude, we are called to feed our world so hungry for true friendship and respect. In a world that often misunderstands or dismisses our Catholic Christian faith, we are called to be living examples of the love, respect, and friendship that the Olympics aspire to celebrate. NQ
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