Texas Coach Darrell Royal & Freddie Steinmark after winning the 1970 National Championship
(More on them at Convocation)

What a great College football game last night, Notre Dame vs. Penn State – wow!  Another great game set for tonight, as I write this, Texas vs. Ohio State.  I love this time of year, where the pageantry of top football competition is being played out, good coaching, the X’s & O’s of the game strategy and its player execution through practice and repetition.  I’m a Texas fan by the way – Hook ‘em Horns!

John the Baptist reminds me of a tough “old-school” football coach.  He’s usually depicted as a firebrand who scared people into repentance!  But this view doesn’t reconcile to how he attracted large groups of people and won their hearts. Moreover, this view ignores his main point, that salvation is here.

Salvation, friendship with God, the fullness of living in communion with God, this is John the Baptist’s real message. St. John the Baptist teaches us how to please Jesus Christ, a ‘how-to’ live in communion with God, our redeemer. This is nothing new, he gives us the game plan, if you will - he applies the Ten Commandments to the situations of his hearers. He appeals to the demands of justice and the demands of humility, not taking undue advantage of anyone, and we are to help those in need. Simply, what we are ordained to do and live out, in obedient practice and repetition to God’s people, His Church, the Archbishop, you get it.

Receive + Believe + Teach + Practice
Be Bold - Be Men of Prayer – Pray for Our Brothers
See You in the Eucharist