July 8, 2026

Fr. John Riccardo

Undefeated.

Unscathed.

Untarnished.

Those are words that Pope Pius XII used to describe St. Maria Goretti, whose feast we celebrated Monday, in his homily at her canonization. Pope Pius spoke of her much the way sports-talk radio personalities speak of athletes today for hour upon hour. This extraordinary twelve year old girl was held up before the eyes of the world not only as a hero to be marveled at, but a witness to be imitated. The Church, in fact, has a long history of speaking of the saints, and especially the martyrs, as the true athletes. It’s common in art to see depictions of the martyrs being greeted by angels rushing towards them much like fans storm the field after a win. The angels carry laurel wreaths, a common prize for athletes of old, their faces exuding radiant joy, as they marvel at the heroic perseverance of men, women and children who have fought the good fight, run the race, and kept the faith, even in the most extreme of circumstances.

Athletes have held our imagination seemingly forever. The ancient Greeks started the Olympics, and honored the winners with all sorts of trophies and attention. The ancient Romans loved competition, and it wasn’t unusual to see gladiators acquire cult-like status with women and men the way we often see football or basketball players draw attention today.

Sports are a great good, or can be. They teach us the value of sportsmanship, discipline, perseverance, team building and so much more. But they also easily and too often become idols for many of us. And athletes are to be admired for the way they do things on the field, the ice, and the golf course that most of us can only dream about.

We often speak about the need for us all to reacquire a biblical worldview, to ask the Lord to help us to see again — to see reality as it truly is. With Maria Goretti’s feast day this week, and those words of Pope Pius XII, we are reminded that the real heroes, the ones that should genuinely fascinate us, are the saints. And, unlike the men and women who engross many of us with athleticism that we cannot imitate, we can imitate the saints. We can become saints. We can win the only prize, the only crown that truly matters. And that’s what “athlete” means in Greek: one who competes for a crown or prize.

What prize am I competing for? What drives me? What drives you? What is your ultimate goal in life? What is mine?

We can all hear God say at the end of our days, ‘Well done! Good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Master!” These are the only words that matter. And each and every one of us is either going to hear those or else we’re going to hear, “Depart from Me…” Either eternal glory or everlasting shame, horror and disgrace.

God’s great athletes are formed not in gyms but in chapels, strengthened not by weights but by sacraments, and coached not by professional trainers but by the Holy Spirit and the heroes in God’s hall of fame. Let us, then, run today — and every day of our lives — so as to win the only game that matters: life. Let us ask the intercession of Saint Maria Goretti, our patron saints, our Lady, and all the angels in heaven, for the grace to persevere this day in faith, to love the Lord and one another as we should, to sell out for God in all things. May we emerge at the end of our days undefeated, unscathed and untarnished.

For What Crown Are We Competing?

Heartfelt Compassion