Did you know that a Catholic priest was the brains behind the Olympic motto? According to the International Olympic Committee’s website, Dominican priest Fr Henri Didon used the motto, citius, altius, fortius (Latin for “faster, higher, stronger”) when commencing a school sports event in 1881[i].
But Fr Didon was not the first to connect sport and faith. In fact, we read in the New Testament several analogies and comparisons between sport and the spiritual life made by St Paul:
Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NRSVCE)
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 NRSVCE)
As we near the halfway point of the 2024 Olympic Games, it’s a great time to reflect on the significance of St Paul’s words, in the context of seeing athletes from around the world compete for a “perishable” crown.
For most of those athletes, an Olympic gold medal has been their life goal for years. They’ve put in countless hours of training to give themselves a chance at obtaining that goal. Indeed, athletes at all levels replicate a similar dedication to their sport if they wish to achieve success. In addition to those playing sport, many other people flock to the gym before or after work in an effort to keep fit.
Physical health is important, and so is doing our best in any endeavour, including sport. But how much time do we spend striving for the “imperishable” crown that St Paul talks about? I like to refer to a term used by Pope Paul VI, who spoke of the importance of training at the “spiritual gymnasium” – essentially, any place where we pray and grow closer to God. And like an ordinary gymnasium, the spiritual gymnasium also requires its attendees to keep coming back, time and again, in a spirit of perseverance and self-discipline, if they are to make progress.
If you’ve never been to a spiritual gymnasium before, or if you haven’t been there for a while and need to get spiritually “in shape”, I encourage you to make a resolution to give it a go during this Olympic month.
Further reading
Open the Way to Christ: Fostering a Pastoral Ministry of Sport
Image: Diocese of Parramatta: CYP LIFTED Sports Day, May 2021.
Words: Matthew Biddle
[i] ‘The Olympic symbol and other elements of the Olympic identity’. International Olympic Committee. https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/olympic-symbol-and-identity/what-is-the-olympic-motto