Holy Week time-out

We Filipinos can consider ourselves one of the luckiest sports fans in the world. When Holy Week comes around, the entire country -inclusive of sports activities- takes a full-time break usually between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. For us Pinoys, it’s an annual tradition where everything comes to a halt as we commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Where else in the world do you see this happening? On the other side of the globe, it’s a normal work week, and this includes the holding of games in professional sports: football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. On the local front, there are games being held in Bantayan but I’d like to consider this an isolated case.

And what does this mean to us? Why the sudden stop of activities? If you look right through it, you can’t help but be grateful that we are given this break to take a Holy Week time-out. For us Pinoys, this time-out is an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at ourselves and how we are living our lives under the direction of the Coach of all coaches, the Head Coach of all head coaches, the Director of all athletic/sports directors combined. And there are no exceptions to the rule. Work, classes, games and all forms of activities stop for this time out.

But this time out, albeit different in nature, is very similar to when a head coach calls for a time-out. At a time-out, all players gather in a huddle to listen to the instructions of a coach. The coach is focused on one thing: to win the game on hand. But as he observes his team play, he notices certain positive and negative points that need to be addressed. And all these are based on a game plan that was previously discussed at the pre-game briefing in the locker room and at practice sessions. Consequently, a time-out is called to give the players an update on how they’re doing vis-a-vis their game plan of winning the game. Corrections are made. Positive reinforcement is espoused, and getting everyone on the same track towards the game plan is a priority.

Isn’t it ironic yet realistic that we, too, have a life to live under Our Coach? It’s called the game of life which was given to us and for which we must be grateful. Our lives on earth can be likened to that of a game that lasts a lifetime and will find its rewards (or punishment) in the life after. And this Holy Week time-out is calling for us to do just that. Take that time-out to check on how we have lived our lives under the guidance of our Head Coach. We ought to remember that the game that matters most isn’t the one that we play, coach or manage in the sports world. At the end of the day, the game of life is what really counts most. And we must also remember that we have an excellent Head Coach in Our Lord.

He’s so great that He came down on earth to be just like one of us. He lived among us to save our sins. During Holy Week, we remember how suffered, died, and was buried. He took up His cross, was nailed to it and was crucified in front of us, his “players.” But how have we responded? How have we lived our lives? Today at Easter Sunday, we celebrate how he rose from the dead on the third day, a fitting climax to the past three days of what was an uncertain period at the time of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the same period when Peter denied the Lord not once, but three times; the same period when the mob rule called for Our Lord to be crucified, to die on the cross. We too, also nail the Lord on the cross each time we go astray and don’t follow the game plan. We too, make him suffer more every time we decide to turn away and follow someone else’s game plan. But Our Head Coach, ever so merciful, always has his open arms to welcome us. Remember the prodigal son? Our Head Coach is the first to forgive us of our sins and failures. He just wants us to get back on the road to that ultimate championship of championships. And it’s all because He truly loves us.

This is what the Holy Week time-out is all about. How have we responded to this huddle called by the Coach?

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Time-out: The Milo-backed BEST basketball clinic will be held May 14-19, 2012, at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Mango Avenue Campus Gym. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].