July 11, 2026

Most of the world calls it fútbol; some say soccer; but all agree that it is the beautiful game.  The sport not only demands physical fitness and mental acuity, but also a keen intuition that allows one to constantly see the whole field and pick up on the rhythms of the offenses and defenses therein.  Unlike other games that feel fragmented—with their abrupt stops and restarts—soccer just flows.  The ball moves from foot to foot to foot to foot and from team to team to team to team.  It is hard to explain how the play developed yet indisputable that the goal was in fact scored.  From a young age, players are taught about the tension of opposites: in order to go at the goal, you must start by going away from the goal.  They are trained to see invisible realities such as angles and space.  The highlight of the match, however, is when the ball is “crossed” from one side of the field to the other; time feels suspended as fans and players alike hold their breath, praying that someone will meet the ball in midair and, catching the other team off guard, send it into the back of the net for a goal.  During this World Cup season, let’s catch football fever!  We shall be inspired to find our spiritual feet and join in the eternally beautiful game that, through its own angles, spaces and crosses, confers life.  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.