Fair Catch, Calculus, and... Catholicism?

I'm currently taking calculus at Purdue College of Technology at New Albany studying for a second bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. My professor is an older gentleman who uses sports analogies for everything. One of his favorites is an analogy to Fair Catch Rule in Football. According to the NFL Rule Book, Fair Catch is a catch where the opposing team may not interfere with the receiver catching the ball. Likewise, the ball is "dead" upon the receiver catching and may not be run. My professor's point with this analogy is simple: "Take what I'm giving you and accept where it is. Don't try to run with it and try to rediscover and reinvent things that have already been proven."

 

Calculus is a subject with which many people find difficulty. Most of us, if we encounter it in our coursework, will never use it again after the calculus class. Its a series of processes that work a certain way, and the shortcuts have been determined. Lots of people try to overthink it or come up with other ways, and consequently get into trouble instead of simply accepting that the legwork has been done, following the proven process when shown evidence, and moving on. They don't learn what others have already shown before trying to find their own ways and make their own discoveries. 

Today's readings give us a similar story. Jonah goes through the City of Nineveh preaching repentance. Nineveh's citizens likewise repent and are not harmed. They see the signs, believe, and act on them. On the other hand, in the Gospel, the people do not accept Jesus's claims or get His hints and demand a sign that He is the Christ, the Messiah. After all the healing, exorcisms, other miracles that Christ has performed before their very eyes, they still demand a sign that Jesus is the Messiah that He claims to be. After hearing the prophets foretell Jesus's coming and with all the parallels in their Scriptures (Our Old Testament) as evidence, they don't fair catch. They try to run with it and go their own way. They have their own ideas about what the Messiah should be and don't reexamine them in the face of all the evidence.

I've often questioned God and questioned the Church's teachings. Yet, if I dig deep enough and keep an open mind, usually I will find an answer provided by someone else before me as an explanation. It may not be the most comfortable or satisfying answer, but it is still an answer that usually makes sense and works, even I don't completely understand why. Likewise, the processes of finding derivatives in Calculus may not be the fastest or easiest thing to do, but in light of the evidence, it makes sense and has come to play in everything from life-saving medical breakthroughs to space flight. In other words, as crazy as it looks and sounds, it works, and if we just have faith and accept it, it can work for us too. A better way has yet to be found. 

The signs are present. 2,000 years worth of argument, counterargument, miracles, preaching, and millions of lives changed for the better. But it isn't an answer to everything. The world is still confusing. There's still pain, sorrow, and uncertainty. But, if we have faith in light of the evidence, maybe the process can work for us too. Maybe it can make the world a little less painful, a little happier, and give us hope that, no matter what uncertainty we face, there is something bigger at work than us, and He will eventually work things out. 

If you've run the ball and keep getting tackled, try fair catching and starting from that point. If you're searching for answers, the Catholic Church has them for you. Join us on the journey as we discover God's plan together by following the process laid down by those who have gone before. Keep questioning, keep praying, keep searching, keep having faith, and maybe one day, we will discover greater things than we know right now about God and His ways.