A Game Plan For The Day

18th Hole approaching the clubhouse at St. Andrews
Picture by Alan Stewart via Wikipedia

Next weekend, the best golfers in the world will converge on St. Andrews Golf Course in Scotland,   competing for the British Open Golf Championship; it is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf.  Golfers face special challenges on the “links” style courses played in the Open.  The course is stark, with few trees, landscapes of bumps and hollows and heavy, tough grass, called “gorse”, next to the fairways.

Woe to the golfer if his ball wanders into this “gorse”.  This year, an up and coming young star has emerged –  Jordan Spieth, from Dallas, Texas has won the first two majors of the year, and could be the first golfer to win the Modern Grand Slam of Golf.   In 1930, Bobby Jones won 4 majors, but that was before the Masters.  To win the “Grand Slam” a golfer has to win the Masters, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship in the same year: A daunting task!  To ensure victory, Jordan will have to form a “game plan”.  He’ll need to keep his ball in the fairway, safe from the “gorse”, and the “pot bunkers” (dreadful sand traps).  You might see him using his irons off the tee instead of his big driver; he will sacrifice some distance, but will be much more accurate.  With the proper game plan, victory can be his!

As we rise each morning from bed to meet the challenges of the new day, we can imitate Jordan Spieth.  Too often, we have no “game plan”, no strategy, to avoid the “pot bunkers” and “gorse” of daily life.  We fall into the same mistakes day after day to our dismay.

Our “Game Plan” need only be a few words.  If Anger is putting us into the “pot bunkers” of daily life, our plan for the day could be, “Gentle Jesus, help me.”  If Fears and Worries are flinging us into the “gorse”, say, “Jesus, be with me.”  If we find Prayer absent from our days, whisper now and then through the day, “All for God.” And then all that we do becomes a prayer.

When our Purity of heart is being threatened, our “Plan” will be, “Mary, my mother.”  If sadness weighs us down, with no joy in our precious gift of life, sing out with zest, “Rejoice always!”

As for myself, this practice of making a “Game Plan” has worked minor miracles.  When the stress of living is tempting me to say harsh words of criticism, especially at home, my “Game Plan” for that day, “Gentle Jesus, help me”, closes my lips in silence.  Jordan has won the first two major championships of the year – he had a plan for each, and surely has a plan going into next week.  Do you have a spiritual game plan for the week ahead?

At bedside, say a prayer to the Holy Spirit, a short one, and plan the day ahead.  One day at a time.  They will add up quickly.  Remember, each day is a lifetime in itself.  Our slate is clean each morning.

Fr. George Mc Kenna