I love Smartfood!

Its funny how the things of this world can so easily drag us in. My wife likes to jokingly make fun of me because I like commercials, though I hate the consumerism which they promote. Have you ever had Smartfood? It is a cheesy popcorn snack that is delicious. I have to admit, as well, that the name is catchy - as if some popped fruit could increase our brain's capacity and/or functionality. While I don't really believe that it can do it, it is always sort of fun to pretend that it does.

This is sort of like how we can be with our faith. There are many things which we can pretend do us so much good in this life. So many of our children's baseball, basketball, football, and every other kind of ball can lead us to think they are more important than the belief that there is a God who loves us and who has revealed how we are to respond to this love in our Catholic Faith. We can sometimes think that these activities, as well as others, are more important that the practice and knowledge of our faith. Like Smartfood, we can sometimes pretend that they really do something great for us. While in reality, like Smartfood, they only provide a very marginal sustenance and benefit compared to our real life experience.

Of course, this is not to say sports of all kinds or other activities aren't important. Like snacks - such as Smartfood - we need something to keep us going and give us a little extra pick me up. However, we must realize that if we place the fantasy of Smartfood or of sports above reality, then we are only fooling ourselves.

There is no greater reality in this life than coming to know the one True and Living Triune God. Just as sports are good for the body, there is nothing better for our souls than to know God. This is why Jesus tells us, "I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." However, we must never place anything above our service to Him, especially as Catholic parents. When we do, what we show our kids is that the Mass we should be attending each week, the charity that we treat others with, and the practice of virtue really isn't worth much.

In other words, there is nothing necessarily wrong with sports or Smartfood, as long as they don't effectively become idols which mean more to us than the real good of having our souls fed by Jesus in the Eucharist.