But the correlation here between Tiger missing the cut at the British Open and our faith as young Catholics can be seen as a lesson for us within this foundation.
When one is the best at something, whether that be a sport, music, or mathematics, we would expect that person to give it their all. Whether that be giving their all in each quarter, with each note, or with each problem that needs to be solved, the person is generally putting forth their best effort. Go back to Tiger. It would have been a waste of time for Tiger to even try for this championship if he were not going to give it his all. I mean, I do not know how he thinks, but I would guess that he does not have the attitude of "I'm going to fail" when he goes into a round. This time, however, he came up short (well, I guess he didn't even come up at all, seeing as how he missed the cut, but you get my point). But did he go out there with a winning attitude and try? Absolutely.
We too, as young Catholics have to take that same confidence and attitude into our homes, schools and workplaces when it comes to living out our Catholic faith. And with that attitude of love for our God, we have to realize that we will fall. However, we cannot stay down. Our faith is too rich to simply "give up." We have to "get-up." Our weaknesses, our sinfulness, is not our end. It is yet another opportunity for us to give ourselves over to our God. And in giving ourselves over we know that this is not just a "one-and-done" deal. Any athlete, musician, or mathematician has to go into each performance with the mind-frame of wanting to be perfect that day. Yes, we will hit a wrong note. We will strikeout. We may even make someone decaf when they ask for regular.
But we cannot use that as an excuse not to go in each day with our game face on. Our
Catholic faith is too important for us to simply give only a portion of ourselves. Our
God created us for more. He created us with the ability to say "yes" to living in the way we were created to live. And that "yes" has to be given each day, otherwise, it is just a waste of time.
Too often today many young people are settling for mediocrity, instead of striving for the greatness we were all created for. Look, none of us are Tiger Woods. We just simply are not that good at golf. But we as Catholics have all been given the ability to attain heroic virtue. We have been given the grace to be Saints. Why would we waste this? Just because we fall at times, do we think that we should throw in the towel?
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I cannot tell you how many people I have met that turn away from the faith when it becomes too difficult to live. The lifestyle they were once living takes on a different form because the road seems "easier." What so many are not getting is that it is precisely within these difficult times that we are called to renew this gift of faith we have been given at Baptism! If Tiger wants to be the best, then he has to take this failure and learn from it.
I do not think anyone would argue that being cut from this major championship will have a lasting effect on Tiger's career. He, however, has a choice of what that lasting effect will be. With him already hearing comments from professional analysts that he is on the decline, he has the opportunity to play into that mind frame, or not. The performance of Tom Watson should inspire Tiger as he makes his choice: the choice to let this major-fall continue, or the choice to pick himself up and move on. Tom showed Tiger, and us, that we are never too old, never too frail to give up on something that we love. And for us as Catholics, that something becomes a someone - the One who breathed life into us, asking us to go out into the world proclaiming the Good News of salvation to all.
We as Catholics have that same choice: the choice to either walk along the road of mediocrity, or the choice to give our "yes," persevering daily in our faith.
