During November, we honor people who lived life to the fullest in answering God's call to follow His Son in All Saints Day. St. Paul used the athlete as an image to help us understand how to grow in our spiritual lives and achieve sainthood. If you listen to host Ron Meyer on EWTN's "Blessed2Play", you might gain some insights on the road to sainthood from the notable athletes he interviews and discusses the role faith plays in their lives. I have to confess that I am not a weekly devotee of this program. However, every now and then, I hear it. Two segments I heard featured athletes that made All Saints come alive for me.
 
Max Chapman had a distinguished tenure in Division I football at Northwestern University.  Despite numerous benchmarks and awards that typically lead an athlete to the world of celebrity and financial success, Max eschewed this path and pursued his relationship with Jesus in the FOCUS ministry ( Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at the University of Nebraska. In this full-time ministry, Max cultivates friendships with student athletes, teaching them how to pray and get to know Jesus. When you learn to pray with Scripture, go to Mass, and receive the sacraments, Max is convinced you will then allow Jesus to become the center of your life.
 
Once Max invited Jesus into his sport, his whole life changed. Everything he did became intentional because he was no longer doing it for himself. He was able to receive and use the resources available to him for others, and ultimately for Jesus. Consequently, he worked harder, improved, and achieved more, not just in football, but all of his endeavors. Max offered what he was to Jesus, and in turn, has received the blessings of fulfilling work, a beautiful marriage and rewarding friendships.
 
Ron Meyer interviewed Hayley Scott DeMaria in 2015. Hayley, a high school All-American,  swam for Notre Dame on scholarship. On a return trip from a swim meet, the team bus overturned. Two teammates were killed and Hayley was paralyzed with a broken back. After enduring two surgeries within those first 48 hours, Hayley was told she would never walk again.
 
What sustained Hayley through all this tragic upheaval was the power of prayer. Not her own prayers, but the prayers of others. "When I couldn't pray, the faith community prayed for me." Eventually, Hayley did walk and again, swim competitively. She acknowledges that she would not wish pain and suffering such as her own experiences on anyone, but she is grateful she endured to honor her deceased teammates. She comments that graces emerged in her faith, family and friendships that never would have occurred without these tragedies.Hayley never asked "Why me?" Instead, she asked " Am I doing the work God has for me today with graces He is giving me?"
 
Hayley and Max demonstrate traits valuable on the road to sainthood. You and I may not have the physical prowess they possess. We can, however, adopt their attitudes and practice accepting grace to become the men and women God is asking us to be.