Goodness Is Its Own Reward

I couldn’t be at the game tonight because I was attending the Confirmation of my great niece. I gave my tickets to tonight’s game to my good buddy Fred who is Slovak, a Gaborik fan and a devout Catholic. I am an Irish American, a Ranger fan and of late, a heathen. I needed to be at church supporting my family and my niece more then at the Ranger game.

The actual Confirmation ceremony was in the middle of a Mass. When you sit through Mass, you have an opportunity to reflect upon your life and the current condition of your spirit. I mostly appreciate the time to thank God for the good health of my friends and my family and for all our blessings. So many people are struggling these days. I have much to be grateful for. I should go more often.

Oddly enough, I also thought about the Rangers during Mass. Going to a Ranger game is like going to church. You attend games with a building full of people of whom you number many as friends. You cheer at the Garden, you sing in Church. I know I’ve prayed many times at the Garden. As a season subscriber the Garden is like a second home, your friends and seatmates an extended family.

As Roman Catholics we believe we are all part of one body. What so ever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me. We believe in the communion of Saints and the forgiveness of sins. We are taught to love one another and ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who’ve trespassed against us.

I thought about how I had decided to set aside my displeasure and anger after Saturday night’s game. Easing up on the negative criticism and changing my attitude would go along way toward making this season of transition more bearable. I decided on Saturday to make patience my watchword and forgive the mistakes of our young players.

It’s times like Saturday night when I would have been well served to remember not only the words of the Lord’s Prayer but also my personal hero Scott Hamilton:

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude”

I’m glad Fred and Anka got to see the Rangers win.

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