This sign is above the door in the sacristy at Holy Name of Jesus in Sheboygan, where I serve as a lector. In a Catholic church, the sacristy is a room, usually near the altar, where vestments, supplies, and sacred vessels are kept, and the priest and attendants prepare for Mass.
It’s kind of like the locker room where the players prepare for the big game.
The sign is a play off the famous one in the stairwell between the locker room and the field at Notre Dame University. (That one says, “Play like a champion today.”) It actually originated at the University of Oklahoma, on a sign installed by coach Bud Wilkinson in the 1940s for the Sooners football team. In 1986, Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz had one made for his team. Since then, it has become a tradition for Notre Dame players to touch the sign, often with a tap, a swipe, or a kiss, as a way to honor the history, remember the sacrifices of those who came before, and mentally prepare for the game.
One of my favorite routines implemented by our pastor, Fr. Nick, is when he gathers the cantor, lectors, and altar servers in prayer before Mass begins. He asks for the ability to treat it as if it were our first Mass, our last Mass, and our only Mass.
Each of these scenarios calls to mind a unique emotional flavor…
There’s a nervous excitement you get when doing something for the first time.
There’s a feeling of reverence and appreciation that arises when you know you only get to do it once.
And there’s a somber sort of gravity when you know you’re doing something for the last time.
They are different experiences, but in each case, we usually make a special effort to savor the moment, giving it our undivided attention, allowing ourselves to be fully present.
There is great value in adopting this mindset anytime you’re doing something important, especially if it’s become routine. It might feel like a bit of mental trickery, because even if it’s not actually the first or only time you’re doing it, it may very well be your last.
I like this prayer so much that I now say it before every speech I give. I put myself in the headspace of it being my first, last, and only speech. I pray that God will be with me, that I will say what needs to be said, and that my audience will hear what they need to hear. (Which, believe it or not, is sometimes different than what I actually say!)
To consider that it could legitimately be the last speech I’ll ever give rekindles a certain electricity and helps me give it the respect it deserves, regardless of how “impressive” the stage or size of the audience.
It helps me give it my all, like a champion.
Now, you may not be a priest, a lector, a professional speaker, or a football player.
You don’t need to be any of these things to take this ritual to heart.
What is on your to-do list today?
Is there something on it that’s important, but you do it so regularly that it feels rote, and sometimes even like a burden?
Like caring for an ailing parent or a sick patient, perhaps?
Maybe serving a customer or helping a student.
Nursing a child.
Teaching a class.
Running a meeting.
Repairing a vehicle.
Fixing a leaky pipe.
Making dinner.
Preparing to host a family gathering this holiday season.
No matter what the task, what if you acted like you were doing it for the first time?
Would you do anything differently if it were your only time doing it?
What if, today, is the last time you’ll ever get to do it?
How might you approach it then?
Leave a Reply