Help me to play the game, dear Lord, with all my might and main;
Grant me the courage born of right, a heart to stand the strain…
Send me a sense of humor, Lord, to laugh when victory’s mine;
To laugh, if I should meet defeat, without a fret or whine…
Give me the grace to follow rules, to ‘fess up when I’m wrong,
When silence or some other thing wins plaudits from the throng…
When foes are tough and fighting fierce and I am getting weak,
Dear God, don’t ever let me show a broad, bright, yellow streak.
And teach me, Lord, life’s game to play just one day at a time.
With Thee as coach and trainer, Lord, real victory must be mine.
Amen.
Used with Permission by Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, T.O.R., Chaplain for Franciscan University Athletics, “Apple Seeds”® http://www.appleseeds.org
