Millions in the US have just followed the Super Bowl on television and thousands celebrated with the winning team, the Seattle Seahawks.

Luke Wilson, from what I gather, a star player with the triumphant Seattle Seahawks, gave an interview prior to the game.

Speaking of his Catholic faith, he said, so very correctly, that Catholicism, being “a sacramental religion” is “a mix of spirit and matter”.

The Church – he continued – sees the human person not just as a soul alone, but “a body-and-soul combination”.

Asked specifically how he connected his Catholic faith with sport, he had the following to say:

“My faith is a huge part of who I am today, and it always has been huge, ever since I was a child. My siblings and I were raised to believe what the Church teaches and to act in certain ways.

“Clear demarcation of right and wrong made decision-making pretty easy. That’s incredibly helpful for pursuing excellence in life, because you see what’s truly valuable and worth sacrificing for, and also what you shouldn’t even bother to give attention to.

“It’s an irreplaceable thing to be raised in the Catholic Church, where you have the teachings of Jesus passed down through the centuries. His goal is our eternal salvation, but even if you look only at the earthly benefits you get from being Catholic, they’re amazing. The peace of mind that comes from being in God’s will is awesome.

“I’m very grateful for the Catholic upbringing I had. Without it, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today. Not even close.”