By ADAM GANUCHEAU For The Catholic Week On a whim, my wife bought me the Nintendo Switch game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for my birthday last month. We have this game in other formats, but combined with our twins’ Christmas gift of their own controllers, we have been playing this game a lot more lately.
Playing Mario Kart with my sons is an interesting experience. I certainly remember epic races between my dad, my brothers, and myself on the Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64 when I was my sons’ age. There is the exhilaration of a perfectly thrown banana peel that lands on an opponent. There is the agony of a poorly timed blue shell that destroys your cart as you are close to victory.
Our youngest son is just happy to be there, playing with his brothers and completely content with his last place finishes. Our twins argue about who will take their turn to come in second, usually to my oldest son or me, depending on who is playing at the moment.
After a recent outburst made by one of the boys because of a sixth-place finish, we have noticed the opportunity to talk about our emotions, the proper display of those emotions and the idea of sportsmanship. Yet, with Holy Week and Easter approaching, I find myself contemplating the sufferings and redemptions of Mario Kart in a broader, more theological sense.
In a single race, one can experience disappointment, hurt, confusion and triumph. I do not mean to minimize or patronize real suffering by making this comparison, but I find that video games often elicit real emotions for each player.
Suffering is an unavoidable aspect to humanity. Each of us will have our crosses to bear. Comparing the depth or width of our crosses does not promote good for anyone. Unfortunately, there are a number of ways we experience suffering — emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually; there are times when the sufferings overlap, such as the emotional anguish that comes with a difficult medical diagnosis.
Grief associated with suffering is not linear, and the process to ultimately accept suffering or loss is unique for each person. In the fantastic show “WandaVision,” Vision spoke truth by saying, “but what is grief if not love enduring?”
Though we experience pain and suffering, we are also capable of immense joy and peace. If we experience the cross, we can experience the Resurrection too. If we look at our trials and the succeeding joys as small glimpses into the Paschal Mystery, we are able to unite our sufferings to Christ with the hope of experiencing new life with Him.
St. John Paul II wrote, “the Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished. He is called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has also been redeemed. In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.” (Salvifici Doloris no. 19)
We journey with Christ during Lent, Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum and Easter. There is movement in the process, and we are invited to reflect on our place in those movements. From the cries of “hosanna” and “crucify Him!” on Palm Sunday to the joy upon hearing that the tomb is empty, we have an opportunity to enter into deeper reflection on how we experience pain, suffering, grief and redemption.
We look to the apostles, who experienced the deep pain of Good Friday, the uncertainty of Holy Saturday and the jubilation of Easter Sunday. We walk with the saints and martyrs who suffered immense pain for the glory of God. We weep for those suffering now in a year marked with pain and suffering unlike others in recent memory, and we rejoice for progress and the ability to move forward.
In Mario Kart, one player will win while others will lose. In Christ, we will find healing through redemption in our sufferings. In Christ, we experience the pain of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday. In Christ, the victory over sin and death is already won.
— Adam Ganucheau is the Director of the Office of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. He may be emailed at [email protected] Visit our website, www.ArchMobYouth.org Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ArchMobYouth and follow us on Twitter and Instagram - @ArchMobYouth