How to Use This Book 

 

 

 

Coaches, 

 

This devotional book has been created for you! The layout is simple to make doing devotional easy every week at your practice. 

 

Each devotional page includes the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday. You can read the Gospel or choose a player to read to the team. 

 

After the Gospel are “Points of Reflection” about what is happening in the Gospel. If you have others you would like to add for you team please do! 

 

Lastly, there are “Questions to ask” which are there to help get your team engaged and thinking about how the Gospel relates to their own lives, families, and team. 

 

As a Coach for the CYO Program your mission is to develop Christian ideals in each player. This devotional will serve as a simple tool to help you form the youth through the Word of God and your personal willingness to take time to share the Gospel of Christ with your team. 

 

 

 

 

Good Luck this season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Our Father 

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

 

 

The Hail Mary 

Hail Mary, full of Grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

 

 

The Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, a world without end. Amen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer for Athletes

Dear Father, may I compete with your love shining in my heart. May I push myself to be the best. I believe I can with your wisdom in my mind. May I have the strength, endurance and skills I need to be the athlete I know I can be. I worship you, I surrender to you. Lord, all that I do today is for you and your glory. Amen.

 

Prayer for Coaches 

Heavenly Father guide me as I try to coach my team to build each player’s character and boost their self-esteem. May I keep an even temper and remember it’s a game. Grant me patient wisdom as I praise them or correct. Lord, whether we win or lose, may all who are watching see the kind of coach at every game that you would have me be. Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday February 23 , 2025 

 

Luke 6:27-38

 

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

 

 

Points of Reflection:

• Jesus teaches a very important lesson here: always be willing to do the right thing 
• Jesus tells us that we are called to love even the people that are not good to us 
• Jesus promises us that what we are willing to do for others will be given back to us, and even more 

 

 

Questions to ask: 

• Why is it hard to do the right thing sometimes? 
• What is one way you can be kind to someone who you do not like very much? 
• Why is it important for us to forgive others and also ask for forgiveness? 

 

Sunday March 2, 2025

 

Luke 6:39-45

 

Jesus told his disciples a parable,
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

 

Points of Reflection: 

• This week we have an invitation from Jesus to live our lives in a virtuous way
• Jesus tells us to not be quick to see the faults in others when we also mess up many times
• Jesus goes on to say that we will be known by the way we act, if we are not being a good person people will be able to see that in the way we treat others

 

 

Questions to ask: 

• Why is it hard to admit when we do something wrong? 
• How do you want others to speak about you?
• What is one thing you can work on this week that will show that you care about God and those around you?

Sunday March 9, 2025 (First Sunday of Lent)

 

Luke 4:1-13

 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you,  lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

 

Points of Reflection: 

• In this part of Scripture Satan is trying to tempt Jesus
• We often forget that Jesus was genuinely human like us, which means He also had moments when He was hungry, frustrated, or tired 
• Jesus defends Himself against the devil by using the words of Scripture

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Are you sometimes tempted to do things you should not? 
• What is one way you try to fight back against temptation?
• Jesus shows us a great way to do that by using Scripture. When is the last time you read from your Bible? How well do you know Scripture verses? This week take some time to read your Bible to be closer to Jesus in moments of temptation! 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday March 16, 2025 (Second Sunday of Lent)

 

Luke 9:28-36

 

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

 

Points of Reflection: 

• This story in Scripture is called The Transfiguration  
• Jesus reveals Himself to some friends in a way that shows He really is God
• The Father gets frustrated with the Apostles because Jesus was trying to tell them something important but they were worried about things that were not as important as listening to Jesus 

 

 

Questions to ask:

• What are ways that Jesus reveals Himself to us today?
• Why is it sometimes hard for us to listen to Jesus and instead worry about other things? 
• What is one thing this week you are worried about that you can hand over to Jesus so you can better listen to Him? 

Sunday March 23, 2025 (Third Sunday of Lent)

 

Luke 13: 1-9

 

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

 

Points of Reflection: 

• In this Gospel the people were trying to prove to Jesus just how bad other people were
• Jesus calls them out by saying that we all have things we need to work on and no one is worse than someone else 
• Jesus warns us not to spent too much time worrying about other people's mistakes and put our efforts into working on our own

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Why is it easier to focus on other people's mistakes instead of our own?
• How can we help others do better instead of just thinking they are bad people? 
• What is one thing you can to this week to help those around you be the best version of themselves?

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday March 30, 2025 (Fourth Sunday of Lent)

 

Luke 15:1-3, 11- 24 (Partial Reading)

 

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’

 

 

Points of Reflection:

• This is one of the most famous stories in the Bible called the Prodigal Son  
• Jesus tells this story for people to understand that no matter how bad we might mess up in life God will always welcome us back
• This story reminds us that we all make mistakes but that God is not angry at us, He loves us more than anything

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Why is it hard to believe that God can forgive ANYTHING? 
• Why is this story good news for us? 
• Is there someone in your life you need to forgive even though it's hard?

Sunday April 6, 2025 (Fifth Sunday of Lent)

 

John 8: 1-11

 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

 

Points of Reflection: 

• In this encounter the people bring to Jesus someone who was caught doing something wrong so they expected Jesus to punish her in front of everyone
• What Jesus does instead is offer mercy to the woman
• Jesus calls out the others trying to make them understand that everyone makes mistakes and sins. We are not called to be the judge of others 

 

Questions to ask:

• What does it feel like when you are forgiven for doing something wrong? 
• What does it feel like to forgive someone when they wrong you?
• How can we be more like Jesus in this story? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday April 13, 2025 (Psalm Sunday)

 

Luke 22:14- 23 (Partial Reading)

 

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover,  and when he was twelve years old, 
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, 
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 
but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the teachers,  listening to them and asking them questions, 
and all who heard him were astounded 
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished, 
and his mother said to him,  “Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; 
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

 

Points of Reflection: 

• Mary and Joseph assume that Jesus is with other family members and accidentally leave Him behind on their trip
• Can you imagine how worried Mary and Joseph would have been?!
• When they finally find Jesus He reveals that He was in His Father's house but also is obedient to whatever Mary and Joseph tell Him to do next

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Why is listening to your parents important?  
• What is one way you can be better at being obedient to your parents or teachers? 
• Jesus says that He was in His Father's house trying to learn and ask questions. What is one way this week you can spend more time learning about God your heavenly Father?  

Sunday April 20, 2025 (Easter Sunday)

 

John 20:1-9

 

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

 

Points of Reflection: 

• The story of Easter morning! 
• Jesus' Resurrection is the single most important event in human history
• Jesus defeats death by rising from the dead! This is something to celebrate because it means that we also will not be defeated by death! There is nothing more powerful than God! 

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Why is it so important that Jesus rose from the dead? 
• What do you think it would have felt like for the Apostles to realize that Jesus was alive again?
• How will you celebrate Easter this year? Make sure you go to Church! 

 

 

 

 

Sunday April 27, 2025 (Divine Mercy Sunday)

 

John 20:19-31

 

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

 

Points of Reflection:

• Jesus appears to all his Apostles from the first time
• They are so amazed to see Jesus!
• Thomas was not there when Jesus arrives and does not believe his friends when they talk about it. When Jesus comes back and Thomas is there he invites Thomas to touch his wounds so that he really can see that it is truly Jesus

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Why do you think Thomas had a hard time believing? 
• What would you do if you saw someone come back to life? 
• Jesus offers us the invitation to believe in His Resurrection even though we cannot see Him. What is one way this week you can live like you believe Jesus is alive? 

Sunday May 4, 2025 (Third Sunday of Easter)

 

John 21:1-14 (Partial Reading)

 

At that time, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ""I am going fishing."" They said to him, ""We also will come with you."" So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, ""Children, have you caught anything to eat?""
They answered him, ""No."" So he said to them, ""Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something."" So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ""It is the Lord."" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, ""Bring some of the fish you just caught."" So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ""Come, have breakfast.""
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ""Who are you?""
because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

 

Points of Reflection:

• This story really shows just how normal the Apostles were. They did not know what to do so they just decided to go fishing
• When they suddenly catch all the fish they realize the man who helped them was Jesus because no one else in the world could do that 
• Jesus then has breakfast with His Apostles and spends time with them

 

 

Questions to ask:

• Where have you seen the Lord this week? 
• How do you respond when you notice God is working in your life? 
• Jesus wants to spend time with His friends. What is one way you can spend time with Jesus this week?