KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a matter of days, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is living in two very different worlds.
He kicked the game-winning Super Bowl LVII field goal last week and celebrated his third Chiefs Championship title. Butker followed that up by taking part in the championship parade down the streets of Kansas City in front of hundreds of thousands of screaming fans.
This week, the boss kicker is spending time in silence, prayer and reflection at St. Michael’s Abbey, southeast of Los Angeles.
“Some devils are cast out only by prayer and fasting. We must embrace this penance to bring order to all the chaos between us,” Butker said in a video posted to the Abbey’s YouTube page on Ash Wednesday. “So, good luck during this Lenten season.”
Lent lasts 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to sunset on Holy Thursday. It is a time of preparation for Christians leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.
Butker is a devout Catholic. He’s something he doesn’t shy away from during the NFL season or the offseason. Even if millions of eyes are watching him to see if he will make a decisive kick, like he did in the Super Bowl last week.
“Obviously I was nervous, but one thing that has helped me throughout my career is taking a deep breath, praying is something I always do on the sidelines to remember that, yes, football is that important, but it’s not the most important thing. “. Butker said during an interview with Colm Flynn, a contributor to EWT extensionthe Catholic News Network.
Flynn interviewed Butker for the network at the monastery where he is staying earlier this week. The Chiefs kicker also spent time reflecting at the abbey in the past during his NFL career.
About 50 priests and 30 seminarians studying for the priesthood live in St. Michael’s Abbey, according to the monastery’s website.
Not only have the priests seemingly welcomed Butker into the abbey, but they’re also incorporating his stay into their message.
“To become a champion like this man here, we have to work hard, mortifying ourselves, getting closer to our Lord, then becoming a champion at Easter,” one of the priests said in a video while standing next to Butker.
Last year Butker partnered with a subscription service called Hallow to share his faith with others. Hallow is a subscription service that offers users a large selection of prayers and meditations to listen to, including some by Butker.
An annual subscription to Hallow costs $59.99 a year, and new subscribers can try out the app with a 14-day free trial.
Hallow is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
