The Race

Day 15: Running the Race

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 23:19:49 -0500

I knew a guy who ran to school every day. Not because he didn't have a ride, but because he wanted to be a winning athlete. He watched what he ate, got to bed on time, and worked out everyday. He was disciplined, and it paid off. He became a football star and the No. 1 wrestler in the state.

Webster's dictionary describes discipline as "training that develops self control, character, or efficiency." It means we commit to our goal. It means we make sacrifices to attain it. It means we run the race every step, every day. But we do not run aimlessly. We follow Christ. The word discipline comes from the word disciple, and we cannot expect to be disciples of Christ without it.

"Train yourself for devotion," writes St. Paul. This faith of ours is not just an intellectual exercise, it requires hard work. This is not about "not doing bad things", it's about running a race. We must be active. We don't become holy by "wishing" to be holy.

Anything worth having requires hard work. Our reading from Matthew shows us that we can't rest on the gifts that God gives us, but we must use them if we want them to grow. So, like an athlete, I spiritually work out by praying every day. Devotionals like this help me do it. If you have been faithful to these devotionals, I am confident that you feel "stronger" in the Lord.

But our race is that of a marathon, not a sprint. A sprinter puts all of his energies into one quick moment, and then collapses at the finish line and needs to rest. A marathon runner, though slower at the start, will outdistance the sprinter in the long run. Maybe you have noticed friends who have grown weak in their faith; they may die from a "lack of discipline" as Proverbs warns.

In our run with Christ, distance, or perseverance, is more important than speed (though to win we need both). It is better to pray a little bit each day than an hour one day a week.

Every athlete sets goals for himself/herself in order to get better. Someone who can bench 250 pounds will go for 300, somebody who runs the mile in 4 minutes will try for 3:50. Do a spiritual self-check: how are you as a spiritual athlete? What do you need to do to run faster in your race with Christ?

Day 16: Eyes on the Prize

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 22:37:03 -0500

In 1998, U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski became the youngest Olympian ever to win a gold medal. She was only 15. In a TV interview she said she used to practice receiving the gold medal when she was six years old. She always knew what she wanted. She kept her eyes on the prize.

In running the race of faith, we need to keep our eyes on our prize: eternal salvation and glory in Jesus Christ. This is known as the virtue of hope. The Bible uses the word hope differently than our society does. In today's world, hope is a wishy-washy term. We say, "I hope I pass this test," or "I hope this person calls me." What we mean is that we don't think it will happen.

In Scripture, "hope" is more than a "wish." Hope refers to our belief that we will be saved. Hope is knowing the eternal glory that awaits those who have been faithful to Christ. It is definite. It is confident. Many people confuse faith with hope, but faith refers to our living out what we believe. Faith is our daily steps. Hope is the reason we run.

We must "fix our eyes on Jesus" if we want to win this race. We must continually remind ourselves of the glory that awaits us in Heaven. Imagine this ~You close your eyes for the last time on this earth, and when you open them again, you are in a different place. It is the most beautiful place you have ever seen. You stand, and before you is the finish line. As you head toward it, you see family members calling your name and shouting for joy. You see angels and saints clapping and shouting louder and louder.

Behind the finish line you see Jesus, with a huge smile and His arms outstretched. You become like a child running toward the arms of his father. And as you break through the finish line into the arms of God, all of creation erupts in song as He embraces you. He then puts you on a pedestal and in front of all creation places upon your head the crown of life. It is the most incredible moment you will ever experience. And it will last forever,

The more faithful we are to Christ and the more sin we overcome, the more glorious that moment will be. Spend a few minutes dreaming of that moment, and then live in faith to make that a reality. Memorize Hebrews 12:1-2.

Day 17: Get Up!

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 21:38:58 -0500

In running this race, we fall. Sometimes it is a little trip, a stumble. Sometimes we fall flat on our face. This can get very frustrating, and can make us lose hope. We feel that we are not getting anywhere in our faith, because we are continually getting caught up in sin. We make some progress, but feel like we are back where we started.

Don't be discouraged! In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul shares his battle with sin. As holy as he was, he still had problems. That should encourage us to know that we are not alone in our struggles. In fact, all Christians struggle with sin until the day they die. Jesus tells us that He came "Not to call the righteous, but sinners." We do not have to be perfect to come to Christ. We come to Christ to be perfected.

Our readings from the Gospel of Matthew and John tell us the story of two disciples: Judas and Peter. Both betrayed Jesus. Judas sold Him out to the Pharisees; Peter denied Him three times outside the gates. Yet one of them founded the Church we believe in, while the other's name went down in history as a traitor. What was the difference between the two? When Judas faced despair, he hanged himself. He acknowledged his sin, but he didn't repent of it. When Jesus confronted Peter, Peter reaffirmed his love for Him. (He did it three times, for each of the three times he denied Him.) In their sin, they both fell down. But Peter got up again. That's what made him a saint.

The lesson to be learned from these two men is this: When you fall, get back up. Our relationship with Jesus Christ gives us the power to rise again. When we turn to God with a repentant heart, He always helps us up. A man who keeps falling and rising will make more progress than the one who falls and stays down.

Jesus does not get "tired" with you. He does not lose patience, in fact, He is more patient with us than we are with ourselves. He never loses hope in us, we should never lose hope in Him. His suffering on the Cross was enough to forgive every sin you have committed, or will commit, for the rest of your life.

Sin is serious; it is destructive in our relationship with God. But once we have sinned, the best thing to do is to cry out to God in repentance and let Him pick us up. There is no need to dwell on our sin. His grace is enough to keep us in the race. Meditate upon the verses in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

Day 18: Rest Stop

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 20:39:19 -0500

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you have no time for a break? I know many who are pulled about by school, activities, homework, work, athletics, etc. It seems like they never have time for themselves. They are always heading out to practice or a rehearsal or a job.

Why do we allow ourselves to get so busy? Some of us need to be active in order to feel productive. Others hide behind activities so they won't have to face the pain or the issues in their life. Some do it for status- they try to impress people by the amount of stuff we do. Other people just get caught up in it. They become addicted to constant activity like a drug.

Maybe we're afraid of silence. We wake up to music blaring, run downstairs and turn on the TV, get in the car and turn on the radio, listen to a iPod during the day, come home and turn on the TV, and then pop on the radio to go to sleep!

What does Scripture tell us today? Psalm 46 says, "Be still, and know that I am God" In 1 Kings, God didn't speak to Elijah through the roaring thunder, earthquake, or fire. He spoke in a "quiet, still voice." I used to think that I couldn't hear God, but then I realized that I was drowning Him out with the noise of my life. It's not that He wasn't speaking. I couldn’t hear Him above the noise.

When our lives become hurried, the first thing many of us drop is prayer. But our time with God is a time to be still. We turn off the radio, get away from the TV, close the schoolbook, and turn off the phone (not “silent” but “off). We free ourselves from distractions to spend a quiet moment with God. God often speaks to us softly. We have to be quiet to hear Him.

If God gave you a "to do" list every day, the first item on it would be "Pray." If Satan had a "to do" list for his demons, the first item on it would be "Keep (insert your name) from praying." Every athlete needs rest. Why? To relax, rejuvenate, and reenergize. Prayer does that for us when we try to "be still" before God. "Come to me, all you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest," says our Lord.

Try to spend a minute being still. Turn off any distracting noises. Put aside the cares of the day. Imagine his love showering upon you. Focus on a cross, or your favorite picture of Jesus. Be still, and know that He is God.

Day 19: Follow the Leader

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 19:39:51 -0500

To follow Christ, one of the things we have to learn is obedience.

The first person we are called to obey is God. But there are other people to whom we must be obedient as well. As young Christians, we are like privates in the army of Christ. God is the five star general. He's at the top. We're at the bottom. And there are a lot of people in between, including our parents, priests, teachers, law enforcers, and bosses. If a sergeant gave a private an order, and the private said, "I take orders only from the general," what kind of army would that be? No, God has placed many people in our lives to whom we must be obedient so that we can be faithful to Him.

We are called to be obedient to our Church and what it teaches. Holy days of obligation, Sunday Mass, and Lenten fasts are all ways that we obey what the Church tells us. We are also called to be obedient to earthly authorities, as long as they don't call us to sin. At the time Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome, the Christians decided to stop paying taxes. They figured that since they were now obedient to Christ, they didn't have to obey Roman law. Paul sternly corrected them. Even though the authorities weren't Christian, they were still appointed by God.

The same is true with our parents. When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the fourth was "Honor your mother and father." When we rebel against our parents, we are rebelling against God.

Paul tells us a real handy way of dealing with authorities so that they don't bug you anymore: Obey them. People who don't speed don't worry about cops pulling them over. Kids who honestly tell their parents where they will be that night never worry about getting caught. Want to build trust? If your parents want you home at 11 p.m., be home by 10:45. Be obedient for a few months, and watch as your parents trust you more and give you more freedom. This works with bosses and teachers as well.

Of course, if any authority asks us to do something that is wrong, then we have a responsibility not to obey them.

Ask for God's mercy for the times that you have been disobedient to people He put in authority over you: parents, schoolteachers, etc. Think of ways you can show obedience to them. Our sin hates to obey anything, but our souls find peace in it. Stop trying to get away with things! Meditate upon this thought: True freedom comes not from rebellion, but from obedience.

Day 20: Running against the Pack

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 18:40:54 -0500

If you drop a burning coal amid a pile of rocks, what will happen? At first the coal will warm the rocks, but eventually the coal will be cooled by the rocks, and become just as cold and lifeless as they are. So what does a burning coal need to stay on fire? It needs to be with other burning coals.

You are a burning coal. When you hang out with other burning coals, your fire will keep burning. When you hang out with rocks, you will cool down. It is that simple. Paul understood this, and made it clear in his letters to the Corinthians. So is Paul saying we should turn our backs on people who don't believe in Christ?

Absolutely not. If anyone spent time with people who didn't believe, it was St. Paul. So what is he saying? I think he found his wisdom from Proverbs: "Walk with wise men and you will become wise, but the companion of fools will fare badly." The people you hang out with greatly affect your spiritual life. Many of us give our lives to Christ on a retreat or conference, only to go home to a group of friends who have no love for God. We think we can evangelize our friends, but more often than not they "devangelize" us.

If the group you hang out with pulls you away from Christ by their actions and lifestyle, then you need to find a new group of friends. This is also true with people you may date. If you want Jesus to be the center of your life and give your heart to someone who does not know Him, there is going to be a constant tug of war between the two.

If you want to survive in Christ, you need to hang out with a group of people who follow Him. When Christ sent out the disciples, he sent them out in pairs. This is because He knew how important it was for Christians to have fellowship with each other. If you don't like hanging out with other Christians, you're in trouble. Heaven is full of them!

Reflect on the relationships you are in. Which lead you to Christ? Which pull you away? Fellowship is more than just hanging out with other Christians. It is sharing your faith and struggles with them. When was the last time you told a friend about what you read in Scripture or what you felt in prayer? Think of a friend you can share that with, and then do it.

Day 21: Strength for the Journey

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 17:41:17 -0500

It was a pretty amazing transformation. One night the disciples are running away in fear from the authorities, and a month later they are preaching Christ in the streets. I think it's fair to ask... what happened?

The answer: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of God. Though we often see Him described as a "tongue of fire" or "a dove," He is so much more than that. So how does God the Holy Spirit impact our lives?

The Holy Spirit gives us power. In Judges, we see Samson receive strength to kill an attacking young lion as if it were a kid goat. St. Paul wrote, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). Jesus promised the apostles that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came, and they sure did. Through the Holy Spirit they healed, cast out demons, and did other miraculous events.

The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom. In the gospel of John, Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit would teach us everything. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus told his disciples, "When they take you before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be ... the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say" (Luke 12:11-12). When you face tough choices, pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance to know what is right, and for the strength to do it.

It is the Holy Spirit that makes us children of God and allows us to be His witnesses. In Baptism we receive the Holy Spirit. He dwells within us, and is our guide, our comforter, and our friend in this journey to Christ. But Baptism is not the final step. In Acts 8 we read of Christians receiving the Holy Spirit in fullness when Peter and John went to them and laid their hands upon them. Today, our bishops lay hands upon the baptized for the sacrament of Confirmation.

In Confirmation the gifts you received in Baptism become mature. Baptism is planting of a seed of faith, and Confirmation is the blossoming of it.

We can all call upon the Holy Spirit for strength, wisdom, and intimacy with God. Pray the prayer to the Holy Spirit, and spend some time thanking the Holy Spirit for his dwelling within you. It is his presence within us that unites us into His life- the life of the Trinity.