From The Bishop

The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 BC and continued until approximately 393 AD. After a 1,500-year hiatus, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and have continued until the present day, says Wikipedia. We know that athletes train for many years and make countless sacrifices in order to take part in the Olympics. During the Games one cannot help but be inspired by their efforts and ability as they embrace the Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger. St. Paul is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles because he preached to those who were not of the Jewish faith. His journeys brought him to many communities throughout the ancient world. One place that he visited on a number of occasions was Greece. St. Paul would have known about the Olympic Games because he used sports metaphors in his writings. We have an example of this in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth. "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9: 24-27) St. Paul applies the analogy of running in a race to the Christian life. If we want the 'prize' of eternal life, then we have to make sure that we run the race so we can win. This means that, just like athletes, we need to subject ourselves to some serious spiritual training. This involves commitment, sacrifice and discipline. Ash Wednesday, which fell March 6, marked the beginning of the Season of Lent. For Christians, these 40 days provide an opportunity to focus on specific spiritual 'exercises.' During Lent, prayer, fasting and almsgiving become the means to form spiritual 'athletes' with the Holy Spirit as a personal trainer. To pray is to spend time talking and listening to God. There are many ways to pray; however, reading and reflecting upon scripture is a powerful way to communicate with God. We should set aside time each day, quietly, both listening and talking to God. We receive power from God's word. Like a runner, we need strength. Fasting is a form of discipline because we deny ourselves through self-control and sacrifice. We focus more on God and others rather than on ourselves. In our busy lives, fasting does not simply involve food and drink. We can also fast from many of those things that can easily become distractions in our lives. Like a runner, we need to focus. To give alms is to be charitable with our time, our talents, and our financial resources. We focus on helping those in need and work to alleviate the sufferings of others. Despite this great need, we do not give up. Works of charity should be an important part of our Lenten journey. Like a runner, we need to be determined.

So as followers of Christ let us use these 40 days of Lent as a time of intense spiritual training to become better members of the 'human race.' It is more of a marathon than a sprint; however, if we remain faithful, victory is assured.

Our prize will not be an Olympic medal. It will be the wreath of immortality. So run the good race. Gerard Bergie is bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Catharines. bishop@saintcd.com Photo Credits: Freepik - www.freepik.com