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Newsletter Message from Fr. Lawrence: ‘Running in the Eternal Olympics’
As I write this, the Olympics are being held, and it is impossible to turn on the radio, open a newspaper, or buy a Snickers bar without being made aware of this. As St. John Chrysostom said (in what I am sometimes tempted to regard as similar circumstances), “Glory to God for all things!” And all this talk of the Olympics makes me think of St. Paul. For St. Paul also knew of the Olympic Games, and of the Isthmian Games, Corinth’s local equivalent, held every two years and drawing competitors from all over Greece. Concerning these Games, St. Paul said, “Don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? They do it to receive a perishable wreath [the crown of victory, their version of our gold medal], but we an imperishable one.” His advice to us Christian runners in that spiritual race of faith? “Run in such a way that you may obtain the crown. Exercise self-control in all things.” (1 Cor. 9:24ff.)
Here is the apostolic counsel for us as we run our race to eternal life. We if exercise self-control, if we continue in our discipline as Christians (for that, by definition, is what it means to be a disciple), we will win our race, and cross the finish-line in the Kingdom and be crowned with the winner’s wreath of imperishable glory. Lent is a part of our training, and we all need such training, for the race is long and sometimes hard. But what awaits us across the finish-line makes it worth it.
