“Compete Well for the Faith”
In this coming weekend's second reading we hear St. Paul tell Timothy to "Compete well for the faith." An initial reaction to this may be one of apprehension or disdain. "Shouldn't the faith be about community and bringing together? Why would we want to make it a competition?" However, maybe there is a better way to think about it...
How often are we impressed with the beautiful voice of a professional singer? Amazed by the perfect shot of a professional basketball player? Inspired by the gripping works of a professional writer? Brought to tears by the stirring performance of a professional actor? In all of these, people are certainly born with natural talent. But, if someone is to be truly great and rise to the highest ranks of their profession, they must work hard, must practice, and must be excellent in the basics, the little things, before they can ascend to the heights of greatness.
The same is true of our faith. Sometimes we can get demoralized or doubtful of our faith. Sometimes we can look to the lives of the saints and instead of being inspired, we feel like they reached something we never could. And yet, the reality is that the saints are human just like us. Like a professional singer, athlete, writer, or actor, they worked at perfecting the basics of the life of faith: of prayer, of works of charity, of loving their neighbor, and recognizing God's presence at work in their daily lives. By perfecting these things through practice and through cooperation with God's grace, they were able to rise up to the heights of greatness.
We may never reach those heights and become official canonized saints of the Church. But that doesn't mean we cannot work on the basics of our faith life, to "compete well," and strive to know and love God here and now in this life so as to spend eternity with Him in the Kingdom to come. Let us pray this week that we may look anew at our faith lives. May the Lord give us eyes to see the "basics" of our faith that we can work on. And may our hearts be moved, with the help of God's grace, to work hard and "compete well" so as to rise up to even greater things.
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.