During the past few weeks our televisions have been focused upon the site of the Olympic games in China. I have found myself watching events that I would never watch on a regular basis. As a parish we have been looking at the Olympics in a way maybe we never have been before. We taking the Sunday scriptures for the past month and have been focusing on becoming Champions in Faith. Here’s the recap:
Week 1: With the Scriptures as our road map, we were led in Week One to establish some Olympic Principles: “Run Your Own Race and Fix Your Eyes.” and to not be tempted by the "Golden Apples" along the way, but to be at our best the entire race.
Week 2: We recalled that it is vital to remember that God is in control and we don’t have to Beg for Bronze ... We don’t have to accept whatever we can get (what the world offers is a quick fix, not the answer). The cross and the Eucharist are what awaits us as we seek to be faithful, the prize which awaits us is “gold” - But we have to press on, even in the midst of defeat, suffering or challenge.
Week 3: Settling for Silver is not the road of a Champion in Faith! We are called to live in gratefulness and with persistence. Our road involves talking, but most of all just listening and spending time with God - And we do that because we love Him. And since He is the prize we don’t settle for silver but are persistent in life, even in the face of setbacks and Go for Gold.
Week 4 : Going for the Gold is the road of a Champion of Faith, but along this road we must first decide that we will do the hardest thing - we will take the stand (take the stand for Christ) by the witness we give, and allow His anthem to be sung in our life. Along the road we also have to decide to say the hardest thing “Lord I want what you want.” so that we can see and be the Light of Faith as Champions.
We ended off by asking this - How we Olympic style Champions of Faith ?
- how are we seeking to Run our Own Race and Fix our Eyes on the Prize ?
- how are we ensuring that we are not just accepting the world and thus Begging for Bronze ?
- how are we meeting the task of persistent gratefulness and thus not Settling for Silver ?
- how are we desiring to take a stand and surrender - to hear God’s anthem sung in our life and not play our own song....thereby Going for the Gold ?
It has been a blessed four weeks.
One last thing - thank you to all those involved in our exciting “Rock the Block” activities this past week. Some 25 young people participated. We have put some pictures and a recap on our new Kids Klub Blog which can be accessed at www.stmaryskidsklub.blogspot.com. A special word of thanks to those adults and teens who helped: it was a success because of you.