The Last and Final Performance

Some 2 years ago, I have started to consider running in a marathon. At my age, physical and health condition I know this is close to impossible. But I have come across a co-worker, a temp I have hired at that time who was into running and in one of our conversations she had mentioned that she regularly participates about 2 or 3 marathons a year. I am probably 2 to 3 years older and so my hope started to come back that maybe it is possible. She started giving me reading materials on how to prepare for a marathon, starting small (5K) and extending it to a full marathon (42K) in a span of 2 years.

I indulge myself into reading and started my own preparation by running on my treadmill and lifting some weights for 30 to 45 minutes every day or as often as my busy schedule would allow me. I started to lose some pounds and some few muscles started to appear. Every day doing that feels like I am dying but as I continuously do it, I notice I began to run longer and faster and lift heavier weight with more repetitions. A twist of fate halted everything I was doing and now still struggling to get into the same routine.

The point of the matter is I do have some understanding on how athletes prepare for their once in a lifetime last and maybe final performance. They will have to endure years of training and disciplined lifestyles to become ready for that final day. In other words, they are ready to make great sacrifices and are willing to do almost anything so they can reach their goal – by making their bodies ready.

As I reflect on the imminence of my own last and final performance, where I will appear before the greatest Judge of all, I wonder how my day to day preparations by living and sharing my faith will eventually measure up on that day. Will I hear the words….come my faithful servant, inherit the kingdom I have prepared for you….or will I hear…. depart from me as I don’t know you….

St. Paul has mentioned something about working out your salvation. He too must have understood the athletes of his time and has reflected that faith is no different. Yet we have such difficult time making the same connection, or even making the same sacrifices for something that is more spiritual and has a far greater consequence on our own soul.

Another example from St. Paul that can be helpful is that he kept asking God for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. While in our case, it may not be a physical thorn in the flesh, we do experience some nagging situations where every day we have to deal with some nuisances in our lives. It could be a spouse or a child or some person we meet and deal with every day or with regularity. We can walk out or decide to severe our relationship with the person in order to stop the nagging situation but where is the virtue here? Pagans do the same and so we are no different from them.

But St. Paul did not give up, he prayed over and over again and by doing the same routine of praying every day and every moment gave him the opportunity to learn the virtues of humility, perseverance and surrender. This is probably he has so much wisdom in all his writings and I am sure in all his undocumented teachings. Eventually, he realized that God has other purpose for that thorn in his flesh that he come into terms and accepted that God’s grace is sufficient for him to endure his pain and that God’s power works best in him in moments of his weakness, only then he understood that he doesn’t feel the need any more to pray for healing.

If we could only see the cross as the positive agent that it is in the faith journey, we could easily and willingly embrace the daily sacrifices that come our way...that we would better understand the concept of discipleship…..that sufferings and trials though we do not want to welcome into our lives are our constant companion not to punish us but to harness us and better prepare ourselves for that one last and final performance.

May this Lent season give us an opportunity to reflect the choices we have made in our lives; turn to Him in the Sacraments and start to truly live out His call to discipleship.  Amen.