Do you ever have one of those moments when you are sitting in Mass and you wish you had a piece of paper to capture a thought that hits you during the readings? It happens to me all the time - in fact on Sunday, I frequently carry a notebook with me to Mass.
Today's Mass readings are so very beautiful! The first reading contains one of my long-held favorite verses:
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
I feel as though I'm running a few races right now in my life. I am raising two teenage sons, so every day feels like an opportunity to communicate with them all of life's blessings and responsibilities in at way that will provide some lasting impression in their life. The reality is that this happens while I'm driving them, cooking for them, folding their clothes, or - most frequently - nagging them about something. When I'm not slow-jogging in that particular race, I'm racing against a book deadline and daily radiation treatments. I'm also racing to be a good wife, a loving daughter and sister, and a caring friend.
It's a lot to contemplate, so it's helpful to me to have messages like today's which remind me to persevere and to keep my eyes fixed upon Jesus. I can't do it all on my own - blessedly, I don't have to!
I also love today's second reading and Jesus' admonition, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." The following video from the USCCB does a wonderful job of reminding us that fear is unnecessary - what is needed is trust. When I fear my race will not be run satisfactorily, words like these from scripture are the boost I need to keep me trotting along!
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