Written by Jane Scupham, principal
The headline in the newspaper announced that Pope Benedict said that the Olympic Games are more than medals.
Before I could read the story that went with the headline, the quote from Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight. I have run the good race, I have kept the faith” popped into my head. Now, please understand, biblical quotes usually don’t pop into my head as I’m reading the newspaper or watching the Olympics, but for some reason this happened and it made me think of the racecourse set before us for the next 40 days—Lent.
How will we as Catholics run this race of Lent? Will we be grim-faced and have a sour disposition the entire time due to our selfimposed sacrifices? Will what we “gave up” become the topic of every conversation? Will our acts of charity become burdens that we bemoan to anyone who is unfortunately in earshot? Or will we be like those triumphant athletes who see the challenge set before them and embrace it as a way to better themselves? Just like the Olympic Games are more than medals, Lent offers us more than ashes and penance. It offers us the opportunity to share with our own families and our greater Church community a wonderful season of spiritual growth and renewal. Hopefully, when it is all over and we stand triumphant on Easter Sunday we can say to ourselves, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”