A wit once said that before you criticize someone, you should run a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

 

  St. Paul in his Epistle we read today is talking about running a race that we as Christians are in, and must be sure not to lose.

 

I Cor. 9:24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.”

 

  We know that hardly anything in life that is worthwhile comes easy. Constant effort and struggle is needed if something good is to be achieved by us.

 

  This is true in our lives as Christians as well.

 

  The Christian life, or “race” as St. Paul puts it in today's Epistle, requires of us determination, perseverance, and allows for no relaxation of effort.

 

  St. Paul was a tried and experienced veteran of this “race” and so his advice to us about how to be a “winner” in this contest is without any doubt valuable to us.

 

  Those athletes competing in physical competition know that they must train for it.

 

  We as Christians must consider ourselves to be in training as well.

 

  The upcoming Lenten season is a way the Church reminds us as Christians to get back to work on this “training”.

 

  Our “training” as Christians should consist of daily prayer and Bible reading, church attendance each week, and the receiving of Holy Communion regularly.

 

  If we neglect these things then we soon get “out of shape” spiritually.

 

  All athletes who are in training also must avoid excesses, and St. Paul reminds us to be “temperate in all things”.

 

  We cannot let ourselves get so involved in the pleasures of this life that they call us away from our duty to God's service.

 

  We should never feel, as Christians, that we have done “our share” and it's time for us to just sit back and let others do the work of God's Church either.

 

  None of us can ever, after all, do enough to deserve God's great love toward us, as shown by Christ's sacrifice on the cross to take away our sins.

 

  We each have talents he has given us to help in the spread of the Gospel message. We each need to find places we can help in that work.

 

  There are many ways unfortunately to lose the “race” we are in.

 

  The world, the flesh, and the devil are against us. They try to shake our faith in our Savior. They try to draw us away from our trust in Him alone.

 

  Happily however, if we constantly ask for God's assistance, he will send His Holy Spirit to help us in this race. That we with that help, someday will obtain the crown of everlasting life, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.