29th Sunday in
Ordinary Time
Cycle C
Ex
17:8-13
2
Tim 3:14-4:2
Lk
18:1-8
Jim Redmond died two
weeks ago at the age of 81. He was the father of Derek Redmond, the British
sprinter who tore his hamstring in the 400 meter qualifying race in the 1992
Olympics. Upon Jim’s death the media ran clips again of that emotional moment
in Barcelona when Derek pulled up limping early in the race. He fell to the
ground and writhed in pain, but what was really excruciating to see was the
agony in his face, the crushing disappointment that all those years of
struggle, pain, training and preparation had come crashing down in an instant.
He would not fulfill his dream of an Olympic medal after all.
Derek could have just
laid there, but he struggled to his feet and began limping around the track.
That determination to finish would in and of itself have been an heroic example
of drive and perseverance, but suddenly a middle aged man came running onto the
track. It was his father, Jim, who ran up behind his son, put his arm around
him, and helped him limp along towards the finish line. You can imagine he had
been there throughout his son’s entire track career, from high school through
college, sacrificing alongside Derek, supporting him in his goal of winning
Olympic gold. But for Jim it was more than just disappointment. Like any loving
father he also felt the pain of his son’s agony. Like any good father he needed
to be there to console his son, but even moreso, to continue to support him in
the face of disaster. Jim could have told his son to stop, to make the pain go
away, to give up. But instead he put his arm around him as he wept and they
limped down the track together.
Several officials tried
to stop him, because helping Derek would disqualify him from the race. Jim kept
pushing them away. It was not just Derek’s race; it was Jim’s as well. It
didn’t matter if they were disqualified. They had to finish. That was all that
mattered. They had started this race years ago together and they had to finish
it together. Jim had been there to celebrate all of Derek’s wins, now he was
there also at the lowest point in his life. All you heard Jim say was “He’s my
son, he’s my son.”
Derek never competed
effectively again, and if he had won that race you probably would not remember
his name today. But his heroic drive to finish, his persistence in the face of
terrible disappointment and pain, made his performance, and his father’s
actions that day, immortal. So much so that 30 years later his father was
remembered for it on the day he died, and the inspiration millions of people
have received from that moment in time is his legacy.
It’s not how you start
that matters, it’s how you finish.
Excellence in anything
requires hard work, sacrifice, preparation and practice. We believe this, it’s
in our DNA. We have something deep within us that drives us and inspires us to
win. It’s more than just a competitive spirit; when we have a worthy goal or
purpose we can achieve amazing, unbelievable, heroic results. We see it in all
areas of our lives, in sports, in our work, in our relationships, and we
idolize our heroes who reach the pinnacle of their dreams, especially if they
have had to overcome overwhelming obstacles.
There’s a reason why that
drive is so much a part of human nature. It’s not just so we can succeed in our
earthly goals. God put that drive in us to help us achieve the ultimate goal in
life of our own salvation. Never, ever, ever give up on your faith. All other
endeavors pale in comparison. Never cease to pray, to study, to train, to
practice your faith. It doesn’t matter what setbacks you encounter in life.
Keep your eye on the goal and persevere to the end. It’s all about finishing
the race.
When Jesus told the
disciples how difficult it is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they threw up
their hands in frustration and asked, “Then can anyone be saved?” Jesus gives
us the key today. Be persistent in your prayer to the point of annoyance. Pray
always and everywhere, pray constantly, make your entire life a prayer, never
stop asking your Father for what you need, never stop praising him, never stop
asking for forgiveness, never stop thanking him for his mercy. Never stop
serving others. Never cease to love.
And if you tire, get your friends to help you. Like
Moses in our first reading, when you just can’t keep doing it, when the battle
seems lost, when there is no hope, surround yourself with people who will hold
up your hands for you and keep you steady. Stay faithful together around the
common goal and help each other get to heaven. Help each other be faithful. Faith
cannot be experienced or lived outside of a community of believers. One person
is not an army. Just as top athletes require coaching and support from others,
you cannot be saved alone.
If we are truly to live the Kingdom of God, our faith
cannot be something we just think about on Sundays or when we sit down at the
dinner table. Our awareness of the presence of God must be foremost in our
thoughts and in our actions. And so often it is the simple, mundane actions of
our lives that can be the most heroic.
Be persistent whether it
is convenient or inconvenient. We lost another hero this week. Fr. Gally died
unexpectedly on Friday. You probably don’t know him, he was an immigrant from
India who had served in our diocese for x years. One of his main ministries,
other than being a pastor, was to visit the sick in the hospitals in Salt Lake
City. My main experience with him was that each and every time I was looking
for a priest to visit someone, especially someone who needed the anointing of
the sick or last rites, Father Gally was the one who went. Immediately. No
matter the time of day. He would drop everything and go. Whether it was
convenient or not.
We usually expect that
sort of devotion from our priests, don’t we? I mean, it’s their job, right? But
they have the same busy lives as we do, they are pulled in so many different directions,
they get tired and frustrated, too. Do we hold ourselves to the same standards?
It’s inconvenient to drop everything to be by the side of a sick friend. Do it
anyway. It’s hard to tear yourself away from your computer to listen to your
teenager complain about what her friends did to her that day at school. Do it
anyway. Never cease to do good. Never take your eye off of the people around
you. Anticipate their needs. Never expect anything in return. Forgive one
another constantly. Never hold back your love because you are not shown love in
return. Never say it’s someone else’s job to care. It’s yours. Never rest on
your laurels. Never give up on God because He has never and will never give up
on you.
Image Jesus Christ who
was persistent until the very end, giving his last ounce of strength and last
drop of blood for your redemption. Even on the cross, he forgave those who were
torturing him. Even if you run the race poorly you can finish well. He promised
paradise to a criminal who at the very last moments of his life repented of his
sins. Victory is yours for the taking if you never give up.
The story of Jim Redmond is a perfect metaphor for God. God is with us throughout our entire race. He coaches us, guides us, inspires us, and admonishes us. He rejoices with us in our victories and shares in our deepest disappointments and suffering. God doesn’t care how many times we fall and fail. He is there to pick us up from the ground, put his arm around us and limp along with us to the finish line. Like any good father would do.
