Christianity ain’t for quitters. And becoming a saint (isn’t that our goal?) isn’t easy. We get a glimpse of this in our first reading today. In the Gospel reading from Mark 4, we hear two parables from Jesus describing the Kingdom of God.
“You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.” This is from our first reading today from Hebrews 10. The sacred author reminds us that this Christian walk is a marathon, not a sprint. As a marathoner, I can really relate to this. I have run some marathons where I have felt strong to the end. Don’t get me wrong, it is always a struggle. I have done other marathons where I wound up walking miles just to get across the finish line. It is truly an exercise in endurance.
The same is true in our walk with Christ. There will be days when we feel great, when we know we can conquer the world! But there will also be days where we just feel like hanging it up. Where we’re not sure if we can take one more step. And those are the days when all we can do is rely on God’s strength. Where all we can do is trust that God will give us the grace to make it through one more day, one more moment. Sometimes when you run you have to play mind games. Just make it to the next corner, the next street light, the next mailbox. Set small goals. Let’s pray that God will give us the grace to endure today, and trust that He will do the same tomorrow.
Father, give us the gift of endurance. Help us to never quit, following the example of Jesus, who did not, and will not ever, quit on us. Amen.
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