The Summer Olympics are history. Team America returned home with 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze medals – 126 in total. What an extraordinary achievement! Second in the medal count was China with 91 medals, including 40 gold. For two weeks, millions of people all over the world were watching the Olympics, even those who usually do not follow sporting events. It is undeniable that sporting competitions are something magical – something that appeals to audiences of every age. Watching sports encourages both adults and children to be physically active themselves and to persist in achieving goals in any areas of life.

In sporting competitions, it is the champions who are in the spotlight of the media and fans.  Everyone praises and analyzes those who are the best and win the gold medals. Those on the other levels of the Olympic podium, with silver and bronze medals, gain great attention as well. But we should also remember those who finish in fourth, fifth, sixth and further places. No doubt, they are also excellent athletes who have been working very hard and tried their best. One must remember that to qualify for a final run in the Olympics with eight runners is a lifetime achievement for many athletes. Even to qualify for the Olympics is something special. Many of those who did not win a medal beat their personal record or even their country’s record during the Olympics. We should recognize and appreciate this.

Let’s apply these rules to our life as Christians. God didn’t create us to be the best in many fields of our life. Obviously, there are many people who exceed our achievements, overtook us, beat us on the track. God, however, is not looking so much at our objective achievements but rather on the relative achievements in specific situations of our life. Jesus’ famous parable about talents is a clear confirmation that God looks at us exactly in this way: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.” The man from the parable (God) did not expect that those who received two or one talent must return ten talents as the one who received five. No, he expected all his servants to produce the maximum return from what they had received. This truth about God is very comforting for us. However, it calls us to continuously work hard, like athletes, to not resign easily, and to be persistent in following good and resisting evil. It does not matter if we are first or eighth, or even last. God will notice our efforts and our sincerity, and He will recognize us as gold medalists.  There will be many more gold medals for us now and in the future compared to the 40 earned by Team America in these Olympics.

St. Paul, feeling that he is approaching the final years of his earthly life, used athletic imagery to describe his life’s journey: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.” (2 Tm 4:7-8). He used this sports illustration on another occasion: “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.” (1 Cor 9:24)He concludes this with a call to “do not run aimlessly.” As Christians, we don’t. We know who we are and what our destination is. We are not like those who “have no hope.”

The next summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles. So, brothers and sisters, we have four years to prepare ourselves. As we “run the race,” let’s ask our Lord for guidance and support.

Fr. Mark Jurzyk

P.S.  As our children and youth return to school, we wish them the very best in their studies. May they be open to the truth and be persistent in gaining knowledge. Like Jesus, may they “advance in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” (Lk 2:52)