This Sunday’s readings asks us to consider once again the idea of living out our Catholic Christian faith, but from a different vantage point asking a deeper question, not one that focuses on whether or not we are living out our faith but rather asking: in-and-through our words and deeds, how do we proclaim the Truths of Christ? St. Paul states, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24) There are at least two thoughts we should consider:

1. Last Sunday we looked at the practical terms of “running the race” and considered: community project?

Do we feed the hungry—either by actually serving at a shelter or by making a meal for delivery or by donating to a charity that provides food? Do we care for the sick—perhaps I bring Holy Communion to a nursing home, hospital or homebound parishioner; do I stop by a lonely neighbors for a visit? Do I support our youth ministry—or any other ministry within the church—by helping them out or encouraging another to get involved? Could I make a donation of yarn to the Prayer Shawl ministry? Could I get involved with the Children’s Liturgy of the Word or join in when the Men’s Club Ministry does a community project? Might I support more generously the Advent Giving Tree Program or help the Neighbors in Need fund—or any other of the numerous ministries in this parish or the greater Church, the Archdiocese of Hartford? Am I one who actually "runs the race" or do I sit on the bleachers or stand along the roadway and just give "directions" on how to do it better? St. Paul believed that how he actually ran the race had an impact not only on the outcome of the race but on the outcome of his earthly life.

2. Honestly, the harder question to answer is the question of formation—from which sources do we form our consciousness of faith?

As Catholic Christians are called to believe in the Truths of Christ, which He Himself revealed and handed over to the Apostles and their successors for the transmission of the faith to future generations of believers of Christ. We are called to do this with a “free ascent of the will.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states that: (note: Man’s Response to God): c. 142: By his Revelation, “the Invisible God, from the fullness of His love, addresses men and his friends, and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into His own company. The adequate response to this invitation is faith.” In section c. 143 we hear, By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith".3 

In the ascent of our will to the Father’s, we are called to hear and listen to His Words and allow them to transform and conform our wills to His. In this act of believing-in-faith, we become the light of Christ to others and so become a living testimony to the gospel message of Christ, or as St. Paul would say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) 

As we walk our journeys toward God and as we recognize that God invites us in prayer to learn His Will for us, we must then take concrete actions to bring that desired Will of God about in-and-through our own lives. We must come to know what God expects—and has invited us—to become, through the fulfillment of our calling and by His Truths which are given to us by God in Christ. Christ them calls us to use the intellect God gave us in creation as well as the abundant graces with which He shall flood us so that we might choose to “kept the faith” in our race toward Him, so as not to give into convenience, untruths and the ever-chaining cultural winds—even when they seem to be popular and accepted by all. To paraphrase Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, what was true in 30 AD does not become untrue in 2017. He who was, is and shall ever be, remains immutable.

As we ponder our readings this weekend and listen intently to the words of Saint Paul, let us pray that our Lord will give us the courage to seek righteously the teachings of Christ, to have the grace to accept them into our lives, and the courage to live them out in our homes, parishes, communities and nation. Our God’s Words are timely, since they do not change and are Truth itself. So in our world today when facts and opinions have been confused and conflated with Truth, let us ask God for the grace to see clearly with eyes of faith, so that with open hearts He will lead all peoples to the ultimate healing.