This week's Scripture/Commentary

1 Corinthians 9: 24-26 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

Commentary: Throughout his letters St. Paul uses running as an analogy of a Christian life. As in the verse above, he often compares spiritual discipline to that required to run a race. Spiritual disciplines including prayer, Bible reading, and worship help us by grace to grow in Christ. Maintaining these disciplines requires a positive choice and some effort/action on our part. The same can be said for running.