16th Sunday after Pentecost 31.8.08 Reaching your potential
We have just had the Olympic Games where we see athletes striving to be the best possible at pole vaulting, swimming, running, etc.
It is very hard to be the best in the world at something like that. Should we even try? A lot of the activities, of themselves, would not seem to contribute much to the wellbeing of the human race. For example, if I can run very fast, what good does that do anyone?
On the other hand if no one ever strove for perfection at anything we would have no Mozart, no Shakespeare, no sporting brilliance... No exploring of new lands, no inventions, no medical progress... So it is actually good for the human race that people try to be the best at what they are doing, provided the thing itself is good, or at least morally neutral.
It then becomes a matter of vocation, of what God Himself wants from each person. In God’s wisdom He would, we imagine, call someone to do all the things that need to be done. And each one of us should try to work out what that is for oneself.
No use if I try to be the world’s best egg-and-spoon racer if God wants me to spend my time at something else!
But what we should all be trying to do is to be the best possible person we can be. Moral, spiritual goodness.
For example, to be kind. Sounds boring, but is it better to be the fastest runner in the world or the kindest person in the world?
To be genuinely good, heroic, self-sacrificing, that is the ultimate. We generally do not rank these things or have medal ceremonies, but this is how people are ranked in heaven.
St Paul prays not that we win the premiership but that we will learn the depths of God. If we do that we will each be the best person possible. We will have come to our full potential.
You could do a course on woodwork, cooking, Latin dancing, self-defence and countless other ways to improve yourself.
But we need a ‘course’ on how to love God and neighbour and how to keep in balance all our various desires and passions, so that we get everything right.
Don’t stop the other things but make sure you develop your spiritual self.
Saints it would seem took little or no recreation, preferring heavy penances, and self-denial at almost every turn. We can be intimidated by that when we study their lives. We think we could never forego all the pleasures the world has to offer.
Again it is a question of vocation. God does call some to a very hard life of renunciation, but not everyone. We must find our own level. Whatever else we do with our lives, we do not neglect the spiritual dimension. Don’t leave your religious life to be an optional extra.
If you are working on some project, ask God to confirm it is what He wants you to do. If so, ask Him to bless it. Above all, ask that it never take His place and become a false god.
Seek the living God first whatever else.
We will find Him through the other things if we get them in the right balance. This is why He gives us created reality and it is so beautiful in its different ways.... music, literature, the outdoors, sport, food and wine... .They all point back to Him if we only see it.
And we do not forget that some lives are called to perfection after only a short time on earth, either through martyrdom or sickness. So again it comes back to vocation. What God asks of you may be different from the next person. But if it comes from Him it is your fulfilment.
