Finish The Race

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s First Reading, St. Paul is nearing the end of his life. He knows it. This isn’t the passionate young missionary setting out on a new adventure. This is an old apostle looking back over decades of sacrifice, struggles, imprisonments, beatings, disappointments, and victories. And what does he say? “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Notice what Paul does not say. He doesn’t say, “I was successful.” He doesn’t say, “I was popular.” He doesn’t say, “I converted enough people.” Instead, he says, “I finished.”

And maybe that is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life. Many people start the race. Few think about finishing it. It’s easy to be enthusiastic at the beginning. It’s easy to make promises when faith feels new and exciting. It’s easy to follow Jesus when prayers are answered and life is going well. But what about when the road gets long? What about when the marriage becomes difficult? What about when prayer feels dry? What about when nobody notices your sacrifices? That’s where the real race begins.

Because the goal of the Christian life is not simply to start strong. The goal is to remain faithful. We live in a culture obsessed with beginnings. New goals. New projects. New relationships. New experiences. But God is also the Lord of perseverance. The saints were not people who never struggled. They were people who refused to quit. Every saint had moments when they could have walked away. Peter could have walked away after denying Jesus. St. Augustine could have stayed in his old life. Mother Teresa could have given up during years of spiritual darkness. Yet they remained. Not because they were stronger than everyone else, but because they kept placing one faithful step in front of the next.

I think many of us secretly fear that our lives are too ordinary to matter. We imagine that holiness requires extraordinary achievements. But when Paul looks back on his life, he doesn’t celebrate achievements. He celebrates fidelity. He stayed in the race. And perhaps that is what God asks of us today. Just faithfulness. The disciple who keeps getting up after every fall.

One day, each of us will reach the finish line. And on that day, the question won’t be how famous we became, how much money we earned, or how impressive our CV looked.

The question will be this: Did I keep the faith? Did I remain with Jesus? Did I finish the race He gave me?

Because in the end, God is not looking for spectacular runners. He is looking for faithful finishers.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, When the race feels long and my strength feels weak, help me not to give up. Teach me to be faithful in the ordinary moments, patient in trials, and courageous in difficulties. May I keep my eyes fixed on You and not on my fears. And when my race is finished, may I be able to say with St. Paul: “I have kept the faith.” Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko