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Gospel: Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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On January 25th, as snow was falling and freezing onto our streets, Olympians began to gather half-way around the world in the small, snowy, hilltop town of Cortina, located in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The time for the 2026 Winter Olympics had come.
Some of the greatest athletes in the world walked proudly into the Olympic stadium to the tune of their national anthems, with dreams of glory burning in their hearts.
Perhaps the most talked about athlete of all was Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American gold medalist skier who came out of retirement for one last shot at victory.
Although her Olympic dream ended after 13 seconds in a literal crash landing, she later posted on social media: “I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to.”
Vonn reminds us that we are not only capable of daring greatly, but we are also capable of doing great things. Competition is written into the human spirit. We all want to win – and some like her are willing to fight for it.
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Today, we mark the beginning of Lent – a forty-day journey into the desert with God. What are our hopes, even dreams, for this holy season?
Lent appropriately begins with Ash Wednesday, challenging our understanding of greatness. Were we only created for gold, a singular medal placed around our neck tied with ribbon? Or is there another dream – a bigger dream, a divine dream – we all share?
Saint Paul writes, “These athletes train for a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable one.” Much like downhill skiing, Paul describes Christianity in strongly athletic terms. When facing the end of his race, he wrote this to his spiritual son, Timothy.
“I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight; I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith… All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness.”
Paul describes his faith journey in terms of effort; grit; sacrifice; and endurance. He exhausted himself for the sake of the Gospel. His goal was not a perishable, but an imperishable, crown.
One which everyone can be awarded.
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In a few moments, each of us will have a black cross of ash traced onto our foreheads. That cross is meant to remind us that everything and everyone in this world eventually returns to dust; even the world’s greatest athletes will fade into the annals of history.
But we who compete for the sake of the Gospel shall rise again, when God calls us by name, bestowing upon us glory beyond our wildest imagining.
This is the irony of our Christian faith. The only way up is down. Glory comes through humility. Blessings come from being last, from washing feet, from being the servant of all. And, mysteriously, death, my death, leads to life.
Over these forty days of Lent, may we compete well, renewing our commitment to Christ and our neighbor through acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. May our goal be peace, inner renewal, and ultimately, an imperishable crown of glory.
Thanks be to God.
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Image credits: (1) WUKY, Winter Olympics Milano Cortina (2) Winter Olympics, Axios (3) Malcom Guite, WordPress