On March 25, 1999, Pope John-Paul II, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, called upon the world's 404,000 priests to teach the faithful how to pray. In obedience to the holy Pontiff, "The Catholic Doors Ministry" has compiled thousands of Catholic prayers into A Treasure of Catholic Prayers.   The world's largest, most popular collection, a treasure of 3,486 prayers, can be found on the internet.  

The appeal for many people is having ready-made prayers available to them at a moments notice.  This is indicative of many things in our society.  We live in a world where people are used to having things done for them, such as ready-made meals, online and automatic banking, and telephones that can answer all our questions. 

Instant gratification is a way of life for us.  But what impact does that have on us as a society and as individuals?  I am concerned that if everything is done for us, we don't gain as much as if we had to do and think for ourselves.

God wants to hear our thoughts, concerns, and areas of thanksgiving.  He wants more than just recitations of someone else's words.  Let us commit to spending some time in conversation with God.

We will never know what life has in store for us in any given year, in any given month, on any given day.  Severe trials may overtake us when we least expect them.  Sometimes, when times of joy are all around us, a sudden tragedy occurs.  How many of us would be able to confess with the dear apostle Paul these very same words: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

These words kept circling my brain while watching the Olympics for the past week.  So much emphasis is placed on winning that I think we lose sight of an important lesson.  What matters most in life is not winning or losing but how we conduct ourselves.  Whether in sports or in life, Jesus modeled the way we need to conduct ourselves, both in good times and in the midst of trials.  

According to Micah 6:8 (NIV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

If we live by this we will be able to join the saints who can say the very same words as the dear apostle.

Congratulations on finishing the race and having kept the faith!