1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 "9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness."
Today the Church begins a new season. This season is known as Pre-Lent. It is sometimes referred to as "gesimatide." This refers to the names of these three Sunday that link Epiphany and Lent, which are called, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima. These three Sundays are so named because of their relation to how far Easter is, that is, about seventy days, sixy days, and fifty days, respectively. This particular season is preparation for Lent. Historically this was the time when the people of God would prepare for Lent by getting rid of the things in their cupboards that would not be allowed in during the fast of Lent. These were either eaten, or donated to those who were in need. The penitential season of Lent needed a transitional stage, one that slowly directed ones eyes away from the joy and revelry of Christmas and Epiphany, which revealed our Lord and Savior Jesus as God who was born in the flesh of man for our salvation, towards the reflection upon our own sinfulness, which lead to our Lord's incarnation.
This preparatory season, or transitional season, has always been marked by three themes, one for each Sunday, invitation, instruction, and enlightenment. We see this first theme, invitation, in the Epistle appointed for Septuagesima, where the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul invites us to prepare for a race. It is clear that the Church which has framed the historic lectionary, had in mind when they appointed this Epistle for this day in the Church, the preparation for Lent, that is, the race that is being referred to is the season of fasting, alms, and prayer and study of God's Word, i.e., Lent.
Those who are in training for a race, or those who are athletes, like football players, hockey players, and the like, hold themselves to a certain diet. This is what it means to be temperate. It means to limit the amount of food, or some other form of limitation which would prevent them from performing well in the game. They exercise, and train their muscles to endure the rigors of the athletic event. They study the game, and their opponent, or the race course that is set out before them. They do all this in order that they may win the prize. St. Paul uses here the illustration of the Isthmian games, which took place near Corinth. He points out that in these games there is only one winner.
Not so, in the Christian Church, everyone who prepares themselves for the race, will inherit the imperishable Crown of Life. However, the Christian life is a life of temperance, that is, limitation. This is why the Church fasts at certain times, and on certain days during the Church year. So that it might learn temperance, that is, to live without all the trappings of life. When we learn temperance, when we learn to be content in whatever situation we are in, several things happen.
One, we learn to be humble. Part of humility is contentment, that is, not having to be the biggest, and best, or most famous person on the planet earth, but being content with who we are, and the situation we are in. Two, we also become more ready to hear our Lord, for we are not constantly searching or requesting Him to do this or that, or perform some great and grand task, so that we might be given proof of His existence. Three, we become more generous, and this relates to what is commonly called "alms-giving." Alms come from the word for "mercy." And so, even though alms typically today refers to cash or monetary donations, alms is really about works of mercy, that is, doing for other people what needs to be done for them. When we are content with what we own, we are more willing to give to other people who are in need, because through the exercise of temperance, we have learned that we really need very little in this life, and what we do need, the Lord God will provide for us. Fourth, when we learn that we don't need all of the trappings of this world, we greatly reduce the amount of temptations to sin that affect our daily lives, since we will tend to listen to the Lord God, rather the world, and its lies. And this ultimately is what temperance does for us, is it teaches us to trust in our Lord and Savior, fully and completely.
This is why the Church fasts, why it runs the race set before it, so that it might learn to trust in our Lord God more completely, for in doing so, we win the Crown of Life. This race begins at Holy Baptism, as the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul, points out in regards to the people of Israel at the time of the Exodus.
They were all baptized "into Moses" in the cloud as they passed through the Red Sea. Since Moses, being the prefigurement of our Lord Jesus, is mentioned as the one into whom the Israelites were baptized, meaning they placed their trust solely into Moses, St. Paul is giving a picture of our baptism into Christ Jesus. Indeed they show their faith in Moses, and by extension in God, by eating the food which he supplied, and drinking the water which he supplied, and in so doing they revealed their faith in the promise of the Messiah, who was the True spiritual Rock, and that was our Lord Jesus Christ. However, St. Paul is making a different point. He is pointing out what happened to the Israelites, after their "baptism." They spent forty years in the wilderness, living from day to day, by God's grace, on the rations that were supplied to them.
It is this type of temperance, that the people of Israelites endured that made them trust in the Lord God more fully, and prepared them to enter into the land of Canaan, their promised homeland. We also practice temperance in this life, through fasting, prayer, and study of God's Word, so that we learn to trust in our Lord more fully, and we are prepared to enter into our eternal Canaan, our Heavenly home, where we will receive the Crown of Life.
And St. Paul points out one more thing. He is not telling the people of Corinth to do something that he doesn't do himself. For he also disciplines his body, and brings it into subjection. He also fasts, practices temperance, and does all the things listed above, for St. Paul has learned the value of these things, and he has learned how these things make him a stronger Christian, and increases his relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Therefore, today, St. Paul invites us to be temperant, to run the race that is set out before us, so that we may inherit the eternal Crown of Life. May the Lord grant us grace to receive this great gift, and may we learn the value of fasting, and put it into practice, so that we might learn temperance, and have our faith increased by this spiritual exercise.
God be with you!
Deacon Dulas
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