The Holy Priest-Martyr Eutyches; Pidhorets’k Icon of the Mother of God (1772)
2 Corinthians 6:11-16; Mark 1:23-28
Read 2 Corinthians 6:11-16
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In sports, just as in the Christian life, there is a desired outcome towards which the players strive: to win the championship. In the quest to win, one of the most overused mantras is “Trust the process.” Overused as it may be, it bears much truth. Winning in sports requires preparation and execution along specific trajectories. More often than not, when players or teams deviate from the process and try to win their own way, they fail to meet their desired outcome and goal of winning.
In the Christian life, there is a process that Christ has given us through the Church that will lead us to holiness and salvation. This process requires from us a certain way of life that is both challenging and life-giving. At times, we deviate from the process through our sins, and so we have the Holy Mystery of Repentance to help us get back on the right path with and towards God.
What we must all avoid, dear brothers and sisters, is telling ourselves that our deviation from the process is insignificant. All sin separates us from God, whether it is small or great, done once or done many times. Yes, we will sin but sin has no power over us and our lives so long as we repent.
If we trust the process, then we will be well on our way to achieving our desired outcome as Christians: holiness and salvation.