Last week, the Olympic swimming pool was set on fire (figuratively). Two women, Rita Meilutyte (Lithuania) and Ye Shiwen (China) won Gold in their respective competitions. 100 meters breast stroke for the Lithuanian & 400 meters individual medley for the Chinese. What's so great about it? One might ask, if he/she is not much into swimming or even sports at large. Well, in doing so Rita became the first ever Olympic medal winner for her country and Shiwen set a new world record. The true cynic might still say that a lot of records are being broken. "After all, it's the Olympics". The most important thing about their records is that they are just 15 and 16 years old respectively. There are champions and there are Olympic champions and then there is this pantheon of champions. These two young women will be always be a part of that elite coterie. Winners in their own right, who sacrificed much of the fun and frolic which girls of their age were having. Having toiled day and night for most part of last 4 years and more with just one ambition....to win at the Olympics. 'Catch em young' is not a new theory in sports. It's been there since cold war times, may be even before. When the eastern (communists led by Soviet Union) & western (capitalists led by USA) block countries went to any lengths to ensure that their sports persons were able to outsmart competitors from other 'front'. This included identifying children of, as tender an age as, 4-5 and enrolling them for government funded sports programs. It meant the child was dedicated to a particular sport. He/She was taken care of completely. They were fed, nurtured and given training of the highest level and of the most rigorous nature so that they could be ready to perform and succeed at the highest level. But the idea then was not to win a mere competition. It was to prove which ideology was better & stronger, Communism or Capitalism.Now that's not sport, right? That was cold war for you. Nadia Comaneci was 15 when she scored the first perfect 10 in Gymanstics, so was Tara Lipinski, when she won Gold in figure skating. Even our own Sachin Tendulkar was 16 when he made his debut and 17 when he scored his first international century. At age 39, after a 100 international centuries, he is not finished yet. Age has got nothing to do with it.
What is right for the physical holds even 'truer' for the spiritual. Age is not a bar for a person's growth in the Lord. One's growth is directly proportionate to how much one is ready to be generous. Generous in expending oneself wholly for the Lord. Now that is no as easy a task as it sounds because unlike the govt. funded sports programs, here the Good Lord has specially customised plan for each one. It is tailor made for the individual and never encroaches into the will of the individual. the individual may decide to exercise his will over the Lord's will/plan for him and thus may prevent him from reaching where the Lord planned to take him to. Over the last 2000 years Catholic church has produced select type of men & women who took upon themselves the task of reaching the highest level of union with Christ, of pursuing and achieving purity of the highest order. They have come to be known as The Saints. These are people Catholics venerate (not worship) and seek their intercession. They are considered as role models who are to be used as guides who journey along with us on our christian walk, beacons who shed light when we may find ourselves covered in darkness. And guide us they do, beautifully indeed. They were ordinary mortals who chose the road less traveled and were, somewhere along the journey, transformed by the Lord's infinite Grace & mercy into His own image. Knowing very well that a moment spent with the Lord in Eternity is better than ages spent down on earth in worldly glory, they turned away from the wide road which the world took and instead chose the narrow path which led them to Christ (and also His promises). Like true champions they were very clear about what they wanted as their eternal prize. Christ and Christ alone, They come from as many diverse cultures as one can possibly imagine and fall under all sorts of age groups.
Just as in Olympics, one finds in this select company, boys and girls of tender age. Young ones who aspired to see God face to face. Who took His message of love and forgiveness, interiorised it and then applied it to their lives and their relationships.
St. Dominic Savio was 15 when he died. His last words being "... Oh, what wonderful things I see .....".
Blessed Jacinta & Francisco and Sr.Lucia were between 10-12 years old when Mother Mary appeared to at Fatima and gave them prophesies about the world.
St.Maria Goretti was just 12 when she died after being stabbed 14 times by a man whom she resisted while he tried to force himself on her. Before dying she forgave the man and prayed that he also enters heaven.
St.Therese of Lisieux died at the age of 24 but not before giving the world her own 'little way' to reach Jesus.
St.Joan of The Arc 13 when she heard the 'voices' which led to her victory on the battlefield and 19 when she was burnt at stake by the orders of the clergy of her time who misunderstood her for a witch. She went through persecutions at the hands of our own Church. It was another 500 years before the Church rectified its mistake and declared her a saint.
St. Clare of Assisi was 18 when she heard St.Francis preach the radical message on poverty and was touched immediately by the call to give up all of her worldly possessions.
St.Philomena was 14 as per christian tradition when she was martyred for her faith in Jesus so was St.Bernadette when Mother Mary appeared to her at Lourdes and confirmed the dogma of Immaculate Conception through this peasant girl.
The list goes on and on and on..... There are enough young giants in the catholic church to draw inspiration from that one does not need to look at the champions who excelled in this flawed world. You name a need , a petition and there will be a saint who became a saint at an age most of us were just trying to figure out what this life is all about, let alone know God. Age has got nothing to do with it , it never had. All one needs is a generous heart which is ready to give all to God and for God and the Lord will ensure that we reach our final destination viz Him citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher and stronger).
Ps: With this, the 3 part series on Olympics is over and so is the London Olympics, 2012. Must confess did spend a lot more time watching it than I should have. Now back to a fruitful & productive life.
What is right for the physical holds even 'truer' for the spiritual. Age is not a bar for a person's growth in the Lord. One's growth is directly proportionate to how much one is ready to be generous. Generous in expending oneself wholly for the Lord. Now that is no as easy a task as it sounds because unlike the govt. funded sports programs, here the Good Lord has specially customised plan for each one. It is tailor made for the individual and never encroaches into the will of the individual. the individual may decide to exercise his will over the Lord's will/plan for him and thus may prevent him from reaching where the Lord planned to take him to. Over the last 2000 years Catholic church has produced select type of men & women who took upon themselves the task of reaching the highest level of union with Christ, of pursuing and achieving purity of the highest order. They have come to be known as The Saints. These are people Catholics venerate (not worship) and seek their intercession. They are considered as role models who are to be used as guides who journey along with us on our christian walk, beacons who shed light when we may find ourselves covered in darkness. And guide us they do, beautifully indeed. They were ordinary mortals who chose the road less traveled and were, somewhere along the journey, transformed by the Lord's infinite Grace & mercy into His own image. Knowing very well that a moment spent with the Lord in Eternity is better than ages spent down on earth in worldly glory, they turned away from the wide road which the world took and instead chose the narrow path which led them to Christ (and also His promises). Like true champions they were very clear about what they wanted as their eternal prize. Christ and Christ alone, They come from as many diverse cultures as one can possibly imagine and fall under all sorts of age groups.
Just as in Olympics, one finds in this select company, boys and girls of tender age. Young ones who aspired to see God face to face. Who took His message of love and forgiveness, interiorised it and then applied it to their lives and their relationships.
St. Dominic Savio was 15 when he died. His last words being "... Oh, what wonderful things I see .....".
Blessed Jacinta & Francisco and Sr.Lucia were between 10-12 years old when Mother Mary appeared to at Fatima and gave them prophesies about the world.
St.Maria Goretti was just 12 when she died after being stabbed 14 times by a man whom she resisted while he tried to force himself on her. Before dying she forgave the man and prayed that he also enters heaven.
St.Therese of Lisieux died at the age of 24 but not before giving the world her own 'little way' to reach Jesus.
St.Joan of The Arc 13 when she heard the 'voices' which led to her victory on the battlefield and 19 when she was burnt at stake by the orders of the clergy of her time who misunderstood her for a witch. She went through persecutions at the hands of our own Church. It was another 500 years before the Church rectified its mistake and declared her a saint.
St. Clare of Assisi was 18 when she heard St.Francis preach the radical message on poverty and was touched immediately by the call to give up all of her worldly possessions.
St.Philomena was 14 as per christian tradition when she was martyred for her faith in Jesus so was St.Bernadette when Mother Mary appeared to her at Lourdes and confirmed the dogma of Immaculate Conception through this peasant girl.
The list goes on and on and on..... There are enough young giants in the catholic church to draw inspiration from that one does not need to look at the champions who excelled in this flawed world. You name a need , a petition and there will be a saint who became a saint at an age most of us were just trying to figure out what this life is all about, let alone know God. Age has got nothing to do with it , it never had. All one needs is a generous heart which is ready to give all to God and for God and the Lord will ensure that we reach our final destination viz Him citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher and stronger).
Ps: With this, the 3 part series on Olympics is over and so is the London Olympics, 2012. Must confess did spend a lot more time watching it than I should have. Now back to a fruitful & productive life.
