Power of Endurance!

Sometimes I refer to myself as an "endurance biker!" That is the pedal version of biking. Endurance refers to the number of miles ridden, the elements ridden in, some of the places I have been that test your stamina: mountain biking, long distance trails, etc. In terms of Saint Paul's letter to the Romans, 8:18-25, endurance is a gift. Saint Paul is telling the Romans and us that we live in hope. "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance." We are waiting for the coming of the kingdom of God! We wait in joyful hope and endurance for the full reality of the kingdom. Of course, we are called to build up the kingdom of God in our midst while we wait for the full kingdom to be revealed. The gifts that help us prepare for the coming of the kingdom are: faith, hope, love, endurance, and the list can go on. In the gospel, Luke 13:18-21, Jesus talks about the mustard seed and leaven as an example of the kingdom. They start out small but eventually grow and our faith and hope does the same. As the commentator states, "If we hope, like the man who confidently plants a mustard seed in the garden, then we are willing to wait with endurance" (Magnificat, 340). Let us pray for the grace to endure because all things are in God's hands and they will be revealed in His time! Blessings to you!!!