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Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
The heroic saints of the Old and New Testaments are not confined to ancient pages and stories. They surround us. We recently read about that Old Testament saints that "apart from us they should not be made perfect" (see Hebrews 11:40). Our shared faith causes us to be united in Christ not only with those living members of the Church, but also with those who have gone before us to the fullness of their reward. This means that past saints remain near us, cheering us on, sharing our lot, demonstrating genuine concern for those of us still running the race. Their prayers before the throne of God are powerful, able to help us "rid ourselves of every burden and sin" and to give us strength to "persevere in running the race that lies before us". As a runner might feel as though they hit a wall but then find the strength to overcome it from the cheers of a crowd so too are the prayers of the saints able to strengthen us when we feel like giving up.
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
The saints don't demand that we focus on them at the expense of the race which they know demands our entire focus. Instead they delight to see us looking to Jesus as the true goal of our race. He ran it first to show us the way and now he is present with us to perfect us on our own race as we follow after him.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
The joy that lay before Jesus was to perfectly complete the Father's will, to bring the human nature he had united to himself into the very life of the Blessed Trinity itself. For us, because we are united to Jesus, the same joy awaits, provided we don't give up or turn aside before the end of the race. The author of Hebrews is a realist. There will be obstacles. But seen in perspective they are nothing compared to the goal.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
What precisely is the endurance demanded of us by this race? It is a struggle against sin, including against our many temptations toward sin, as well as opposition from committed sinners who reject the Christian way of life. We must not allow the pressure of temptations to cause us to quit the race, or even, if we can help it, to slow down. Jesus has done all he was able to do to help us in this race. He himself will be our strength if we will only take him at his word and keep running.
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (see Isaiah 40:31).
Even if we do collapse along the way it isn't necessary game over. This is true even if it has been many years since we last looked at the track, even if it seems impossible from a human perspective that we could find the strength to face it again. Jesus does not abandon us. We need only touch him with the touch of faith to be cured. We need only hear his voice to raise us up and make us strong again.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”
which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
Once Jesus raises us to run the race again he will order that we "be given something to eat", the Eucharistic bread, to strengthen us for the race the remains. It is by the strength of this Sacrament that we can experience the promise of Isaiah to run and not be weary, even unto the goal, heaven itself.
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