The Inside Scoop on L.A.’s New Archbishop!

We here in Southern California are, naturally, quite excited to hear about our new archbishop, the Most Rev. Jose Gomez, formerly of San Antonio. The media, of course, are busily poring over every word the man has ever uttered in hopes of finding a political angle. But our crack staff at Running Catholic has the inside scoop on the pressing question that everyone is asking: Is the Archbishop a runner?

Well, our investigative-reporting unit (me), has done some heavy-duty research (a Google query) and arrived at an answer: Dunno.

But we do have something almost just as good: Archbishop Miller’s skillful use of running metaphor in describing the Christian life. Here this successor to the Apostles quotes from none other than the Apostle Paul on running and racing in a 2009 column, The Joy of Fidelity:

Christian life is a race of endurance, not of speed, and therefore it seems more like a marathon than a hundred meter race.

The metaphor with sports isn’t mine, but St. Paul’s, whose jubilee year we continue to celebrate with the universal church.

In fact, comparing Christian life to the races of the athletes of his time, St. Paul wrote about himself, “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14) …

Perseverance, according to St. Paul, is a virtue that not only involves giving up what we like, but one that demands that we remain firm in the great values of our faith, as disciples of Jesus Christ, knowing how to gladly give up what is temporary in order to choose what is valuable and enduring….

It is always striking and emotional to hear St. Paul’s words at the end of his apostolic journey: “For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” and his conviction that God will grant him eternal victory, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.” (2 Tm 4:6-8)

I pray that Mary, Mother of God and our mother, and St. Paul, will intercede for us so that we may have the courage to continue the ‘good fight’ and the conviction that living with Christ, he’ll give us the grace of final perseverance and the final victory.

That looks like a good sign to me! Welcome to Southern California, Archbishop Gomez!