Episode Transcript  

One

We Are Fascinated by Contests

People have always been fascinated by a big contest. Whether it was watching gladiators back in the day or watching some big championship game today, we love to see how the contest turns out. We get all excited about the Olympics. We stay up late to watch the outcome of a political election. We tune in to hear the latest about some military conflict halfway around the world. Some people even get together to watch the Kentucky Derby, where the contestants aren't even human beings; they're horses!

There are all kinds of reasons why we pay attention to contests. But, of course, the ultimate contest we should pay attention to is the contest going on right now over our souls.

There is a contest underway at this moment for the salvation of every human being on the planet. And compared with that contest, every other contest is ultimately insignificant.

Two

The Outcome Could Go Either Way

Heaven and Hell are competing, trying to score an eternal victory with you and me and everyone else. And the thing is, it could go either way. That's what makes a sporting event or a political election particularly exciting. Either side could lose. Either side could win. There could even be an upset at the last moment.

That's true with our souls as well. It's not over until death blows the whistle. Any one of us could, at the last moment, resist the grace of final perseverance. And any one of us, even someone who seems hopelessly far from God, could have a deathbed conversion.

Everything else is already set. God is who He always was and always will be. For the angels and demons, and for the souls already in Heaven and Hell, the contest is over. We already know the outcome. Only with those of us still on earth is the game still going, the battlefield still raging. Only with us is the contest still underway. And all of Heaven and Hell is watching to see how it's going to end.

Three

A Lot Hangs in the Balance

We're even more interested in contests when there is a lot on the line. Championship games and Olympic events have a lot on the line: the opportunity to be the best. At the level of nations, political elections and actual wars have even more hanging in the balance. The future of entire peoples may depend on the outcome. But even the future of nations is nothing compared with the future of souls.

Nations, even the longest-lived empires, last only a little while in the grand scheme of things. But we live forever. The victory or loss of a single soul is such a monumental event that nothing on earth can compare with it.

Think about that. Your son will live forever. Your daughter will live forever. Your spouse will live forever. Your friend will live forever. And so will you. If we're fascinated by the struggle for earthly glory and power, which don't last long at all, why aren't we even more fascinated and invested in the struggle for immortal souls?

Four

You Are Not a Spectator

A contest is a lot more exciting when you have skin in the game. Well, in this contest, you have more than skin in the game. Your eternal destiny is at stake, and so is the eternal destiny of the people you love. Your spouse. Your children. Your grandchildren. Your family and friends. Some of them may be far from God, and sometimes we feel helpless. We can't make them believe. We can't make them go to Mass. We can't make them change. That's true. God gave them free will. You cannot determine the outcome for another person. But you can influence it. You can pray and sacrifice for them. You can allow Jesus to transform your life. And you can become an Apostle of Friendship to them.

Remember the man Jesus freed from the demons. Jesus sent him back to his own people, to his family and friends. That's where Jesus sends us. Don't begin with arguments, correction, or Catholic content they didn't ask for. Begin with friendship. Take an interest. Spend time together. Ask good questions. Listen. Share life. Because the most convincing witness is not an argument; it is a transformed life. You can't choose Jesus for another person. But you can build a bridge of friendship over which Jesus can come to them.

Five

The Contest That Matters

Think about how much attention we give to contests. We check the score. We check the election results. We want to know: Who's winning? But maybe there is a much more important question: How are the people I love doing in the contest that determines eternity?

Your team might win the championship. Your candidate might win the election. Eventually, all of that passes away. But your loved ones will live forever. And while they are alive, the contest is still underway.

So today, instead of merely watching contests that ultimately pass away, do something for a person who will live forever. Here are three possibilities. Pray an extra Rosary for one person you love who needs to grow closer to Jesus. Offer some sacrifice today specifically for that person. Or take one concrete initiative in friendship. Send the text. Make the call. Invite them to coffee or lunch. Take an interest in something they care about. Ask a good question and really listen.

All three are good. But I especially want you to do the third. Choose one person. Take one concrete initiative in friendship with them today. Build the bridge today.

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