Atrophy. The dictionary defines this as a gradual decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect. When I was a teenager, I played basketball with a few friends and decided to get fancy. Believing myself to be some famous basketball star, instead of the tall and uncoordinated oaf that I was, I went in for a “360-degree layup.” Everything was going great until I stepped into a pothole in the road. I had twisted my ankle in a way that didn’t feel natural. I continued to try to play for a few more minutes before saying I’d had enough and limped the half-mile back home. When I took my boot off, it was purple and swollen. It turns out I had broken my ankle.
I spent six months in a cast. When they removed the cast, my calf muscle was shockingly small. It hadn’t been used in so long. It took me months of walking, exercising, and general use to begin to look like the other one. It had “atrophied.” What does that have to do with today’s Gospel? Jesus said: “To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” This almost seems harsh, but it’s a simple reality. “Use it or lose it.” Challenging the body and mind follow this very principle. You don’t use your muscles? They shrink. Scientists say that stimulating the brain with crosswords and puzzles can help stave off dementia and cognitive decline.
This rule applies to our spiritual life too. If we don’t exercise discipline and continue to grow spiritually, if we don’t continue to express our spiritual gifts to the world and instead try to hide them under a basket, they will eventually begin to fade and wane. It’s how life works. Our world is consumed with the idea that we need more money or physical beauty. Invest, save, work out, build muscle! All good advice on some levels, but our focus is Sainthood. Strive for holiness. We must exercise our spiritual muscles and discipline our minds through self-control. That means prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It means setting a time each day for earnest, heartfelt, intentional prayer and sticking to it.
Then, not staying stagnant. Consistently reviewing where we are and comparing it to where we want to be. Growing. One day, one step at a time. Adding a minute to prayer. Fasting for an hour longer on a Friday. Small steps. Gradual increases. Reminding our body and our mind that it is the soul that is in control. That is the path to holiness. That is the path to making sure our light never gets covered, but instead shines through in all the moments and activities of our daily lives.
A reflection on the readings for Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time: January 27th, 2022