Fit for the Kingdom

Our American culture places a high value on fitness, that is, physical fitness. People spend lots of money on gym memberships, personal trainers, sports equipment and nutritional supplements to reach or to maintain physical fitness. These things must also be accompanied by time and energy actually exercising. Such is the way to physical fitness. But what about our spiritual fitness?

St. Paul shares some encouraging words with us on this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. “Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light” (Colossians 1: 12). What is this “inheritance of the holy ones in light”? It sounds to me like heaven! Has God the Father really made us “fit” to go to heaven? How is that possible? St. Paul tells us in the next verses: “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1: 13-14).

God’s plan to make us fit for the kingdom was carried out in Jesus who sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of our sins. As St. Paul concludes this passage, Jesus reconciled all things to Himself, “making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1: 20). So God has made us fit for the kingdom—in some mysterious way—by washing our sins away in the blood of Jesus. Through our Baptism into Christ, we have been graced with a certain amount of spiritual fitness. The rest of our lives are filled with challenging opportunities to maintain and grow our fitness. 

We all know that physical fitness is important. But we also know that, no matter how hard we work on it, eventually our bodies age and our physical fitness wanes. Not so, however, with our spiritual fitness. With the grace of God and our spiritual disciplines we can continue growing in holiness all the days of our lives, and even after our physical death. In fact, everything that happens to us on any given day can be an occasion for us to exercise our “spiritual muscles.” As physical resistance helps our muscles to grow, so does spiritual resistance help us to grow spiritually in the gifts, fruits and virtues of the Holy Spirit. 

The best part of all is that everything we do to grow spiritually is an investment in heaven; it makes us ever more “fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.” So no matter how bad your day or week or month or year has been, just remember, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are with you through it all. Even if it seems like you have lost the worst of battles and there is nothing more you can do for your physical fitness, just turn to Jesus with a humble prayer. Like the man on the cross beside Jesus, acknowledge Him as your King and pray, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And trust Him when He says to you, “Today [or tomorrow, or someday soon] you will be with me in Paradise” (cf. Luke 23: 42-43).