The author (right) with Alex, member  of the Brazilian Basketball Team for the Olympic Games 2012

In this time of the Olympics, we see the fight of the athletes to win an Olympic medal. Therefore, they train years and years exhaustively from 8 to 10 hours a day to be well prepared. This demands much strength, disposition, self-denial, pains, overcoming a lot…it is very ascetic to reach a so dreamed of Olympic medal.

My friends, in our human campaign as Christians also we should run after our dreams as these Olympic athletes. We cannot remain seated on the sofa waiting for our human, professional and spiritual conquests to fall from the sky.

Our us Christians, it is more more in our marathon to Eternal Life, also as these athletes, we should have a life of asceticism with discipline, strength, denial, pains and overcoming a lot. We should have an ascetic life in our spirituality. We cannot be prejudiced, if we want to gain the Greatest Prize we are going to need much asceticism, asceticism and asceticism.

May we be true “Athletes of Spirituality” in the asceticism of prayer, of  holiness, of love…It is certain that we are not perfect, at times, as the great athletes, we will fall and we will fail, we will not win all the battles. But we make our part in this spiritual road that the grace of God completes what is lacking to our human capacity.

May I find every day this spiritual asceticism to reach not the First Prize, but Eternal Life. Amen!

Strong Hug…

Ademir Costa

translated from portuguese