We are the Church Militant, not the happiest turn of phrase one might add, so-called because we are engaged in a contest, a spiritual warfare, to use the term. We hope to join the Church Triumphant, the Church Glorious we celebrate today. They were here once, played the game, have moved on. We daily are party to the passion, death and rising of the Lord, human kind at its worst, Divine kind at its best. It is here we learn the art of the contest, here we are purged of evil and equipped with grace for the struggle.
Athletes devote enormous time and energy to achieve skill.
We are no less committed to attaining prowess in the spiritual warfare, to engage in the contest for ourselves and all. And we are spurred on to victory by the saints in Heaven, no mere onlookers just watching, but participants with us in grace, partners and team-mates in the strife. We are befriended by a multitude who love us and pray for us. With such support we have every reason to play well, engage in a competition which is really the only one to take seriously. For this game be real.