Soli Deo Gloria

"To God alone be the Glory," is a translation from the Latin. It is the motto of the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory and I'd like to dedicate it here on this blog.

Last weekend, I was running in my fourth half-marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. It was pouring the rain and the temperature was hovering in the low 40 degrees. Now running for me has always been prayer, focusing my energies and clearing my head to be totally accessible to receiving God's love. However, this particular race was killing me. I have never thought of quitting a race so much as I did in Nashville, especially around mile 8. As I was nearing the home stretch, somewhere around mile 10, I started praying the rosary audibly. Using the power of positive thoughts can help you when your body is telling you that you're insane! "Hail Mary," I'd say and keep going through the prayer. I'd ask for Our Lady of Walsingham to pray for me and to protect my body in this crazy endeavor. Believe it or not, it worked. As I trodded into Titan's Stadium where the finish line was, I kept it up. Praying hard and moving my lips prevented me from dwelling on the pain in my knees. At last, I crossed the finish line utterly spent and exhausted. The rain managed to suck the morale from me that day, but the Rosary and the intercessions of Our Lady of Walsingham won the day.

Soli Deo Gloria.