By Maria Lore
Contributing writer
As the weeks pass into March and we (hopefully) begin to trade the frigid winter for the sunshine and pleasant weather of spring, many of us will spend a greater portion of our time outdoors. Perhaps some of us will visit parks, cycle and swim, or even hike in the Adirondacks. For me, and maybe many of you, I will be running … and quite a bit. After completing my first marathon in Washington, D.C., in October 2025, I hope to train and complete another by the end of this year.
When contemplating the theme for this year’s Lenten reflections, I instantly recalled the phrase, “remain in me” from John 15:5, when Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus’ words emphasize that He calls on us to dwell or “remain” in a consistent, loving relationship with Him. However, this strong connection is not built instantaneously, but rather is fulfilled through the long-term “spiritual training” we are called to complete during Lent, and which can be further compared to the apt metaphor of marathon training.
When training for this long run, progress wasn’t achieved in a day, and I had to follow a consistent plan of increasing mileage, eating healthy nutrition, and regularly hydrating. If I were cut off from these performance-sustaining steps and had not prepared properly, my endurance would have surely collapsed. Covering the 26.2-mile distance would have been only an unrealized aspiration rather than an achieved reality.
Similarly, if we do not take the time during Lent to prepare for the renewal that Easter brings us, whether through prayer, fasting, or almsgiving, it remains difficult to cross the “finish line” of forming an even stronger relationship with God. Through these everyday practices and sacrifices, we gradually allow our branches to grow and become more intertwined with Jesus’ love and plan for us. Leading spiritually fulfilling lives in alignment with His will takes time and discipline through such acts of “training.” Without this incremental progress, we would be disconnected from Jesus’ sustaining vine, and the bearing of such a fruitful bond would be unsuccessful.
I hope during this Lenten season that you are patient with yourselves, and remember that just as preparation for a marathon cannot be completed in 24 hours, so too is the spiritual rebirth that accompanies the celebration of the Resurrection only attainable if we allow God to “remain” in us as we make daily advancements toward this goal. Even when the sacrifices of Lent prove challenging or fatiguing, bear in mind that God is there running alongside us at every mile to help us cultivate an even closer relationship with Him.
A marathon is not a sprint to the finish, but rather consists of innumerable steps taken at a measured pace — and our Lenten journeys should reflect this same gentle patience upon abiding in Christ.
Maria Lore was born and raised in Syracuse and attends St. Rose of Lima Church. Maria is currently employed as the research center manager of the Onondaga Historical Association, where she enjoys helping visitors to research and answer questions about our community’s rich history. Her many hobbies include reading, drawing, spending time with friends in Syracuse Frassati Fellowship, and, of course, running!
