I have a dream at the start of this New Year. It goes back to the June Bank Holiday Monday when the women's mini-marathon was run in Dublin by over 40,000 women from all over the country. The weather had been lovely, even on the morning of the race, but by the time the marathon began in the afternoon the rain was falling steadily.
As they began the race they sped past our offices here in Lower Leeson Street refusing to let wet conditions dampen their spirits. Even two hours later as the race drew to a close they were soaking wet but their spirits were still high and their determination kept them going. Afterwards around St. Stephen's Green with their medals they looked tired but quietly proud of their achievement. They deserved to be proud having challenged themselves to run or walk ten kilometers in bad conditions and they were raising funds for charities to the tune of 14 million euro. The magnitude of their achievement can be grasped if we compare their 14 Million euro with the £1.5 million which a much publicized Celebrities and Retired Footballers' Soccer Match raised only the previous day in Old Trafford, in Manchester. The list of charities is exhaustive. They cared about Age Action, Alzheimers, Asthma and Autism to mention only some of the As. It went on to include spina bifida, hospitals, voluntary services, and refuge centres. This spirit of compassion for people in real need is my dream at the start of a new year. It is so easy to not even notice the pain in modern life and pass bye. It is truly Christian to see it and to go the extra mile to bring comfort to those in need. St. Paul towards the end of his apostolic life summed it up with the words: I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith (2 Tim.4:7). We each run our own race, we run with Christ in our sights.