Yesterday in Chicago, thousands of runners laced up their sneakers and ran 26.2 miles through the neighborhoods of our city. Each runner answered a call to run the race—whether it was a formal invitation from an organization, a friend who encouraged them to sign up, or a deeper invitation from their own heart and soul. They showed up in the right gear, embraced the challenge, and pushed through the heat, sweat, and maybe even a few tears to cross that finish line. And along the way? More than a million and a half spectators cheering them on! The energy is electric, the emotions are real, and for one incredible day, we’re reminded of something beautiful: we’re all part of a human family, here to encourage one another through life’s challenging races. And the runners cross that finish line transformed. Yes, they might have been physically exhausted, but there was also an indescribable feeling—the pride of knowing they did it, and the gratitude of knowing they weren’t alone on the journey. Now, a marathon isn’t for everyone. But we all have our own marathons in life: the marathon of finding a new job, navigating a difficult workplace, completing a graduate or PhD program, or making it through the beautiful, exhausting adventure of parenthood. And whether we’re running a physical marathon or a spiritual one, we’re not meant to be the same people at the finish line as we were at the start. God invites us to let those journeys shape us into people of greater love, understanding, and patience—and to recognize when someone running alongside us could use a little encouragement of their own. Because really, who doesn’t love a little cheer from the sidelines? Today, Father Pat McGrath reminds us that the journey of faith calls us to more than simply accepting God’s invitation or crossing the starting line. It calls us to let the experience transform us—and to become the kind of people who help others along the way.