Recently a young Notre Dame fan suffering from brain cancer was brought to the attention of the Irish’s head football coach. The sick ten-year-old was a major Notre Dame fan and was nearing the end of his life, so the coach decided to pay him a visit. After a several-hour visit with the young fan, his mother noted that it was the first time in months she had seen her son smile.

Prior to leaving, the coach asked if there was anything he could do for him. The young man asked if he could call the first offensive play of the team’s next game. The coach promised he would honor that request and asked what the play would be. The young man replied, “Pass right.”

Most of us have known a teammate with a glaring weakness. Maybe a part of his/her game was incomplete. Maybe it was a character flaw. Did we make that weakness his/her defining characteristic? Paul wrote, “From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way.” That could paraphrase like this, “So from now on, I will not let someone’s personal weakness be that person’s defining characteristic.” Just as we shouldn’t focus on a person’s physical limitations, we should have the same attitude when dealing with commitments. I’m committed to praying for others and encouraging them when they act wisely and when