THE STORM AT SEA!
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Today’s Gospel is a familiar story. It is the story of the storm at sea. As we know, Jesus’ disciples became very frightened when a severe storm came up. Despite the fact that several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, the disciples were terrified. The storm was ferocious and waves were beginning to swamp their boat. And unbelievably, Jesus remained sound asleep in the boat while the storm raged all around him.
Finally, his disciples woke him up, begging him to save them. However, Jesus rebuked them and asked: “Why are you terrified, you of little faith?” Jesus stood up and rebuked the winds and the seas and immediately calm descended on the waters and on the disciples. Jesus’ disciples were awed and amazed! They asked themselves: who is this man whom the winds and waves obey?
Take a moment and remember a time in your life when you were extremely frightened. What was the “storm” that created such turmoil and fear in your life? Did you turn to Jesus and beg him to rescue you? Or did you simply hunker down in your little boat and hold on tight?
At times in our lives, Jesus may appear to be asleep in our boat when we desperately need his help and grace to get us through the ferocious storm we are experiencing. Despite his seeming absence or lack of concern, do we continue to trust that he truly is with us and that he is gracing us even if we don’t feel it?
Today for instance, we are scared as we witness some violent storms of Racism, sexism, consumerism, war, disease, or politics in our country where we do not see our similarities, but only our differences. If there were ever a time when we should recognize the sameness of all humanity, it should be now. The COVID-19 virus does not discriminate based on color, race, gender, or political alliance. Nor too, do the feelings of hurt and anger after watching people of color murdered by those with power and privilege.
The storm of racism and injustice isn’t scary to those who are asleep. The inability to see the happenings of today, either by choice or by ignorance, is a position of unearned privilege. It is time to wake from our sleep and take action to calm the storm – just as Jesus did. It’s time for everyone who has been asleep to get up and rebuke the wind and the sea, and perhaps then we can have great calm and peace.
Calm and peace are Jesus’ gifts to us! Today take time to consciously receive these wondrous gifts! It will change your day … and you!
