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| Mass on a boat @ the Sea of Galilee |
But in the Gospel reading today, the Sea of Galilee displays the violence of its squalls, which arise and subside rapidly and unpredictably due to its peculiar geographical situation—It is located at the bottom of a long funnel created by rows of mountains to the north. The wind travels anytime through this funnel formation and bursts onto the sea creating violent waves. It is in such terrifying moment that we now see, in the gospel reading, the disciples of Jesus experiencing tremendous fear and sense of fragility.
The gospel and the rest of the readings for today, depicting the intimidating force and power that lurk in the sea, would have us reflect on the fact of our helplessness at times and the awesome power of God over his creation.
The Cry of Helplessness. Few situations leave men so helpless and despairing as storms at sea. This experience of utter helplessness is what today's Psalm tries to express:
“For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble…” (Ps 107: 25-28).
In the Gospel, Jesus was in the stern asleep on a cushion while the boat was already filled with water because of the big waves and the disciples were becoming frenzy, fearing for their lives. So they woke him up and cried out: “Master, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mk. 4: 40).
How come that Jesus allowed himself to fall asleep just when things were getting really tough and scary for his followers? Most probably He was allowing the storm to rage and by doing so He was evoking the sense of utter helplessness among his disciples. He wanted them to realize their total dependence on God.
In life, we face so many storms. It may be the painful illness and gradual deterioration of a loved one, the death of a beloved child, the breaking of the family due to infidelity of a spouse, damage caused by a family member's addictions, loss of an important job and financial ruin, etc. Many times, we question God for his seeming silence amid all these tempests in life. Perhaps, God plays asleep. Not because He doesn’t give a damn. But because He wants us to see our limitations and embrace our helplessness so that when we turn to Him, we seek him ardently as our only hope.
What storm are you facing right now? Know that it may be an invitation for you to accept your helplessness and run to God with trust and hope.
Awed by God’s Might. When we have come to terms with our helplessness in the face of so many storms in life, we begin to discover the greatness of God’s might saving us. In the first reading (Job 38: 1, 8-11), Yahweh broke his silence in response to the complaints of Job about all the “storms” that wrecked him.
How come that Jesus allowed himself to fall asleep just when things were getting really tough and scary for his followers? Most probably He was allowing the storm to rage and by doing so He was evoking the sense of utter helplessness among his disciples. He wanted them to realize their total dependence on God.
In life, we face so many storms. It may be the painful illness and gradual deterioration of a loved one, the death of a beloved child, the breaking of the family due to infidelity of a spouse, damage caused by a family member's addictions, loss of an important job and financial ruin, etc. Many times, we question God for his seeming silence amid all these tempests in life. Perhaps, God plays asleep. Not because He doesn’t give a damn. But because He wants us to see our limitations and embrace our helplessness so that when we turn to Him, we seek him ardently as our only hope.
What storm are you facing right now? Know that it may be an invitation for you to accept your helplessness and run to God with trust and hope.
Awed by God’s Might. When we have come to terms with our helplessness in the face of so many storms in life, we begin to discover the greatness of God’s might saving us. In the first reading (Job 38: 1, 8-11), Yahweh broke his silence in response to the complaints of Job about all the “storms” that wrecked him.
God answers by reminding him that the Lord is master even of those storms, that he controls and limits them according to his omnipotent wisdom. The sea, in the Old Testament, because of its mystery, power, and unpredictability, was often used as a symbol for evil and chaos. But God tells Job that he has "set limits for it, and fastened the bar of its door." God doesn't explain to Job all the reasons behind everything he does and permits. Without much explanation, God simply reminds Job that He is all-powerful.
Similarly, in the gospel reading, Jesus faced the raging storm and rebuked it as he does to any evil spirit. He ordered the sea to be quiet and still. Indeed, the wind dropped and there was a great calm. The disciples were awed by what they witnessed:
“That a mere word from the Lord reins in nature's primeval brawn shocks the helpless fishermen even more than the stormy sea had frightened them just moments before. They had seen the Lord's miracles, they had heard his wisdom, they had witnessed his power over the human heart. But to see the most unruly powers that flow through the bowels of the universe submit like a well-trained golden retriever - this was a lordship they had not yet even conceived of; this is the lordship of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” ( Excerpt from"The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer").
May we experience too the mighty works of God and be awed by his power as He saves us from the storms of our lives. Never again should we doubt the power of God.
Our Invitation. When life's storms batter us, our families, and our communities, we are invited to act as the Apostles did in today's Gospel: to go to Jesus, waking him up with our cry of helplessness, and to place our total confidence in him, through our sincere, heart-to-heart prayer. Then trust that we will experience the awesome power of God saving us lovingly from the storms.
Similarly, in the gospel reading, Jesus faced the raging storm and rebuked it as he does to any evil spirit. He ordered the sea to be quiet and still. Indeed, the wind dropped and there was a great calm. The disciples were awed by what they witnessed:
“That a mere word from the Lord reins in nature's primeval brawn shocks the helpless fishermen even more than the stormy sea had frightened them just moments before. They had seen the Lord's miracles, they had heard his wisdom, they had witnessed his power over the human heart. But to see the most unruly powers that flow through the bowels of the universe submit like a well-trained golden retriever - this was a lordship they had not yet even conceived of; this is the lordship of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” ( Excerpt from"The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer").
May we experience too the mighty works of God and be awed by his power as He saves us from the storms of our lives. Never again should we doubt the power of God.
Our Invitation. When life's storms batter us, our families, and our communities, we are invited to act as the Apostles did in today's Gospel: to go to Jesus, waking him up with our cry of helplessness, and to place our total confidence in him, through our sincere, heart-to-heart prayer. Then trust that we will experience the awesome power of God saving us lovingly from the storms.
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