On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
"Let us cross to the other side."
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
"Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
He woke up,
rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!"
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?"
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
"Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
REFLECTION
"Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?"
Fear can be a game changer. We are adverse to the notion of suffering where there can be physical, psychological or spiritual pain We panic and cry out for help, imagining the worst and losing hope.
Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen once said that Mary was a victim with her Son and she teaches us never to go to Calvary without having our hearts pierced with a sword.
We are meant to be broken, scarred and hurt if we strife for holiness or perfection of self. You can't get the halo without earning it.
When we meditate on the Sorrowful mysteries, we can be observers of what is happening, glossing over what another is going through. But if we love that person, it is quite different.
It's the Lord's will even when we are overwhelmed with trouble. Can we see a beggar, accept suffering, endure trials and tribulations without understanding why our heart tells us one thing but our fear tells us another?
Only when we accept our brokenness can the light of Christ shines through the cracks. With trust in the Lord, our faith grows and we welcome the opportunity to not only make offerings but to offer ourselves to Him.
Many times I cry out, "Do you not care that I am perishing? When God comes and rests in my soul, will I still panic when faced with adversity? May all that I do be a living sacrifice to God and may the graces so needed for faith, hope and charity bring me closer to Him.
I hear Him now, "Quiet!! Be still! Do you not yet have faith?"
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