Dia dhuit,
I remember some years ago seeing a film called “The Perfect Storm.” It was about some fishermen who went out to sea one day and encountered a horrendous storm. If I remember correctly, two incredibly powerful storms, came together to produce this super storm, or perfect storm. The sailors hadn’t a chance and perished.
We encounter many different storms in our lives. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some can be super storms where all seems to go wrong and there is no hope in sight. Other storms maybe we could say are like the “yellow warnings” we receive nowadays. They are powerful and impact our lives but to a lesser degree. On a daily basis storms come our way which annoy and frustrate us. The good LORD today asks us to TRUST in Him in the midst of life’s storms.
The Apostles are on the Sea of Galilee in their wee boat with Jesus in our Gospel today. This lake, which looks like a sea, thus the name, is roughly about 7 x 10 miles long. Storms often come from nowhere in the afternoon especially. I remember almost three years ago being on a boat on the lake with 19 other priests, and wouldn’t you know it, a storm came. It was a bit frightening but also helped me understand better what the Apostles faced in today’s Gospel.
The storm in the Gospel seems to have been a fierce one as water is coming into the boat. The Apostles were terrified it was the end. Jesus was asleep, His head on a cushion, we are told. He was asleep because He was exhausted. He gave everything to people during the day, and seemed to pray often at night, so crossing the lake on a boat was probably a good opportunity for a wee nap. See the contrast between His peace and calmness and the ferocity and anxiety of the storm and Apostles.
In our First Reading we see only God is master of the sea, and in today’s Psalm only the LORD can rescue the sailors in their distress. Jesus is asleep showing His human need for rest, but in rebuking the wind and the sea, He shows He is God. The Apostles we are told are amazed at what He did. They say to each other: “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey Him.”
So dear friends, Jesus may appear sleeping in the midst of your storms but He is in total control. Trust not only His mighty power but even more in His great love for you. If even the wind and sea obey Him, can He not help you?
I am reminded of psalm 23: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
God bless you,
Fr Marius