Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 31, 2015 - Saturday in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 and Mark 4:35-41]A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that is was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They worke 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?" [Mark]
JANUARY 31 ST. JOHN BOSCO, sdb
The opening lines from the Letter to the Hebrews today say: "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." The disciples in the boat with Jesus experienced "the realization of what is hoped for..." when Jesus woke up and calmed the storm. But they could not connect that with faith in him as Messiah. Faith for them was not yet "evidence of things not seen" - i.e. the real identity of Jesus. One could hardly blame them, I suppose. I can see them waking Jesus (how could he sleep under those conditions?) and handing him a container to help with bailing the boat!
It takes a great deal of faith to sleep well under stormy conditions. I have quoted an expression here before that says, "Sometimes the Lord calms the storm and sometimes the Lord lets the storm rage and calms his child." I think I would choose the second of those alternatives, but sometimes I have to settle for the first! The realization of things hoped for seems remote at times, and I admit that more than once I have disturbed the Lord's sleep! His question, "Do you not yet have faith?" is always the challenge I have to face. But if I am going to get in the Lord's boat, I am going to have to face faith and row hard! AMEN