Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 - Tuesday in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
[Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12 and Matt 8:23-27]As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
I think I have mentioned the following quote before, but I think it is worth repeating. "Sometimes the Lord calms the storm, and sometimes the Lord lets the storm rage and calms his child." Which would you say Jesus did in today's gospel incident? It seems to me that he did both but did the second first and the first second! To the best of my knowledge this incident is the only time Jesus is mentioned as sleeping and he does it in a boat tossing in a storm. [I wish I could sleep like that!] Some of these disciples were presumedly familiar with boats since some of them were fishermen. Perhaps that is why they knew this particular storm was beyond their ordinary boat handling talents! The ocean and deep water was considered to be the home of chaos and sea monsters anyhow! The situation was clearly getting critical! So they wake up Jesus! Even if he chides them for their lack of faith, at least they thought he could help!
Although this gospel incident is often applied to the Church, which tradition has called "the bark of Peter," I am fond also of applying it personally. The Church has weathered more than one awful storm over the centuries, but I think I have only a few that I have had to endure. There were times when I wondered whether or not I heard snoring when I prayed in those circumstances! The Lord has calmed my storms and the Lord has calmed me, but it IS a test of faith to see him asleep when things get rough! AMEN