HE SEEKS GREATER FAITH
Jesus is always working to bring His calm and peace into our lives no matter what storms we face.
The world has seen its share of disasters this past year, both natural and of human origin. For example, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. We, too, experience our own personal catastrophes - illnesses, deaths, loss of jobs and of homes. Some of us even see the crumbling of families and relationships. There are plenty of storms to overcome throughout our lives.
The image of the storm in today's Gospel reflects this reality. Once we start to trace the various ways the Bible uses the sea as an image of chaos, we begin to understand that the storms that drench us and threaten to drown us aren't only found in a forecast on the Weather Channel. When we are overwhelmed, our prayer might echo that of the disciples' plea, "Lord, save us! We are perishing" (Mt 8:25). And in the same way that Jesus Christ stilled when He was with the disciples in the boat, He is God-with-us in all our storms.
In our Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "O Lord, Your mercy is before my eyes, and I walk in Your truth" (Ps 26:3). For Jesus is always working to bring His calm and peace into our lives no matter what storms we face.