Daily Retreat 06/25/06

2006 Jun 25 SUN: TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jb 38: 1. 8-11/ Ps 106(107): 23-24. 25-26. 28-29. 30-31 (1b)/ 2 Cor 5: 14-17/ Mk 4: 35- 41

 

From today’s readings:  “The Lord addressed Job out of the storm....  They cried to the LORD in their distress; from their straits He rescued them, He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled....  whoever is in Christ is a new creation....  Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

 

Weathering Storms With Christ

 

We’ve all seen storms that were at least slightly scary, and if we found ourselves at that time in a boat, or plane, or car, then the storm may well have become very scary!  Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and the like, also remind us, even when observed from afar, that the forces of nature are more than man can ever control!

 

We’ve all been buffeted by figurative storms in our lives as well, those times we’ve found ourselves drenched in problems, engulfed with worries, and even nearly drowning in fears.  Many such squalls are more than partly our own fault, arising from our own poor decisions.  But then again, there are also times when we, through no fault of our own, just find ourselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time, suddenly faced with the most adverse conditions.

 

And often, after doing our best to get out of the storms of our lives, whether literal or figurative, we discover that, on our own, we just don’t have what it takes to weather such foul weather.   Our prayers can even reach the desperation of the disciples, “Teacher, don’t You even care that I’m perishing?  I’m drowning!  I’m up to my neck! I’ve tried everything, and still the storms just grow worse!”

 

The Gospel reminds us that, in the midst of the storm, the disciples had Jesus with them - that would be their salvation!  But the Gospel also reveals that the disciples weren’t initially inclined to turn to Jesus for help; for too long, they ignored the Lord - that would be their consternation!  For if they had called upon Him earlier, He certainly would have answered with full assurance. 

 

Jesus wasn’t annoyed that His apostles woke Him up, but He was concerned that they had waited to the point of desperation, so much so that, when they turned to Him, they didn’t even have much faith that He would or could do much to save them.  And so their prayer, like the words Job spoke in his misery, had the tone of a reproof: “Don’t You even care that we’re perishing?”

 

The elements of nature and the adversities of our lives are more than we can control, and often enough, more than we can take without help.  So, rather than pushing ourselves to our breaking points, rather than ignoring the Lord and waiting until the point of consternation and desperation, finally turning to God but with little hope that He can or will do anything about such storms, it’s much better for us to remember now that we have Jesus with us, and that will be our salvation!