Daily Reflection – 7/4/2023
Sacred Scripture
As Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”( Matthew 8:23-27)
Reflection
Like the disciples in the boat, we, too, experience times of trial where we might be tempted to panic.
Notice that the waves didn’t awaken Jesus, but the panicky cries of the disciples did. He wasn’t upset because they woke him or because he was soaked with water; what upset Jesus was their weak faith. They had no trouble believing in Jesus and following him when the sun was out and the lake was calm. Their poverty of faith, however, was exposed when the storm struck them.
There is a moment in our lives when Jesus invites us to be his disciples. He tells us to leave the safety of the shore and hop into the boat with him. It seems exciting, especially if the sun is out and the lake is calm. Inevitably, however, a storm comes our way—our faith is tested. When this happens, we may stay calm and join Jesus for an afternoon nap. Most of us, however, will be like the disciples and start trying to calm the storm with our own powers. At some point, as a last resort, we will scream out to Jesus for help. No longer able to trust in our own skills, we decide to trust in Jesus—the Shepherd who promised to take care of us in all life’s circumstances.
Today we turn to Jesus even though there may be no storm in our lives. We get into the practice of trusting him, calling on his name, and staying close to him now, so that when an unexpected storm takes hold of our boat, we are able to enjoy inner calm even if the boat seems to be falling apart. If we start practicing faith in small ways, today, it will be strong enough to see us through storms tomorrow.
We may sometimes get disturbed and agitated when things do not happen the way we expect them to or when we are faced with a difficult situation. At times like the disciples in the Gospel of Mark we may accuse Jesus of not being concerned about our plight and at other times like the disciples in the Gospel of Matthew we may plead with him to come to our aid. No matter which approach we may use, we need to remember that he will let nothing happen to us that is not part of his plan and will. We have to continue to do what is required of as and confidently leave the rest to him.
Prayer of The Day
Lord, I trust in Your almighty power and unconditional love. I trust that You care about me and are present in every storm I face in life. Give me hope in the midst of every trial and enable me to turn to You as the source of my peace. I love You, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
Daily Note
The secret to handling change is to hold Christ’s hand. Where He is, I too want to be. And it doesn’t matter where He is. He could be nailed to a Cross. He could be in the midst of an adoring crowd. It doesn’t matter. Wherever He is, is the best place for me.
