Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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St. Mark, the writer of the Gospel for this Sunday, recalls the scene of the disciples who are crossing on the Sea of Galilee to the other side of the shore in a boat with Jesus.
All of a sudden, a “violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.” It was a desperate situation. They believed that they were perishing — about to drown.
What is Jesus doing? He is asleep.
“They woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?’”
First, why is Jesus asleep? He trusts that his Heavenly Father will take him to the other side.
Second, does he care that the disciples are about to perish? Of course he cares.
Third, what does he do? “He. . . rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still!” St. Mark then records the following, “The winds ceased and there was great calm.”
Jesus has the power over the elements. And we would see later that Jesus would even have power over sin and death, when he forgave his tormentors from the cross and rose out of the grave three days later.
But the important question for all of us, which was the question Jesus had for his disciples in the boat on the dangerous sea, “Do you not yet have faith?”
Yes, in the storms of life, Jesus is still more powerful than anything that would harm us. He is the peace that quiets the storms of life. May we have the faith to believe that Jesus will see us safely to the other side of life — to Resurrection itself!
Have a blessed week everyone.