Saturday – 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Mark 4:35-41

Calming The Storm Within

Boat Church, Magdala

Selling a house is not a journey for the weak and nervous Nellies!  We finally closed on selling our Dakin Street home yesterday.  Believe me, it was a tough and rocky experience. Even under normal circumstances, it is not for the timid!  Add to that the sudden loss of parents, major medical issues, and a very rushed packing up of 41 years of memories and moving to Tennessee!  Then top it off with navigating the sale from 500 miles away, well, you get my drift.  So much stress!

Multiple offers that ultimately failed, unrealistic demands, lowball bids, even the furnace conking out in the middle of a cold snap. Thank goodness for Ana, our realtor, who guided us (and calmed us down) throughout the long process.  Even this last week had its share of stressful moments – tons of documents to sign, assessment of the property, final cleanup and walkthrough and the ongoing fear that somehow the worst would happen, and we would have to start all over again! 

And so it is with stress, with fear, with anxiety!  And let’s face it, we are all stressed about something. Whether it’s school, or family, or our health, or the world in general, we are all stressed!  And the longer we hold on to it, the more it hurts, the more it hurts us and those around us, the more it drags us down!  The longer we keep it inside, the heavier it gets!

In today’s Gospel, the Apostles find themselves on the Sea of Galilee, caught in a storm. Question – aren’t they fishermen?  Shouldn’t they be used to storms and rough weather?  And yet they’re still afraid.  What does that tell us?  Sometimes we all get scared, no matter who we are!  School kids and adults, brothers and sister, parents, teachers, and even Apostles!  And yet, if you think of it, they aren’t facing the fear all by themselves; they aren’t alone in that boat!  That tells us something too – even when we’re scared and we think we are all alone, we aren’t!  A lot of our family/friends are feeling scared too!

And what does Jesus do?  He not only calms the storm on the Sea; He calms the storm in their hearts!  He says to them – have faith!  Don’t be afraid!  I am with you always.  And if He can calm the storm of wind and rain, don’t you think He can also calm the storms inside of us. 

This story tells me everything I need to know about fear and about gaining a sense of peace.  We all get scared!  But we aren’t alone!

And most importantly as Jesus tells us – don’t be afraid! Just let it go and trust in Me!  If you want peace in your heart, peace with your family and neighbors, peace in your world - have faith in Me.  Have faith that I am right there with you!