A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:37-38)
Jesus always wants us to come to Him in times of trouble. So, why did Jesus chastise the disciples? Is Jesus one of those people who is grouchy when awaken from a deep sleep? No, of course not! Even if He was all comfy cozy, “asleep on a cushion,” Jesus did not mind being disturbed from His rest.
Jesus is correcting His disciples, not because they came to Him, but how. They were terrified. Worse, they thought He didn’t care!
It saddened Jesus that, after all the disciples had heard and seen Him do, they still did not trust Him. They did not have the faith required to be a true follower of Christ.
Jesus is calling us to trust Him, even in the midst of the storm. He wants us to have faith in Him even if our boat is filling up with water. As Christians, we must be convinced of the power of God.
So, cry out to Him in your distress and trust that Jesus will hear and answer you. Tell God your troubles and know that He cares. Believe that when the time is right, He will quiet the storm and fill you with awe and wonder.
Today, January 28, is the feast day of the Church’s intellectual giant, Saint Thomas Aquinas. He often found himself in the middle of some storms – his own family imprisoned him, his brothers tried to tempt him to sin against purity, and his fellow friars made in fun of him. Yet, the Angelic Doctor always found peace before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Let us follow his lead. Let us take our troubles and trials to our Eucharistic Lord. “Cast all your worries upon Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
What concern can you surrender to Jesus so that your soul may be quieted?
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