30th of January

Gospel text

(Mk 4,35-41): 

On that same day when eve­ning had come, Jesus said to them, «Let's go across to the other side». So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat so that it was soon filled with water. And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They woke him up and said, «Master, don't you care if we sink?».

As Jesus awoke, He rebuked the wind and ordered the sea, «Quiet now! Be still!». The wind dropped and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, «Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?». But they were terrified and they said to one another, «Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!».

The Application

The evening and the crossing of the other side are the external signs which indicate the inner struggle of the disciples, who lack the deep faith in Jesus Christ. Thus this eveing chosen and willed  by Christ, which will lead them into darkness, will enlighten them, making them crossing from the emptiness to the fulness of faith.

How can we measure the depth of our faith? Don't the storms, winds and waves of life help us to understand the depth of our faith?  The faith we have in Jesus Christ, sent from the Father, is not a mere feeling or sentiment, but is a certainty about the truth, a truth revealed in Jesus Christ, by his life and by his word.

What is this truth that Jesus has revealed to us? God is good and in his goodness that he sent us his only Son, is not to judge us, but through him the world be saved. It is in this divine goodness that Abraham was able to give everything to God, including his son, the only hope for his future, even for his generation. The fulness of the goodness of God was then invisble to him and he will discover it little later, through toubles and temptations.

Faith is already sown in our hearts through the sacrament of Baptism, like a mustard seed, which will do its work in us, giving fruit at the right time, according to its rhythm of life. If we do not lose this faith, even if it is not visible in daily life, during the storms of life, it will lift us up and give us joy and happiness, even if apparently everything goes wrong for us. Since our God, the Father, is eternal, his goodness for us will also be eternal. Do we believe in Jesus Christ, sent by the Father and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us daily?

Action of the day : Never be disapointed and your God is watching over you. He will never fail you.

«Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?»

Fr. Joaquim FLURIACH i Domínguez

(St. Esteve de P., Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see how our Lord scolds his disciples for their lack of faith: «Do you still have no faith?» (Mk 4:40). They had seen demonstrations of His divine power that proved beyond doubt that Jesus Christ was God's Envoy. Nevertheless, some of his closest followers did not believe Him. They did not realize that they should fear nothing because the Lord was with them. In his rebuke, Jesus establishes a direct correlation between faith and courage. His meaning is clear. If you have faith in me, you will also have courage. If you do not have courage, it is because you do not have faith in me.

On another occasion when the Apostles doubted, it was explained that they did not believe because they had not received the Holy Spirit. Our Lord needed an abundance of patience to teach the Apostles what they would, in turn, teach us, so that we too can courageously give testimony of the reality of Jesus, the Son of God. If we, who are His modern day disciples, say we have faith but then give way to fear when we should talk to others about Him, it is fitting that we share the scolding that Jesus gave to His fearful disciples after He had stilled the storm on Galilee.

We have received the Holy Spirit, which, if we always do our best to obey the Father's will, lets us see beyond doubt and fear that our Lord is positively guiding us in our walk of faith through life. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to fear anything. Jesus is the one and only Lord of the Universe, because «even the wind and the sea obey him!» (Mk 4:41), as his terrified disciples said to one another.

So, when you are afraid, ask yourself, —why am I so cowardly? Are my own fears so real or so necessary to me that I cling to them although they cause me to question my Lord's infinite Love for me? Our many brothers and sisters who have died as martyrs knew how to answer this question, not only with their words in times of tranquility, but also in times of danger, often at the cost of their lives. With the aid of God's grace, and in spite of their awareness of the dangers to themselves, many of our brothers and sisters take steps of courage that cause their faith and hope in our Lord to grow exponentially. And if they can do it, why not us? If we hold back, could it be because deep within our souls we do not have the same passionate desire to love our Lord with all our minds, hearts, and souls?

We can be made bolder by remembering one of the greatest examples of courage and faith —the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of confessors— who even at the foot of the Cross maintained the light of faith. A faith that dazzled the world on the Day of the Resurrection!