Mass Reading & Meditation for January 28, 2012

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Mark 4:35-41

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Imagine yourself as one of Jesus’ disciples. You have met this man who preaches with authority, heals sick people, and even raises the dead. Wonderful things just seem to sprout up wherever he goes. Then one night you go out on a boat with him. He falls asleep, and a power­ful storm starts to lash the boat. The waves are high and swift. The boat rocks, and you start taking on water. You are a fisherman, familiar with the sea and its moods, but this storm is so severe that you begin to panic. You can think of nothing but getting to shore.

What happened to your faith? Here you are with a wonder-working Messiah, and the only voice in your brain is one of fear and anxiety.

On one hand, the disciples’ ques­tion “Do you not care?” makes sense. Here they are, facing a life-threatening danger, and Jesus seems oblivious to their peril. Maybe he doesn’t care. But on the other hand, the question is very illogical. Yes, Jesus is asleep. Yes, the situation looks treacherous. But this is Jesus. This is the man who has shown, over and over again, that he can sus­pend the laws of nature. This is the man who has shown, over and over again, that he is full of mercy and compassion. Of course he cares! It’s not a question of “if” he will help them. It’s a question of “when” and “how.”

We have all been in situations that raise the panic level in our hearts. We see nothing but trou­ble, and we want only to get out as quickly as possible. It’s at times like these that we need to remem­ber that Jesus is with us. He may seem asleep. He may seem oblivi­ous to the tempest swirling around us. But this is Jesus, and he sees our need—and he cares deeply.

Today’s passage tells us that faith is not a matter of feelings. It’s a matter of trust, memory, and logic. If we can learn to keep our minds fixed on Jesus and his truths, we will find all the faith—and peace—we will ever need.

“Jesus, you know how frightening the storms of life can get. Help me to see you in the midst of them. Deepen my faith so that, even when you seem distant, I can still trust you to keep me safe.”

2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17; Psalm 51:12-17

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