We are back in Ordinary Time. This does not mean however that we should bracket Easter and the Post-Easter feasts and read the selections from Mark as if the Lord is not yet Risen, or is seated at the Right Hand. On the contrary, the only way by which we could understand the gospel selection is if we understand it the way Mark presents it, i.e. as a catechism about the Lord of history. Read the article about the gospel selection and use the following as your guide.
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1. The disciples find themselves in trouble. And when they turn to the Lord, they find him sleeping. And so they tell him: "Lord doesn't it matter to you ...?" How many times have you experienced some difficulty and wondered: "Does the Lord care?" But he does. The difference between us and the disciples in the boat is that often, we don't call.
Reflect: Try to look over your life during this past year. How many times have you gotten into trouble and prayed to Him who -- in the language of Augustine -- "sleeps" in your heart?
2. The Sea is God's primordial enemy. Here, we find Jesus commanding it to literally shut up and imposing His will upon it. The Sea is also the symbol of the chaotic element in the history of our lives. Jesus shows Himself here as the Lord of the Chaotic. He commands and there is peace.
Reflect. One sometimes wakes up to a bad hair day. Everything seems to be topsy-turvy; nothing is going right. Perhaps when you were a kid you were told to start the day with a prayer. Do you still pray to the Lord at the beginning of the day? Do you consecrate your day to Him so that all that you do, think and desire may truly be under His protection?
3. The disciples were afraid even though Jesus was in the boat. The chaos outside in the winds and in the waves was also inside them. They had no peace. In contrast, Jesus is the epitome of trust in God: he sleeps inspite of the chaos outside.
Reflect: Look inside yourself. What makes you loose your calm? What makes you restless? Why is your heart filled with anxiety? Is it perhaps you have not truly learned to put your trust in the Lord?
Some Bible Verses on Peace
Ps 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.Ps 127:2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.My son, do not lose sight of these-
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
