Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early Churchنموونە

Have you ever gone through a stressful trial in your life where you felt like your world was in full chaos, everything was caving in all around you and you just didn’t know how you’ll get through in one piece? You may be in the thick of it, experiencing that trial this very moment, maybe even at the beginning of it or about to start, or possibly just got out of it.

Maybe you’ve had sleepless nights, endless prayers, tears, and questions that don’t seem to ever have answers. It’s something we tell ourselves that we are the only one to experience it like this and no one understands or can relate to our pain. You are probably right because your pain is your own but you do not have to be alone in this, and fact is, Jesus has experiencedalltypes of suffering and pain to relate to your personal pains and mine. The Peace of the Gospel ensures that you are not alone…and you’re not the first. Just as you aren’t the first, you won’t be the last for God to help you through. He is with you, even when it feels like He is being silent.

In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples of Jesus were invited by Him to “cross over the other side” [Mark 4:35] through the Sea of Galilee, but during the short trip there was a sudden storm that compromised the safety of the boat and the passengers. However, and we all remember this part, Jesus was asleep on a pillow! Not only was He asleep, but was using a pillow -He purposefully slept! Now, I’ve been known to get some good sleep through almost anything, but I can’t quite imagine comfortably dreaming through a dangerous storm. When Jesus awoke to the disciples asking Him if He even cared that they were about to die, Jesus arose and quieted the storm - He was silent, much like we believe Him to be sometimes with us, and their faith failed in a moment, much like ours does, so they panicked, and God still came to their aid. Notice the order -firstHe quieted the stormthenHe asked them why they had such little faith. How compassionate He is that He does it in this order, than to scold, belittle and rebuke them while the storm was still raging!

I don’t know about you, but I feel like the disciples far too often when I feel like God is silent through my turmoil. I can’t say I remember as often that Jesus invited me to “cross over to the other side” with Him – meaning that there is a clearly defined destination, there is a specifically pinpointed end in sight.

Although we may fail countless times, Jesus, in our suffering, stands up to our worries, insecurities, heartbreaks, trials and quiets all our troubles. Our God is all powerful, completely able and willing!

In the Eucharist (Communion), He is inviting us to go to the other side with Him, far away from the noise and distractions of the world. In the Eucharist, we live in that moment of the same Eucharist that He celebrated with His disciples over 2,000 years ago. Let us willingly go where He leads us, like a Good Shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures and still waters [Psalm 23:2], as in the Eucharist we find a place of rest and stillness that only He can provide when we are united with Him. Even if we should find ourselves at a place where He prepares a table for us with our enemies, He gladdens our hearts like a “cup that runs over” [Psalm 23:5]. Let us, like Abram when told to, “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you” [Genesis 12:1] also be able to leave all worldly attachments behind to a heavenly place He shows us in the Eucharist.

“I beseech You to lead my mind with the laws of faith, and I will ask for You with all of my heart and all of my strength that You gave me. I am longing to understand what I believe. O Lord my God, my only hope, please hearken to me. Do not allow my worries to weaken my will in looking for You and eternally asking for Your countenance. You have created me to find You! Please give me power to look for You. My strength and my weakness are in Your hands. Please keep my strength and help my weakness. Where You open the door, allow me to enter; where it is closed, please open it for my passage. Please grant me to grow in remembrance of You, in recognition of You, and in my love to You until You reach me with perfection.” [St. Augustine of Hippo, 4th century theologian]

“Who is this whom the sea obeys? It is he to whom the sea belongs, for he made it; all things were made through him. Try, then, to be more like the wind and the sea; obey the God who made you. The sea obeys Christ's command, and are you going to turn a deaf ear to it? The sea obeys him, the wind is still; will you persist with your blustering? Words, actions, schemes, what are all these but a constant buffing and puffing, a refusal to be still at Christ's command? When your heart is in this troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters, and at last reach our heavenly homeland.” [St. Augustine of Hippo, 4th century theologian]