12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Fr. Leo
“Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. “
The disciples got into the boat with Jesus because they believed in him. But faith or not, when a life threatening storm blew up, they wondered, doesn’t he care? Then waking him, he calmed the storm and rebuked their doubt. The disciples are stunned by his power over the wind and the waves.
We are here because we believe, but that doesn’t mean we pass calmly through every life event. We have times of fear and anxiousness and they scare us. Justifiably so we fret about job security, family relationships, health issues and many things that could threaten our lives in today’s world. Being scared is normal. It is part of our innate instinct for self-preservation.
That is not to say our faith can’t make a difference. It may be the only thing that can in the end. We can take medications to treat anxiety, but that doesn’t mean we have healed its cause. Though medication is often necessary, faith in God can help us find peace in what makes us fearful.
I heard of a newly confirmed candidate who woke up the next day after sleeping longer and waking up with out systems of obsessive compulsive behavior (OCD). The young person attributed it to the work of the Holy Spirit. So surrendering to God can bring healing of our fears.
Fear of death is one that scares many people. But that can be overcome as well. Not that we should be excited about dying, but we don’t have to be anxious about it, knowing that it is the door to the life our hearts were created for. Life in God, sharing in this divinity as he came to share in our humanity.
A practical exercise is to spend time with the dying. At first we may be anxious, but in time, we come to a peace as we sort things out. It’s not contagious and we aren’t going to speed up the persons death. We can be lovingly and prayerfully present and the Spirit with fill us and the dying person with peace.
Faith allows us to face our natural fears with a strength only the Holy Spirit can give. So next time there is a storm in our lives, let us not hesitate to call out to the Lord in our distress and let him lead us to inner calm in all things. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, with the power of your love.”