Reading 1
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
and Sarah herself was sterile
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
of whom it was said,
Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 68)
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old.
that he would save us from our sins
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the bonds of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Gospel
Mk 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Meditation: Mark 4:35-41
“Teacher, do you not care?” (Mark 4:38)
The wind was howling, the boat was filling with water, and it was hard for the disciples to remember that Jesus was there. Desperately doing all they could to stay afloat, they finally called out in exasperation for Jesus, feeling abandoned and despondent.
How many times does the same thing happen to us? Our lives may be sailing along happily, and we feel comfortable in the Lord’s hands. Then a storm suddenly arises. A loved one dies. We are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. A child gets into serious trouble. Our marriage seems to be on the rocks. Each of us knows what it would take to “rock our boat.” For a while, we may be able to keep afloat, but sooner or later, we cry out in frustration and despair: “Lord, don’t you care?”
When we are in the midst of any storm, it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed by the immediacy of it. Like the disciples, we may forget that Jesus is still with us, right there in the boat. We feel abandoned by God; we may even think he is punishing us because he allowed this storm to come. If he really loved us, why would he be asleep, oblivious to how hard our lives have become?
But the truth is that Jesus is never unaware. He always knows what we’re going through. He cares for us deeply and will never walk away from us. Just because he’s in the boat, however, doesn’t mean we won’t come up against any storms. We may find that he is closer to us in the storms than when we have calm seas. He may or may not quiet the storm, but he will always guide us and help us make the best decisions we can.
The next time you face a raging storm, do your best to look beyond the waves and the wind. Look at Jesus, who is sitting right next to you, and trust him to steer you through to your destination.
“Lord Jesus, sometimes I just can’t rise above the challenges I face in my life. The trials seem so hard, and it feels as if you are far from me. Help me to look up and see you looking at me with love. Raise me up so that I can keep my eyes on you!”
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