You may remember the 1950’s and 60’s a popular TV show began like this: “Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman! Yes, it's Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men….”
If today’s Gospel were a TV show in might begin like this: Look over there in the boat, more powerful than the wind, stronger than the raging sea, no ordinary human being. It’s Jesus, Lord and Savior – True God and True Man. He announces the Kingdom of God and calls each one of us to follow Him.
In Today’s Gospel deals with FEAR. Psychologists tell us that the Top Ten Human Fears are:
10. Losing your freedom
9. The Unknown
8. Pain
7. Disappointment
6. Misery
5. Loneliness
4. Ridicule
3. Rejection
2. Death
1. Failure
I do not know what you biggest FEAR is, BUT the disciples, even though, they were experienced fisherman were afraid in the boat when the violent storm arose in the Sea of Galilee. WHY! They had experienced violent storms at sea before, maybe this was worse, maybe it was a category 5 storm? First, they may have feared death, BUT after Jesus calmed the sea, they feared Him – meaning they were in AWE! They knew that only God could calm a storm like that. Mark in his Gospel wrote, as “… evening drew on ….” Jesus and the disciples climbed into the boats to go to the “other side”.
Jesus responds with 3 words, “Quite, Be Still!” Whenever a storm occurs in our life Jesus uses 3 words, “I Love you!” Then He accompanies us through our trial. All will be well when The Kingdom comes, until then we are impelled by our love of Christ to bring about His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.
Today is Father’s Day, so let’s take a moment to thank God for fathers, by praying for them and remembering that at their best they reflect our heavenly Father to us by their lives. I wish all fathers a Happy Father’s Day. Those fathers with us today and those who are in “the land of the living” including my own dad. May God’s blessing be upon you today and every day.
“God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.” [From the Book of Blessings]
It is a good thing to honor our fathers. “Dads don't get much respect nowadays. A doting father used to sing his little children to sleep. He even learned a few lullabies to lend some variety to the task. This was something he could do at night to help his wife out. And he kept up this task until one night he overheard his four-year old give her younger sibling this advice, ‘If you pretend, you're asleep,’ she said, ‘he stops.’ That was the end of the lullabies.” [Sermons.com]
Randy Pausch, the author of The Last Lecture, wrote, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play them.” The most important last lecture ever given was delivered by Jesus gave us in His Gospel Message. My prayer for all fathers is that they never stop loving their children, and always seek ways to lead them to God, more so by their actions than their words.
St. Joseph pray for us.
St. Andre Bessette intercede for us.
May God Be Praised!
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