lukadrower
Member
Words of the Gospel according to Saint Mark. Mark 4:35-41.
That same day, when evening came, he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." So they left the crowd and took Him as He was in a boat, and other boats followed Him. Suddenly a violent wind arose.
The waves were washing over the boat until it was already filling up. He slept in the back of the boat, leaning on the headrest. They woke Him up, saying, "Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the lake: "Be silent! Be quiet!” Then the wind stopped and there was a deep silence.
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid? You still don't believe?” Then great fear came upon them, and they said to one another, "Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
God does not promise us a life without storms, but He promises us that in our storms He will always be with us. The storm that happened to the disciples on the lake allowed them to discover the mystery of Jesus even more deeply. Who exactly is He?
Nothing helps us discover the presence and power of Jesus like critical situations. On the one hand, we experience great fear, on the other hand, we never feel so close to God.
Our prayers in times of peace are like dusting old furniture with a feather duster. But when a black cloud of danger appears on the horizon, prayer turns into breaking down the door to heaven.
So if you are constantly faced with problems, storms of life, waves of anger from people you work or live with, winds that destroy all the hope you have carefully built up for years, it may be because you have neglected what is essential: prayer!
Perhaps it became so soporific that it even pushed Jesus into a corner, at the "head" of the boat. God "falls asleep" when our prayers put even us to sleep and we no longer want to get out of bed. Would you talk to your most important person while receiving him in bed?
Is it polite to fall asleep in a chair while talking to a guest whom you offered coffee during his visit? Turbulent waters, lightning fire, and violent winds were the three plagues that befell humanity when it turned away from God.
The tribe of Noah was flooded with water, the tribe of Sodom was punished with fire from heaven, and the generation of Babel was scattered throughout the world by whirlwinds. The wisdom of the rabbis saw these as three messengers of God's warning for disregarding love for the Creator.
The lesson that the disciples received probably happened so that they could rediscover Jesus. Lethargy in the spiritual life is a great danger to human existence. Jesus was at the headboard.
In the Greek text this place was called PRYMNA, meaning the stern, the helmsman's place. PRYMNETES is a helmsman or manager, as well as a ruler. Jesus was in a place where everything is in control, but the disciples let Him fall asleep. This expresses our sluggish attention, our spiritual sluggishness.
I think about our world, which has already experienced great tsunamis, fires in huge towers in Manhattan, and hurricanes that have devastated the coast. How many of us will awaken to true spiritual awakening after these signs? Only God can calm the elements, and we still think we can navigate this world on our own. Lack of faith brings an excess of timid fear.
Think about your life's storms. What did they tell you about the place you have given Jesus in the boat of your life? Where is God in your schedule when you live in fear and have devastating storms over and over again?
Maybe you're saying: where is God if this happens to me? If you want everything to calm down outside and inside you, awaken your conscience and call on Jesus!
Place Him at the center of your attention again, enthrone Him and declare Him in your soul as King! However, if He continues to be only a "mascot" of your spiritual life, you will become a prey to forces that are too powerful for you and you will not be able to cope with them.
I am sending an additional comment to donors.
That same day, when evening came, he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." So they left the crowd and took Him as He was in a boat, and other boats followed Him. Suddenly a violent wind arose.
The waves were washing over the boat until it was already filling up. He slept in the back of the boat, leaning on the headrest. They woke Him up, saying, "Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the lake: "Be silent! Be quiet!” Then the wind stopped and there was a deep silence.
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid? You still don't believe?” Then great fear came upon them, and they said to one another, "Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
God does not promise us a life without storms, but He promises us that in our storms He will always be with us. The storm that happened to the disciples on the lake allowed them to discover the mystery of Jesus even more deeply. Who exactly is He?
Nothing helps us discover the presence and power of Jesus like critical situations. On the one hand, we experience great fear, on the other hand, we never feel so close to God.
Our prayers in times of peace are like dusting old furniture with a feather duster. But when a black cloud of danger appears on the horizon, prayer turns into breaking down the door to heaven.
So if you are constantly faced with problems, storms of life, waves of anger from people you work or live with, winds that destroy all the hope you have carefully built up for years, it may be because you have neglected what is essential: prayer!
Perhaps it became so soporific that it even pushed Jesus into a corner, at the "head" of the boat. God "falls asleep" when our prayers put even us to sleep and we no longer want to get out of bed. Would you talk to your most important person while receiving him in bed?
Is it polite to fall asleep in a chair while talking to a guest whom you offered coffee during his visit? Turbulent waters, lightning fire, and violent winds were the three plagues that befell humanity when it turned away from God.
The tribe of Noah was flooded with water, the tribe of Sodom was punished with fire from heaven, and the generation of Babel was scattered throughout the world by whirlwinds. The wisdom of the rabbis saw these as three messengers of God's warning for disregarding love for the Creator.
The lesson that the disciples received probably happened so that they could rediscover Jesus. Lethargy in the spiritual life is a great danger to human existence. Jesus was at the headboard.
In the Greek text this place was called PRYMNA, meaning the stern, the helmsman's place. PRYMNETES is a helmsman or manager, as well as a ruler. Jesus was in a place where everything is in control, but the disciples let Him fall asleep. This expresses our sluggish attention, our spiritual sluggishness.
I think about our world, which has already experienced great tsunamis, fires in huge towers in Manhattan, and hurricanes that have devastated the coast. How many of us will awaken to true spiritual awakening after these signs? Only God can calm the elements, and we still think we can navigate this world on our own. Lack of faith brings an excess of timid fear.
Think about your life's storms. What did they tell you about the place you have given Jesus in the boat of your life? Where is God in your schedule when you live in fear and have devastating storms over and over again?
Maybe you're saying: where is God if this happens to me? If you want everything to calm down outside and inside you, awaken your conscience and call on Jesus!
Place Him at the center of your attention again, enthrone Him and declare Him in your soul as King! However, if He continues to be only a "mascot" of your spiritual life, you will become a prey to forces that are too powerful for you and you will not be able to cope with them.
I am sending an additional comment to donors.