The Word meditated today is Luke 8.22-25:
One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So they set sail, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A squall blew over the lake, and they were taking in water and were in danger. They came and woke him saying, “Master, master, we are perishing!” He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided and there was a calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” But they were filled with awe and amazed and said to one another, “Who then is this, who commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey him?”
New American Bible. (2011). (Revised Edition., Lk 8:22–25). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The most used means of transportation in the time of Jesus, was the boat. And when He got into the boat, He called his disciples and invited them to go to the other side. The Lord was in a room and asked the disciples get into the boat. Then went to the other side. The banks of the lake were the scene in which Jesus lived much of His public ministry.
Let’s put us in this boat. Suddenly comes the storm. Luke, rich in detail, reports the unusual windstorm that struck the disciples. The boat began to fill with water and they were in danger of death. Frightened, they woke Jesus, who calmed the storm. The disciples were amazed and astonished at such an event. Who was this man that the sea obeyed Him?
At that time, Jesus was regarded as a prophet because he did the things that several Old Testament prophets did; however, the disciples began to realize that he was acting in first person. Jesus said: quit, shut up, get up. The Lord gave great proof of who He was when, while giving an order to nature, it obeyed Him. The disciples realized that the Son of God had the authority of the Father
We receive many graces, we experience miracles and healings, but run the risk of not knowing who Jesus is. Many people who go to church have not had personal experience with Christ, not yet experienced the fruit of baptism in the Spirit, which is very strong. Today, we must experience who Jesus is.
Often the boat of our life, we pray, but believe Jesus did not listen to us, He seems to be asleep; He comes upon us a feeling that the boat will sink. These boats are: our life, our marriage, our consecration and many other things. Our prayer becomes desperate. How often are these disciples and Jesus gonna wake up? It may be that many of us in the midst of trouble, we were not united with Jesus, we do not look to Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Our lips only pray in pain and difficulty; when it appears that the boat would sink.
Several times we live tribulations and it seems that Jesus will not wake up. We call and call, but He waits months, even years then mutes the sea. Think: if you were sleeping in a boat, a storm came and people started screaming and were despair, but Jesus remained asleep. The solution would be to turn to Him and wake the Master.
If Jesus is in the boat, He awake. You can drop the biggest storm of the world, but He will be there and the boat will not sink with his presence. If Jesus is in the boat of your life, your home, your marriage, raising their children, do not worry, your boat will not sink. Maybe you spend time calling the Master, trying to wake him. We do not know when he will wake up, but the certainty is that He is within, the boat will nor sink.
The question today is: Jesus is in the boat? Invite Him to enter the boat of your life. He will not abandon you.
Father Arlon Cristian
Priest of the New Song Community.
Twitter: twitter.com/pearloncn
Facebook: facebook.com / PadreArlonCristian
Transcription and adaptation: Ariele Silva