Today, in the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus calmed the storm when He and the apostles were out at sea. We all know this story. Jesus had fallen asleep when a storm began to brew. The apostles, fearing they would capsize and drown, became terrified. So they woke up Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus then calmed the storm and asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”
Jesus didn’t ask “Do you not have faith?” He asked, “Do you not yet have faith?” The word yet is an integral part of that question. We could ask the same question to ourselves when we encounter difficulties in life or when we feel sad and alone. These are the times when we may feel like we are perishing. And sometimes we may even feel like God doesn’t care.
How many times, out of despair, have we asked Him, “Jesus, where are you?” We allow fear to take over. We allow the outside world to convince us that God doesn’t care, that we are not lovable, and that we are all alone. But we are never alone. No matter what we go through in life, Christ is there for us. Christ is there with us. In those times, He could ask us the same question, “Do you not yet have faith?”
So how do we build that trust we should all have in God? We get to know Him. We read stories in the Bible or other religious books. We talk to Him in prayer. We count our blessings. We think about the love we have for our children or the love our parents have for us, and we multiply that love by a thousand.
Our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can even begin to imagine. And that love should calm our inner storm. That love should keep us from giving in to sadness, anxiety, and fear.
Yes, we may still feel these emotions, as they are a normal part of being human. But the difference between having faith and not having faith is the ability to acknowledge those feelings, lay them at the foot of the cross, and simply say, “Jesus, I trust you to calm this storm.” And then believe that He will.
Daily Reading
Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Reading 1 EPH 2:19-22 Brothers and sisters:You are no longer strangers and sojourners,but you are fellow citizens with the holy onesand members of the household of God, built upon the foundation…
Saint of the Day
Saint Thomas the Apostle
Saint Thomas was a dedicated Apostle, known for his skepticism and affirmation of Jesus’s Resurrection, and his evangelical work in India.
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