If you’ve ever spent time on the water, whether in a rowboat or something bigger, you know there are moments when suddenly everything gets serious and maybe uncertain. That’s when either people turn to you, or you turn to someone else, to get you safely back to shore.
Yesterday, we were reminded of the enduring nature of Jesus’ invitation, “Follow me.” These two words have been a source of comfort and guidance for countless people for over two thousand years. The disciples, too, were inspired and compelled by this call to follow Jesus into the boat. As they were crossing the Sea of Galilee, they faced a test that would challenge and ultimately reaffirm their faith.
Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience—a time when you’ve taken a risk in following Jesus, and then suddenly, life gets a lot harder. Like the disciples, you might feel like your “boat” is being swamped by the “waves” of life's challenges, and you’re afraid of “drowning” in despair or your life coming apart. You know that, in spite of their witnessing previous miracles, there wasn’t one disciple in that boat who could summon the surety of their fate because they were with Jesus … just as any of us might feel uncertain about our future though we publicly profess our faith each Sunday.
It was in fear, not trust, that the disciples called out, “Lord, save us!” In response, Jesus showed them some tough love, asking, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
One scripture scholar suggests that although the Sea of Galilee was noted for its rough waters, the disciples were threatened by more than simply severe weather. The violent nature of the water was most likely due to earthquake-like forces that the disciples would have equated with the end times. (“The Gospel of Matthew” by Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, pp. 130-131)
Likewise, whether it is our Church, our country, or our cities, we can experience what looks like the beginning of the end times and call out to Jesus to save us, too.
Whether we are having smooth sailing today or experiencing rough waters, it is Jesus who has the power to bring us safely through each day. It is Jesus who has power over all creation; the Lord who has power over the winds and the sea, and even the evil spirits that are unseen.
We, like the disciples, can learn to remain calm, even amidst the storms of our lives, if we stay close to Jesus every day … if we pray together, especially as families. But it all begins with responding to Jesus' invitation to “follow me.”
Reverend David S. Marcham is the Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, whose members pray for Father Peyton’s beatification and spread his message of the importance of Family Prayer. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Father David was a physical therapist and clinical instructor, serving hospital inpatients and outpatients throughout the greater Boston area for eleven years. In 1998 he heard the call to priesthood and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2005. Father David grew up in Quincy, MA, and has fond memories of playing soccer, tennis and running track. You’re never without a friend when Father David is around, as he welcomes everyone into his circle with a smile on his face!
