Father Abraham has indeed set a good example of faith for us
all to follow. It was evidenced by his willingness to go forth even without
knowing where he was to go, remaining faithful in a God who is trustworthy and
being rewarded with Isaac as a symbol. When we were young we just follow where
our parents lead us. We ought to be like little children with hands clasped by
our loving parents trusting that they will not lead us to a place of danger.
This should be our attitude towards God knowing that He will not allow us to go
through something without seeing us through it. Just like Abraham in today's
1st reading when he went out not knowing where he was to go but by faith he
sojourned. This reminds me of Father Benedict’s homily about Isaac. He said
that Isaac was very unsuspecting and very trusting. He was already being led by
his own father, Abraham to his death but he still asked in the most innocent
way in Genesis 22:7-8, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. “Father!” he said.
“Yes, son,” he replied. Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood, but
where is the sheep for the holocaust?” “Son,” Abraham answered, “God himself
will provide the sheep for the holocaust.” Then the two continued going
forward. We must also develop this same kind of trust in God for us to get to
where God has destined us. This is where the theory of decide vs. discover
apply. We can’t say that we know everything. We only decide on what we know.
Only God knows everything. In times when we are at a loss it is best to trust
God to decide for us while we discover. A distinguishing mark of Christians is
the fact that they have a future it is not that they know the details of what
awaits them, but they know in general that their life will not end in
emptiness. Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become
possible to live the present as well. The Pope reminds us that this perspective
does not mean that we live only for the future. A people of hope are building
up a kingdom on earth but is also on a pilgrimage to that eternal kingdom God
has in store for those who follow Him. Poet Robert Browning said, “our reach
must be beyond our grasp or what’s a heaven for.” Hope is a future oriented
virtue. It acknowledges that there is a future awaiting us that there is much
better than the present. The virtue of hope and its orientation in the future
enables us to handle present distresses and struggles in a positive way. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is
hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were
well attested. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a
place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where
he was to go. 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign
country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 10
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and
maker is God. 11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was
past the normal age — and Sarah herself was sterile — for he thought that the
one who had made the promise was trustworthy. By faith Abraham, when put to the
test, offered up Isaac,...He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the
dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol. All these died in faith. They did
not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and
acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who
speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of
the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
We may have been in a situation wherein we are at a loss and
torn between doing and not doing something. There may be times when we are
confronted with several mind bogglers and twisters due to certain situations
and people we meet and talk to. All of them may be pointing to something we
have been very unsure of doing. God is always generous in His response to us
and would let us know what to do if we truly seek His will. Try God in prayer
and He will surely show us the way. Although there are times when we are having
cold feet we should continue to hope that God is always consistent and never
fail or falter. No matter what our situations are we must not lose sight of the
fact that we have a loving God who never miss a single day in reminding us that
He is God and in control. The Lord our God is able to carry out what He has
promised to do. He is God and Lord of the Universe. There is nothing more that
God can do for us that He did not do. Let us always have this confidence and
trust in the Lord, the same God of Israel who came to them and has come to us.
Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 1:69, 70, 71-72, 73-75
R: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his
people.
69 He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the
house of his servant David. (R) 70 Through his holy prophets he promised of old 71 that he would save us from
our sins from the hand of all who hate us. 72 He promised to show mercy to our
fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant. (R) 73 This was the oath he
swore to our father Abraham: 74 to set us free from the bonds of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, 75 holy and righteousness in his sight all
the days of our life.
The Sea of Galilee has taken on a deeper meaning in my life
way back in 2007 when I decided to come here to the US . In Mt. 4: 18 the sea of Galilee
is where Jesus' call to the first disciples took place. It is good to recall
and look back where our own Galilees are. I can still remember very well my own
Sea of Galilee and should always keep in mind
and never forget. As we gather all our strength and courage we, too like the
disciples should never turn back and go forth to our own Galilees. With this I
also recall the bible story in Luke 5 entitled, "The call of Simon (later
on named Peter) the Fisherman." It was way back in Feb. 4, 2007, during
those times when I was discerning and weighing my decision to come here to the US
with my friend Joy. This gospel reading from Luke specifically caught my
attention, confirmed and gave me confidence in what I was planning to do and
eventually did. Just like Peter who was skeptical at that time I was also
feeling so unsure about my decisions then and this phrase really had a great
impact on me back then coupled with the priest's homily that went with it. That
was like more than 8 years ago now. I feel like God is reminding me again of
that scene at the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Gennesaret Sea of Galilee is the place where
Jesus chose His Apostles and also where the apostles immediately left
everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:10-11). Which reminds me too of that song
entitled, "Lord, you have come"
The background setting of this song is biblically based on the gospel
stories of the call of Jesus to Peter and the apostles at the Sea
of Galilee . It held a
special and deep meaning that touched my heart in an unexplainable way owing to
the occasions and incidences that were connected and related to it. But I
believe God in His awesome and almighty wisdom, intelligence and knowledge
reveals things in stages for the benefit of our limited capacities and
understanding. The series of events and daily readings became an eye opener and
has given me a better understanding of all the things that have happened since.
I realized it is always good to look back, recall and never forget those times
in our lives when Jesus was calling us for a certain task and decided to follow
and obey. As I develop in myself a broader understanding of the Call at the Sea of Galilee I also realized the need to go across it
and experience a higher level of union with God. In the gospel of Luke back
then, the situation was different since the Sea of Galilee in that given bible
passage was very reassuring since it gave an impression of peace and calm which
was very conformed to my situation back in the Philippines before I left for
the US. When I finally arrived here in the US and experience life away from my
loved ones and encountering the challenges I faced I was able to relate to that
gospel in Mark 4:35-41 also at the Sea of Galilee when the disciples were faced
by a violent squall and big waves filling up the boat to the brink of causing
it to sink. Very much unlike the gospel in Luke when Peter having obeyed and
followed to put out into the deep water was rewarded with a miracle, Lk. 5:6-8
“... when they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing... and
filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.” Immediately upon
arriving the US I was also greeted with a lot of pleasant surprises like
passing the NCLEX-RN, getting a hospital petitioner, being able to travel to
the East Coast (New York, Michigan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Chicago, Washington DC) for free and winning the grand prize in the Nurse Expo.
All these experiences of the disciples in the Sea of
Galilee I have noticed that I can personally relate to especially
in the manner of the sequence I have encountered them. In both occasions, the
disciples having followed and obeyed Jesus in both gospels of Luke and Mark
came to this scenario or condition of their boats both in danger of sinking.
Although both happened in the Sea of Galilee, as I look at my own life the
gospel in Luke which I encountered before I left the Philippines reflected the
positive and confirming things that were happening back then just as the
disciples having followed and obeyed Jesus' specifically the bible passages at
the Sea of Galilee in Luke 5:4-6 "Jesus said to Peter, "Put out into
deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master
we have worked hard all night and caught nothing but at your command I will lower the
nets." When they had done this they caught a great number of fish their
nets were tearing." On the other hand the gospel in Mark which I
encountered when I am already here in the US reflects the trials and
difficulties which I can relate to the disciples response to the bidding of
Jesus to cross to the other side were greeted by a not so pleasant surprise
with a violent squall to the point where the boat was already filled up with
water and in the brink of sinking. After having made those decisions in 2007
which eventually brought me to my present situation here in the US , I must say
I can somehow relate to how the disciples felt back then. It made me realize
that I have also come to a point in my sailing with Jesus in my very personal
Sea of Galilee when I have also witnessed violent squalls in my life here in
the US and been brought to situations to the point of sinking but have been
constantly assured of God's tremendous power. I have witnessed Him pacify the
turbulent winds in my life which have left me with a great calm in the midst of
the storm. It is cited that Jesus went
across the Sea of Galilee in today's
gospel which reflects the need to go beyond this call of Jesus at the seashore
of Galilee . In the same way we are called to
respond in our own personal way to Jesus by carefully looking at our own lives
as we go through a series of stages and discover the various experiences we had
which led us to accepting His call at our own Sea of Galilee, sail with Him
across it, not be afraid of the storm that assail us, and even go up with Him
to the mountain and witness the amazing and wonderful miracle that only Jesus
can give. We should be able to look at the scriptures in different levels and
senses. We can say that St. Mark with regards to today's gospel is speaking to
us a historical event which did happen at the time of Jesus. Squalls are common
in the Sea of Galilee because of the mountains
that surround it. It is known for its violent storms, which can come up
suddenly and be life-threatening for any on its waters. These tempests are
caused by the situation of the lake in the Jordan Rift with steep hills on all
sides. The cooler air masses from the surrounding mountains collide with the
warm air in the lake’s basin. Winds sometimes funnel through the
east-west-oriented valleys in the Galilean hill country and rush down the
western hillsides of the lake. The most violent storms, however, are caused by
the fierce winds which blow off the Golan Heights
from the east. If we are to look in the spiritual sense we are invited to stand
in awe and wonder at who is this as spoken of by the disciples in the gospel.
He is the mighty God who has in his hands the very depths of the earth. He is
God. He said, "Quiet and be still!" These are the same words he
commanded to the evil spirit in Mark 1:25, Jesus rebuked him and said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!" This is the same command to the destructive
power of the storm which is equal to the power of evil to the soul. Unexpected
storms that come out of nowhere can be compared to the evil in the heart of
man. We all know the destruction brought about by tornadoes, hurricanes and
earthquakes. We look at that and see the absolute devastation and helplessness
that people experience. No one can control it. The weatherman would warn the
people to just run. We leave and get out of there. We evacuate lest we be
destroyed in the presence of the act of nature. We treat the devil in the same
way because that’s the power he has here on earth. This is what happens at the
level of our souls, it has devastating effects. What does the spiritual
weatherman say to us? Run for shelter, get out of there, get away from
temptation and stay close to the Lord. How can we look at this in the spiritual
sense? It’s like we too are on cold waters and out of nowhere there’s this
something that causes destruction and violence in our lives. We can identify it
in our interior lives. It comes over us and we cry out for help. There are
moments when we say we can’t take it anymore, we’re going down, and all we can
do is cry out. We sometimes have this feeling that God does not recognize
what’s happening to us. We sometimes ask if God can possibly be asleep. Or does
He realize what’s happening. When I have decided to leave the confines of my
home country the Philippines and embark on this journey away from the security
that I have been for so long a time been accustomed and used to, I did not
fully realize that the challenges or storms in my life would bring me to new
heights and depths in my personal relationship with God. It made all the
difference knowing that Jesus is in the boat with us. God has authority over
all creation. We need to recognize who He is. Jesus is there to help us so we
don’t perish. God has the power to bring peace in the midst of the chaos in our
lives. We have to recognize that He is present in our lives or in our boat. We
belong to Him. We always pray the Lord’s prayer that Jesus Himself taught us.
We say, “Deliver us from every evil and grant us peace.” We’re the disciples of
the Lord in this boat of life. We receive a sense of peace that can only come
from God. He is the God of the universe and has the power to protect us from
all anxiety and bring us this profound peace.
Jesus is teaching us
to continue trusting and believing that all kinds of storm that are tormenting
us and will still come our way are just background effects and all we have to
do is focus on the main scene which is Jesus is God, He is in charge and always
in control. There is no reason to be terrified if we have faith in God. God
does not stop in filling us all with great awe knowing that He is a God whom
even the wind and sea obey. God never stops in giving us the inspiration to
keep on going and continue the good work He has done for all of us. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Mark 4:35-41
35 On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his
disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took
Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 A
violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was
already filling up. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke
him and said to him, “Teacher, do you
not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to
the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. 40 Then
he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 They were
filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind
and sea obey?”
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