GOD WITH US
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
The readings for this Sunday make us reflect on the mysterious presence of God in everyday events. Sometimes by our human nature, we feel we are traveling alone in our journey of life. We feel God is in heaven, very far away from us. We forget Jesus is walking with us and watching us.
Although it seems there are storms in our lives, God is present in their midst. When the prophet Elijah was in the cave, he was scared by what was happening outside. He heard the voice of God and expected God to pass in front of him. Even with his fears, he could understand that neither in fire, nor in wind, nor in the storm was God going to be found. God was not in those things but rather in the gentle breeze of the wind. That is where we can feel the loving presence of God.
Also, the apostles were afraid of the waves that almost sank them, and then scared because they thought they saw a ghost. They did not realize that Jesus was going to rescue them. God reveals himself to each of us in the events that we are living, sometimes with a gentle breeze, sometimes with a wake-up call through our misfortunes.
Fr. Ramón Cue, S.J. is a priest from Spain. He wrote the story and reflection: The Broken Christ. In one part, he tells us: the right hand of God is the gentle hand caressing man. God is made present and revealed to those who open their hearts and minds; but with those who close their hearts to God’s voice, God uses the left hand which is manifested in earthquakes, in the misfortunes, in pain. He calls people’s attention with that hard manner, to make people think. He uses that manner with people who don’t want to listen, to soften the hardest heart. Sometimes that pain and suffering is so great and the person becomes weary and left with nothing, hopeless, powerless; and then comes the first outcry to God. After that the person feels alone again, without God. The first tentative prayer arises and unintentionally the first steps towards God, seeking hope and that start of conversion. And this is how God uses storms, difficulties, and problems to bring us back to Him.
In part of today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus had stayed with people and the disciples were in a boat in the middle of the sea that was already drifting by the waves, about to sink. Many times in our lives we feel God is very far from us and we feel our boat (family, work, school, society) is about to sink. But the great truth that many people have already forgotten is that Jesus is watching all his brothers and sisters. So he goes in search of his disciples to help them in their despair. Jesus is close to us, more than you can imagine. Please, do not feel alone; open yourself to God’s presence.
St. Paul recognizes, in his letter to the Romans: “They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises”. Saint Paul calls them his race and he doesn’t want anybody to get lost but he acknowledges that many have strayed from the promises of God. Recent events in the Middle East make us think of the land our Lord Jesus Christ walked. But today they need peace and love. Hopefully, as St. Paul, we pray for that region to soon flourish with peace and the people will come to salvation.
I want to finish this little reflection with a prayer from www.dailyscripture.net: “Lord Jesus, help me to trust you always and in all circumstances and to never doubt your presence and power to help me. In my moments of doubt and weakness, may I cling to you as Peter did. Strengthen my faith that I may walk confidently in the path you have chosen for me”. Amen