“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

     As I am writing this, my wife and I are on a cruise in the Baltic Sea.  Though we are on a huge cruise ship, we can still feel the effect of the waves on the ship.  Had we been on a boat like the Apostles, we definitely would have wanted Jesus on board!
 
        But we would also have to reflect on what Jesus said, “Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?  Do you not yet have faith?””
 
        Do we not yet have faith?  Picture our lives as a boat like the Apostles had, and the effects of Nature on that boat as the effects of the Secular world on our lives.  We have all had our “boats” tossed and turned, some even feel like they have been cap-sized at times (raise hand).  Like the effects of COVID; various physical, spiritual, and mental illnesses.  Loss of jobs, family, and friends.  The effects of various forms of addictions.  Oh, and let us not forget, the effects of how the secular world DEMANDS us to be more successful; “Gotta get that next promotion; that next pay raise; that next position; that corner office; be world famous; that Porsche or Lamborghini, or Mercedes, or Cadillac; that mansion on the hill: etc., etc., etc.”
 
        Satan and his minions are constantly prowling the world, seeking souls to tempt time and time again to desire earthly rewards - many times by any means possible - instead of letting us seek the Lord and His pathways.  From these two song titles; “Stairway to Heaven” and “Highway to Hell”, if Satan has his way, we have a pretty good idea of the traffic pattern.  As I have quoted once before from C.S. Lewis in his book, “The Screwtape Letters”, Satan tells his minions to flood humans with all sorts of secular noise in order to drown out the whispers of the Lord’s words.  And, unfortunately, by the looks of things today, Satan’s team is doing a pretty good job of it.
 
        So, the effects of all these self-imposed secular demands, addictions, etc., can pile up, multiply, to the point of being overwhelming, crushing, seemingly giving us nowhere to turn.  The we too want to cry out like the Apostles; “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
 
        Of course, God cares.  He does not want us to perish.  But it is up to us to turn to Him, continually look to Him for our salvation; to help – like the theme from this Men’s Cursillo Weekend – “Calm the Squall” in each of our lives.  We must pray constantly, unceasingly, with as much fervor as we can muster.  Even when we do not feel like it.  Even if it seems “inconvenient” - which is what Satan wants - we MUST pray.  One of the mystics stated that every time a human prays the Hail Mary, to Satan it feels like a hammer blow to his head!  So, let’s all pray the rosary with gusto and keep Satan a blistering migraine!
 
        I received the following from a from a good friend last week: “The ultimate test of faith is not how loudly you praise God in happy times, but how deeply you trust in Him in dark times.”
 
        And always remember; “A ship does sink from the water that surrounds around it.  It sinks when water gets in it.  So, do not let what is happening around us get inside and weigh us down.”
 
“Why are you terrified?  Do you not yet have faith?”

Deacon Bob Straub 

Vice President of the Missioners of Christ