Gospel Reflection For The 2nd day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2024

Gospel

Matthew 8:23-27

23 And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed him: 24 And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. 25 And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish.

26 And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. 27 But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?

We may wonder why anyone would be afraid with Jesus by his side? Of course,t he Apostles did not yet recognize His incredible power or His true nature. They knew their own mortality, though, and they were afraid. Today's first reading is from Amos and included these lines:

11 I destroyed some of you, as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, and you were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet you returned not to me, saith the Lord. 12 Therefore I will do these things to thee, O Israel: and after I shall have done these things to thee, be prepared to meet thy God, O Israel.

Death is the just punishment by God of the sins of mankind. God did not intend that man should die. Death came through the sin of our first parents. God intended us for eternal life in paradise, in communion with Him. Sin, which is rebellion against God, prevents that. Man tuned and turns away from God willingly. Instead of the infinite, we have the finite. Instead of paradise, we have the amazing world, which no matter how beautiful, is fraught with danger, want, violence, sickness and death. Even nature is turned against us and against itself due to sin.... and, this world will eventually pass away when man is finally reconciled to God.

I have been at the coast during hurricanes, as my mother's family is from that region. I doubt there is anything more terrifying on earth than seeing that huge storm approach and the unfathomable depths of the ocean become a dark menace threatening to consume you. The winds howl and tear apart everything in their path. It is loud, it is relentless, it is overwhelming. All we can do is to prepare in whatever feeble way we can, humanly, and to pray. In such times, I have taken great comfort in my Christian faith, knowing that if I should die in the storm, that will just be the beginning of a new life in Heaven. Yes, I pray for safety, but the promise of eternal life does far more to assuage my fears.

Throughout our lives, we will face many storms of all kinds, physical, emotional or spiritual. So long as we pray to our Lord for help, trust in His promises and look forward to the eternal peace and joy He promised, we need not be afraid.... we will experience normal human fears and emotions, but our fears will be calmed every time we look to our Lord.

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Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2024 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3ZTXQB4

and

Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK

His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic