Our Need to Wake Up to our Dependence upon Jesus!

 In today's Gospel, Mark 4: 35-41, Jesus invites the disciples to go with him to the other side of the sea. As they are  making their way across the sea, a "violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was...filling up" with water. Terrified, they say to Jesus, who had fallen asleep on a cushion: "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"  They are not perishing, of course, but, in Jesus' eyes overreacting and revealing a lack of faith. Jesus wakes up at their bidding and says to the stormy sea: "Quiet! Be still!" Immediately the storm ceases. And then Jesus asks the disciples: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"

Jesus is speaking to  you and to me, as well!  How often do our reactions to life's storm indicate a lack of faith in Jesus! How often are we not terrified and believe that we, too,  are perishing!  "Look, Lord," we seem to be saying to Jesus!  "We seem to be sinking in the depths of sin, immorality, injustice, hatred, lustfulness, greediness and unfaithfulness in serving you and in our service of others. We seem to be succumbing to idolatrous ways. We are 'out at sea' in waters that seem to be too turbulent for us to manage. Lord! Wake up and save us!"  And Jesus awakes, so to speak, and quiets the storms within our hearts, minds and spirits!

Fear gives way to awe, as we search for and find God in the Scriptures and at work in our lives in steady and powerful ways: at work in the lives of our partners/spouses, our children and grandchildren, our parents and teachers, our community members, our priests and deacons, our employers and coworkers, our president and vice president, our governors and leaders throughout the world!  As we seek the Lord and pray to the Lord, we discover the promises Jesus made to us when He said:

• "Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time" (Matthew 28:20).
• "I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high" (Luke 24:49).
• ""...[I]t is for your own good that I am going because unless I go, the Advocate will  not come to you; but if I do go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7).
• "When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth" (John 16:13).
• "I shall see you again, and your hearts will be filled with joy, and that joy no one shall take from you" (John 16 22).

So, on this journey to our eternal home, let us keep our focus on Jesus and know that He is  not asleep but awake, especially when "violent squalls" come upon us! It is those storms that wake us up, not Jesus. He is always awake, waiting for us to depend upon Him.