STAYING WITH JESUS DURING VIOLENT STORMS - 6/29/22 (Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr)

Matthew 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but He was asleep. They came and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then He got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062822.cfm

For more information on the Memorial of St. Irenaeus, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-28---saint-irenaeus-bishop-and-martyr/

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Blessed Memorial of St. Irenaeus! It's written in the first verse of the gospel reading that the disciples followed Jesus. They literally followed Him. But, did they follow His example? This event was an opportunity for our Lord to test the faith of His disciples. Jesus Christ was asleep when suddenly, violent storms came. Unfortunately, the disciples became too focused on the problems they had and desperately woke up Jesus begging for His help. However, our Lord rebuked them because their faith was little. How could they be afraid when our Creator and when God Himself was with them? 

No matter how overwhelming our problems are, God is always bigger than them. The storms that were so scary immediately became calm as Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea. Our Lord is always inviting us to remain with Him in silence. Sometimes, we immediately want to solve our problems. Our worries just become so overwhelming that we want to immediately remove them. Let's reflect upon the fact that Jesus slept even though as God, He knew that the storm would come. If the disciples did not wake Him, the storms would have continued. The waves would continuously strike their boat. But, surely, the sea would become peaceful again while the disciples would have a stronger faith as a result if they placed their trust in Jesus.

One of the reasons why our problems don't go away immediately is because by encountering them and by remaining at peace, our faith will be more purified, and we will be more dependent on our Lord. There is nothing wrong in begging for Jesus, and that's necessary if we want to follow the will of God and enter heaven. At the same time, it should be done, not out of despair or hopelessness, but out of complete trust in Him. We should also be reminded that the storms in our lives are not just limited to our worries and other problems. There are times that the criticisms and mockeries of other people strike our own boats, symbolism of our faith. 

In the US where the Roe Vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, we have greater hope that more unborn children will be saved from abortion. As followers of Jesus, we should uphold the sacredness of the life of all human beings. However, some pro-choice or pro-abortion advocates mocked us and attacked many Catholic Churches. And yet, we should not be discouraged in these times. Rather, we should entrust everything to the Lord with confidence that He is in control of everything. Goodness and truth will prevail over evil and lies. 

St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who was also a disciple of St. John the Beloved. When St. Irenaeus learned the Catholic faith, he really became devoted to our Lord. He was given an opportunity by the Lord to defend the teachings of the Catholic Church against heretics, people who promoted false teachings. St. Irenaeus was not overwhelmed, but as he trusted in the Lord, his whole country was almost converted. He died as a martyr, and he is now in the heavenly shores with Jesus. May we be devoted to our Lord, especially through our prayers and through our reflection on God's Word. By trusting in Jesus, we will remain at peace in silence amidst all the trials in life, and we will be renewed in our faith, hope and love for our Lord. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic