FAITH THAT ENDURES TRIALS - 1/28/23 (Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church)

Mark 4:38–40

He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012623.cfm

Blessed Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas! Jesus told the disciples that they should go to the other shore, so they traveled through a boat. However, there was a strong storm that night, and the disciples became afraid while begging for help from Christ. Jesus woke up from sleep, immediately made the sea and wind calm, and He asked them as to whether they had no faith. Why did Jesus tell this to the disciples? Let's remember that the disciples witnessed numerous miracles from Jesus. Our Lord manifested His glory as God, and He told His disciples that they would be fishers of men. They would be instrumental for the proclamation of the Kingdom. And yet, when they encountered a storm, they seemed to have forgotten Christ, even though He was just with them. They lacked faith in the love of God for them. One symbolism of the boat is our faith, and the storms represent the trials we face. Sometimes, we are anxious and afraid when we face problems and sufferings in life. But, if we have faith in Christ and if we always turn to Him, we will realize that these trials will help us in our journey because we will rely on the strength of God more than on our own strength.

Remaining at peace amidst the problems in life is a sign that we believe in God's love for us, and we have confidence that God will always bring good out of all our experiences, even bad experiences. For us to have a faith that endures such trials, we should persevere in our prayer life. How is our prayer life? Do we pray merely out of habit? The sea became calm only after the disciples turned to Christ. In the same way, we can only maintain our inner peace while encountering numerous challenges in life by asking strength from God after we fall and even during the first moments of temptations. This is what we can also see in the life of St. Thomas Aquinas. When his family discovered that he was planning to enter the Dominican Order, they locked him in a castle. They even hired a prostitute to tempt him to commit sin and be discouraged to enter the Dominican order. But, when the prostitute entered the room of St. Thomas Aquinas, he chased her away, marked a cross on the wall, and he knelt down to pray. It's here that he triumphed against temptation, and he was rewarded with the gift of perpetual chastity. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the greatest intellectuals in the history of the Catholic Church, and yet, he believed that he learned more through prayer than study. St. Thomas Aquinas did everything out of love for Christ. Let's also persevere in our prayer life, especially by speaking to Jesus and seeking the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary who will lead us closer to our Lord. May we also be devoted when participating in the Holy Mass because in the Holy Communion, Jesus is not just with us, but He dwells within us. There may be times when we struggle in our life and in our faith. But, Jesus is merciful, and He will help us to reach heaven by strengthening us amidst the trials we face. All we need to do is to have faith in Him.  

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

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor—Memorial:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/january-28-saint-thomas-aquinas-priest-and-doctor/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

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

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth