THE WORD
Heb 11,1-2.8-19 / Mk 4,35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to them, "Let us cross to the other side." Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up, Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
IN OTHER WORDS
Very few of us are sailors; even fewer are sea captains on Lake Galilee. Only very, very few may have experienced wild storms there. I think and I know that Lake Galilee can be everywhere! It is everywhere.. .1 just switched on my television set and what was on?
War in Iraq and Syria, snowstorms in the USA.. .outbreak of an unknown disease in Central America, near collapse of Stock Exchanges, the coldest day since 1957 here in Hong Kong. Does anyone need more convincing? Lord, are you sleeping? Do you not care if we perish? Then I opened my Bible and found a nice text: the Gospel of St. Mark chapter nine, verse twenty-three.
With the father of the sick boy I prayed, "I do believe, but help the little faith I have!" Yes, Lord, you are still the same you were two thousand years ago; you can still calm the storm in my life as you did then on Lake Galilee. You are the King and Lord of the year 2016. Even the wind and the sea obey you. Lord, I trust you in all the difficult and dangerous situations in my life.
- Fr. Helmuth Peter, SVD (Hongkong)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
