Sunday, June 23, 2024
St. Mark’s Gospel Reading for today is from the period of Jesus’ Galilean Ministry. The setting is the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias or Kinneret. It is a freshwater lake located in the Jordan Valley east of the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Capernaum, where Jesus settled after leaving Nazareth, was located on the lake’s Northern shore. The lake is between 686 and 705 feet below sea level, the lowest freshwater lake on earth, and is surrounded by hills on either side. These geographical facts cause mighty and violent downdrafts with tremendous force, which often rush through the valley and stir up the waters, sometimes quite suddenly. Nicholas Thomas Wright, an English New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian, and Anglican Bishop, described how treacherous the lake can get, “It isn’t only boats that are in danger on the Sea of Galilee. To this day, the car parks on the western shore have signs warning drivers of what happens in high winds. The sea can get very rough very quickly, and big waves can swamp cars parked on what looked like a safe beach.”
As a large crowd gathered around Jesus, He got into a boat with His newly appointed disciples, and the crowd was beside the lake on land. Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables, and later, while alone with His disciples, He taught them the meaning of the parables. That evening, Jesus fell asleep from exhaustion while at sea until the disciples awoke him following a violent storm, the subject of this week’s Gospel reading. St. Augustine explains it this way: the vessel carrying the apostles is the Church. “…the ship which carries the disciples, that is, the Church, is tossed and shaken by the tempests of temptation; and the contrary wind, that is, the devil her adversary, rests not, and strives to hinder her from arriving at rest. … For though the ship be in trouble, still it is the ship. She alone carries the disciples, and receives Christ. There is danger, it is true, in the sea; but without her there is instant perishing.” (St. Augustine, Sermon 25.4). The Church has faced many storms throughout its existence: institutional scandals, struggles, persecutions, and violence. These storms threaten to upend the Church, but as Church, we look to Jesus to calm the storms.
Like terrible crises often do, the storms we confront test and teach us. But where do we find harbor amid life’s storms and crises? St. Augustine equated Jesus sleeping on the ship to us letting Him sleep due to our own neglect, our being away from Sacraments and the Word of God, and our being overcome by temptations. When we awaken Jesus in us, He has the power to calm storms that engulf us and steady us. “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33). As we look to the week ahead, take to heart St. Paul’s words: “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times” (Romans 12:12).
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.