Stillness Amidst the Storm
Listening to the Spirit
(Ps. 91:1-6. 11-16)
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Listening to the Word
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Reflection
“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him is the greatest adventure; and to find Him is the greatest achievement.” I read these words recently on the wall of a retreat house. These words of Saint Augustine capture well our human desire to see, seek, and love God. We experience this uneasy stirring within our hearts that keeps us searching for something more. This longing is always there, and as Saint Augustine put it so rightly, “We are restless until we find our rest in Him.”
The question is, where do we find God? The experience of Elijah offers us insights to answer this question. Elijah did not find God in the strong wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire. Instead, Elijah found God in “a tiny whispering sound.” That God is present in the “tiny whispering sound” may be a reminder that He can be found in the seemingly ordinary things in our lives. God can reach out to us, and be experienced by us, through the people we encounter every day.
However, the capacity to see God’s presence in ordinary things has something to do with our inner attentiveness. After feeding the crowds through the multiplication of bread, Jesus didn’t lose this spirit of centeredness. He withdrew to a deserted place to be alone. It is in moments of solitude that Jesus nourishes His relationship with His Father and His care for the people. Elijah and Jesus went to the mountain to be still for a while in the midst of their daily missions. There is always contemplation in the midst of action.
Most of the time, we come to meet God when we face storms in our lives, and that is normal. Like Peter and the other disciples, we cry out to God at moments of danger. But from Elijah and Jesus, we can learn to listen to God in a “tiny whispering sound.” Perhaps by cultivating this desire to be alone with God, little by little we become familiar with the voice of Jesus, whose power always overcomes our fears and worries: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Without this centeredness, we easily get tossed about by waves and storms. We start to sink when we lose our trust in the source of hope and love, Jesus.
Reflection Questions
Gospel Reflections
Beyond the Gathering: Loving Through Conflict
Allowing Jesus to Change Us
