“Master, do you not care?” (Mark 4:35-41)

As evening fell, Jesus and His disciples embarked on a journey across the Sea of Galilee. Exhausted from a day of teaching, Jesus fell asleep in the stern of the boat. Suddenly, a violent storm arose, and waves crashed over the boat, threatening to capsize it. The disciples, who were seasoned fishermen familiar with the sea, were terrified. In their panic, they woke Jesus with a desperate cry: “Master, do you not care? We are going down!”

How often have we found ourselves echoing this cry when faced with overwhelming challenges? When illness strikes, when we lose a loved one, when relationships break down, when we are denied a visa, lose a job opportunity, or when we confront our own inadequacies and failures, it is easy to feel abandoned and alone. We wonder if God is asleep, unaware of our suffering, indifferent to our pain?

There is no week that passes without news of an unfortunate event. The reason I made it a point of duty to pray against falling victim to unfortunate circumstances. When we read, hear, or see events like these, we can be perturbed, perplexed, and our faith shaken. Listen, even our religious leaders are not left out in feelings like this.

But let us consider Jesus’ response. Awakened by the disciples’ cries, He rose and immediately rebuked the wind and the waves with the words, “Quiet now! Be calm!” Immediately, the storm ceased, and there was a great calm. Then, turning to His disciples, He asked, “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?”

Friends, in moments like this, when we can do nothing within our strength, when all options have been exhausted, let us faith it by praying, listening, and trusting in the presence and care of God. His care is not always about preventing the storm but about being with us through it. The disciples’ fear is understandable, just as our fears in the face of life’s storms are understandable. However, Jesus calls us to move beyond fear to faith. Faith that believes in His power to calm the storms in our lives. Faith that trusts in His unwavering presence, even when we cannot see or feel it. Faith that reassures us that we are never abandoned, even in our darkest moments.

May we find comfort in God’s presence, courage in His power, and peace in His love. Amen.

Happy Sunday 🤩🎉

– Fr. James Anyaegbu