Someone texted me: “Happy Father’s Day” with a reminder that the rest of the year is “Mother’s Day”.
The Gospel reading pretty much captures our experience during the pandemic and I would guess – at least at some point particularly during the earlier months of the pandemic– many people asked: Why does it seem God is sleeping? Doesn’t God care that we are perishing?
Last year – March 27, 2020 - as the world grapples with the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis - in front of a rainy St. Peter’s Basilica, before an empty square - delivered a homily of hope - based on the same Gospel reading we have today - comparing the pandemic to a storm that can be overcome only by coming together in faith.
The Pope said: “Just as it happened with the disciples, we too are faced with a “darkness… Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives… We find ourselves afraid and lost.”
The Pope said that it is “a time of choosing” … as we are asked to stay at home and put social life on hold, people have a chance to “choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not,”
Today – the big question is: Are we better persons today; are we better Christians today than we were before the pandemic. Because - What a wasted experience if we did not learn anything at all or if we did not change for the better including in terms of our perspective on what really matters in life…. Especially in terms of our relationship with God and our relationship with one another.
Does God care? Do not be embarrassed by that question. In our Gospel reading, even the first followers of Christ had the same doubt… in the midst of the storm, in desperation, they shook Jesus awake and said: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
The most serious questions about God - come not from theory – or intellectual pursuit or discussions - but from tragedy… We can all relate especially thinking about how we felt during the early days of pandemic. When we are caught in a storm from which there seems to be no escape, then the question becomes real and relevant: Does God care? Does He even exist?
Do not avoid that question and do not be ashamed of it. Those disciples would never have become the men that we so greatly admire without that experience when they doubted but had the honesty to say so. That kind of struggle has always been a vital part of great living and of great faith.
Look at it this way: When a person raises that question – Does God care? – he is at least facing the realistic facts.
Just think of the pandemic, the violence, the natural disasters, wars, etc. that happened during this past year.
We live in such a tragic world, and that if we are going to believe in God at all, we must hold that faith in the midst of tragedy. Does God care? That question is not disrespectful to God.
I do not think there is such a kind of easygoing faith in God that never wonders, that never struggles, that never doubts.
We must recognize that faith has always risen to its height in times of adversity.
The unexpected storm, that almost sunk their ship, played a vital role in the lives of those early disciples. Without it, they would not have been driven to doubt. They would not have wondered if the Lord cared. They would not have learned that the Lord actually, really cares.
The reading ends with another kind of question, not a question of doubt, but a question of awe and wonder. The disciples were saying to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Today – we can relate in a way … as the world re-opens – this is the first weekend we have no more social distancing in the Church, people gathering again, travelling again, businesses opening again… “Who then is this – whom even Covid19 obey?”
But of course, COVID 19 still exists with all the new variants. Hatred and wars, violence, evil still exist.
Jesus said: “In this world, you will have troubles; but take heart, I have overcome the world”
We commonly think that people are most inclined to believe in God when life is beautiful and easy. But that is not supported by the experiences of the great believers. Look at our Lord himself. He saw His heavenly Father in the flowers of the field and the birds of the air. But that was not the place where his faith reached its height. That happened at Calvary where doubt was strong and faith was hard. It was at Calvary, on the cross that He wondered why God had forsaken him. But it was also there that He calmly spoke His final sentence, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
As long as you and I live in this world, we will – at times - continue to find ourselves in darkness of the soul and we ask God: Where are you? Do you care? Do you hear me? We will probably never get finished with that question. But the very experiences that cause us to ask that question - will be the same place where we find our answer. It is a strange paradox, but faith reaches its height in the midst of adversity.
But - of course, we do not pray for adversity in our lives to deepen or strengthen our faith. The fact is – sooner of later – life will bring it to us - it is the reality.
Perhaps you are currently passing through some rough waters, fearful that conditions will get worse, and not knowing how you will manage if they do. Maybe you are even now at the end of your wits and your strength, and wondering if anybody cares that you are drowning, so to speak.
Our Gospel message today is a great continuation of last Sunday’s Gospel message - on trusting God – God is working although we do not know how.
God is more concerned with calming the storms inside of us - in our hearts – in our minds - where the demons really exist - than with changing things in the world around us….not so much in our external circumstances as in our interior worlds, in our hearts and minds.
Our first reaction to a crisis is to want God to change our external circumstances, but God seems to focus more on calming our inner seas. How we experience the world about us is largely determined by the condition of our souls.
Usually the change that matters is not the rearranging of the world outside of ourselves, but the transforming of our hearts.
… The calming of our inner seas, so to speak - comes primarily through our faith in the trustworthy nature of God’s love. When we know that nothing can separate us from God’s gracious, unconditional love - this is the most durable security there is. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
The experience we have of our earthly fathers really affects how we relate to our heavenly father.
Children see their parents, in general, their fathers, specifically, as what God is supposed to be like. Children can more easily relate to a loving heavenly Father if they experience the love – the unconditional love of an earthly father.
First of all, we want to commend all fathers who sacrifice so much for their family – for their children – for loving them so well with the love of Christ…..those who have sacrificed their desires, so that their children could go to school or to college – there are those who even work at least 2 jobs just to give their family the very best of everything, so that their kids can be the very best they can be.
As we continue with our celebration – let us pray also
- For those who have been alienated or hurt by their fathers
- For those who have never known their fathers
- For all kids who lost their fathers through divorce or death.
Let us pray – especially - for all fathers today that they may be more faithful to their duties in the family. Let us pray to God to give fathers the moral strength and the grace they need to become good role models whom their children can always look up to …. Just as we look up to Our Father in Heaven.
Happy Fathers’ Day! But remember, the rest of the year is Mothers’ Day.
(12 th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B)
