Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

Below the dam at MSF

See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

Yesterday we heard of Jesus’ escape from the mob that would crown him but will crucify him. Like Moses, he fled up the mountain to be alone with God. The bewildered disciples returned across the water to the safety of Capernaum. They must have wondered “Where do we go from here?”

Theirs is a rough crossing. These stormy sea narratives in the gospels are parables about the troubles of the church. We often traverse very difficult places, from one culture to another and one age to another. It seems the church always has her back to the wall, struggling with some insurmountable difficulty. The future always looks grim. Even today, when the Catholic Church controls more parochial churches, schools, hospitals, retreat houses, social service organizations and philanthropic societies than any other religion we feel oppressed by challenges around us.

And if we happen to see Jesus in the middle of it all, we’re terrified! “It’s the end of the world!”

But Jesus says, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” For a moment the disciples wandered off without the Lord. Leaderless, rudderless, tossed about in the storm, they were indeed hopeless. Arriving in Capernaum they would have scattered without him.

But he came to them as he comes to us, unexpectedly and mysteriously and with reassurance. He came in the middle of the storm, in the middle of their crossing. He found them still together on the sea, forced by the waves to stay in the boat. And so we remain together in our hardship, waiting for his merciful kindness, “To deliver (us) from death and preserve (us) in spite of famine.