Be Still

January 28, 2012

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. Mark 4:38-38

Piety

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Study

Mark has already given us ample examples of Jesus overcoming demon spirits and illness. Today, we see further evidence that Jesus, in His divine nature, can even command the nature of the winds and seas. These too are powerless to disobey in his presence. They have no choice but to follow his Word. We humans on the other hand have one gift that nature lacks -- free will.

Mark's stories about Jesus and the ministry in Galilee show the varied reactions that people had during these close moments with the Lord. Many -- but not all -- followed Jesus such that the crowds were too large to be contained on hillsides, seashores or buildings. Those who followed used their freedom to choose to become disciples and believers. However, the rest still had to overcome their own obstacles along the way.

In today's story, Jesus commanded the seas to be still. However, the men in the boat were still agitated. Although the storm no longer was cause for concern, they were still concerned and disturbed trying to rationalize who this man among them was that he exerted such power over nature.

Action

What storms, demons or mountains are ahead on your faith journey?

The Psalmist suggestion to "Be still" is not one only for those joining contemplative orders like the Carmelites and Trappists. All of us can take heed to be still a little more in our life.

How many of us hurtle down the roads faster than posted speed limits in three thousand pound hunks of steel, glass and petroleum? We do that while talking on our mobile phones, eating a Big Mac and fiddling with the buttons on the radio or GPS. No matter what we are doing, we always try to be human multi-tasking computers or robots. When we fail to pay careful attention to the task at hand, we risk accident, injury or worse to ourselves and those around us. Do you know or care that we are perishing under the stress of all these demands?

Many things cause us to rush around. Deadlines. The illness of a child or other loved one. Economic hardship. Problems at work or at school. Family tension. Fill in your stressor. There are many roots in the world that agitate us these days. They will not go away miraculously. However, let us take a lesson from the men in the boat. When they were tossed around, they put their concerns in Jesus' capable hands. We can do the same.

Try using today's Good News to slow down a little and notice the beautiful interlude of spring weather tucked into the middle of the winter season. Get out of your car and walk someplace. Hopefully, whatever little hills you climb exercising will help prepare you for the spring -- it is as sure to come as the Ground Hog prediction next week.