Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church, 28 January, 2023

 Gospel: Mk 4: 35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:

"Let us cross to the other side."

Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.

And other boats were with him.

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,

so that it was already filling up.

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.

Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified?

Do you not yet have faith?"

They were filled with great awe and said to one another,

"Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"

Reflection: 

Life’s storms can come in any unexpected form and toss us into a Sea of chaos, and anxiety; be it personal issues like health, finance, or relationships or some social and political upheaval that throws life upside down. In such moments, where do our hearts turn to?  Where lies our confidence, our pillar of strength? Our sense of Jesus’ love and presence can be drowned by a multiplicity of voices around. The Lord may seem to be asleep when our prayers are unheard in the way we expected but the fact is that God is awake and alert to all dangers to our souls. He is truly a prayer away. 

We pray the prayer of St Thomas Aquinas, whose feast we celebrate today, “Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.” 

Action Plan: 

Pray for someone somewhere who may be amidst life’s overwhelming storm, that they may have the grace to call out to Jesus who can rebuke the storm.