Tailor-made test
Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? (Mk 4, 40)
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?” (Mk 4:35-41)
The Lord lets us face trials and temptations so that when we face spiritual combat, whatever the situation, we discover that He never abandons us but carries us in His arms. However terrible the trial, we need to know that we will never be loaded with more than we can carry and that trials don’t last, while Jesus’ merciful care for us will never end. Let’s silence our grumbling when we go through trials and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the gift of Fortitude.
