https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012724.cfm
Do Not Be Afraid To Go Deep. I Will Raise You Up
One early spring morning, I was fishing in Long Lake in Central Illinois with an old friend of my Dad, Bud Sepich. We were fishing for bluegill and bass in 15 feet of water on a boat. It was still cold, and we had all our winter gear on. I was talking with Bud and asked him a question, and he didn’t answer me.
I turned around, and he was gone. A spooky feeling overcame me. Then, to my surprise, he came to the surface and shot up above the water to his waist. He shot up like out of a cannon. I don’t know what shot him up like that, but we were both shaking, not from the cold but from gratitude.
Sometimes, we have to go deep for Jesus to raise us up. We would much rather ignore the emotions we experience during a difficulty. The strange thing is that when we acknowledge those disturbing thoughts and feelings, we wake up Jesus in the stern of our boat. Jesus is with us in all our fears. He has the authority to calm the winds and waves of life that crash upon us.
Jesus may appear to be asleep during difficult times, unaware of what we are going through. Yet even His sleeping Presence is enough to bring us peace. The wind and waves submit to Jesus whenever we go deep and face our fears with Him. “Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?”
Gospel Challenge:
When life becomes a struggle, and you feel alone, unable to do anything to help yourself or someone else, go deep and wake up Jesus. Acknowledge and embrace those feelings and let them go to Jesus. He will embrace you. Jesus is like the blue sky. It is always there, no matter how many stormy clouds are present.
Love Your Neighbor:
Please join me in praying for all baptized Catholics to be faithful to Jesus in the Holy Mass every weekend. Hail Mary, full of grace…
Mother Mary, “I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you, I always want to belong completely to Jesus.” The Surrender Novena – InHeartland. https://inheartland.com/pages/the-surrender-novena
Peace be with you.
Fr. Rick Pilger, I.C.
pastor@bscchurch.com
