God never failed his people

In his mercy, God has always desired to draw his children to himself. God never failed his people.

The first reading is a famous scene from the life of the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. Fatigued and disheartened by many trials, he seeks refuge in a cave on Mount Horeb where God showed himself to Moses. Elijah looks for a sign of God presence in the mighty wind, in the earthquake and in the fire, but God was in none of those places. Rather, God was in a gentle breeze. Then, Elijah felt strengthened by the new mission that the Lord wanted him to fulfill.

The Gospel tells of one of the tempests the disciples experienced when Jesus was not with them. They were in the boat with the wind against them. They were filled with fear as Jesus approached, walking on the turbulent waters. They said, “It is a ghost.” They began to shout. Jesus then came closer and said: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.”  These were consoling words that we often hear – many times and in different ways- in the intimacy of our hearts when faced with a disconcerting situation or in trying times.

We may not be called by God to a mission like Elijah, or we may not be caught in a storm at sea like the apostles, but we are all caught in the storms of life; marriage, children, finances, health, emotional issues, work, relationships or a heavy commitment. When the storms come, may we ask God to help us.

God expresses his mysterious spirituality and his gentle benevolence towards our troubles. God’s divine help will never be lacking in the moment of our weakness, of our fatigue, in the most difficult situations. God never abandons us. Do we take time to meet God in the silences? Do we believe God is with us in the storm? Through the sacraments, through the Church, through our prayer, the Lord says to us, “Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”