“Why were you terrified? Do you not have faith?” (Mark 4:37) A strange question for Jesus to ask his disciples. Would you not be afraid if you were in a boat that was being tossed about by the wind and filling up with water? Jesus was so confident that his Father had control over the raging waters that he remained peacefully asleep.
Growing up in the Midwest, I experienced many of nature’s storms that filled me with fear: hail and dust storms, lightning/thunder and tornadoes. During these terrifying moments my mother would light a blessed candle, or a piece of blessed palm, and walk from room to room asking God to calm the storm. She, like Jesus, was confident that God was there with her.
Storms can be an opportunity for us to get closer to Jesus. He can teach us not to let fear and anxiety paralyze us into doing nothing about a troubling situation. Jesus challenges us, just as he did his disciples, to trust that God’s divine power is with us in all our personal storms—illness, loss of a job or a loved one, broken relationships. He is with us as well, as we weather the many social storms of injustice, oppression, hunger, violence that cause us to wonder if God has abandoned us.
Do we let our “stormy” moments paralyze us into doing nothing, or do our words and actions reflect a trusting faith that Jesus is always in the boat with us, taking us safely across the troubled waters?
While we have time, let us place our faith in the God who loves us all.
Sr. Clara
From the pastor
I want to take this opportunity to thank Fr. Ramiro Reyes for his assistance at Saint Paul parish for the past three years. Fr. Ramiro is a priest of the Misioneros Javerianos de Yarumal. We are grateful to Fr. Ramiro’s community for allowing him to minister in the Diocese of Lexington. He has been a tremendous help to me with the Spanish masses, confessions, and ministry to our parishioners. We are sad to see Fr. Ramiro leave, but it is time for him to move on to his next mission which will be in Montreal, Canada. With hearts full of gratitude, we thank God for Fr. Ramiro and his ministry among us and wish him well in his new ministry. Go in the peace of Christ with our prayers and blessings. Thank you for everything!