Pastor's Letter -- June 27, 2021

My dear parishioners,

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus to you and your household!

Have you ever been in a situation where words were inadequate, inappropriate or simply unnecessary? From my own life and relationships I have seen that just as words can either heal or harm, so can silence. I am constantly learning to know when to speak and when to be silent; what to say when I speak and what not to say when I am silent. It seems to me that sometimes presence, rather than words, is all that matters. This weekend my reflection is on faith in the power of Jesus’ presence.

As you might know, I am a trained hospital chaplain. The chaplain’s ministry is often described as a ‘Ministry of presence.’ As a hospital chaplain there have been times when I visited with patients and their families who just received news of a difficult diagnosis or are in an end of life situation, and there were no words adequate, appropriate or even necessary. I just show up. Contrary to what many might think, that, by itself, seemed to be sufficient in the moment. In our Gospel reading, Jesus demonstrated that ministry of presence. He was present to Jairus as he sought help for his dying daughter. He was also present to the woman afflicted with hemorrhages. Jesus was present to the disciples as they struggled against the storm. This same Jesus is present to us always. He never leaves us because the going is tough; rather, he accompanies us. To us he directs those same words he addressed to the synagogue official: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

This theme of faith ties with our readings from last weekend. We were offered the opportunity to reflect not just on the storms in our lives, but the power of Jesus’ presence. I invited us to fix our gaze on Jesus who is able and willing to calm the tempest just by speaking peace into the heart of the storm. This gaze does not in any way suggest we deny the existence of storms in our lives. Neither does it mean we avoid acknowledging their rage. On the contrary, it means trusting that the Lord is in solidarity with us, and accompanies us with his presence even in our darkest moments, shining the radiance of his light on our path. Faith in Jesus is the key to peace in the face of any storm. It is this faith that brings life rather than death. How is it that the disciples who sailed for a living, and who would have weathered so many storms in their lives, be afraid of ‘one of those storms’? Was there something about this particular storm that terrified them, or was this how they reacted in the face of every storm? Why, in the first instance, would a storm arise in the disciples’ boat while Jesus was present? Did Jesus know about the storm before it happened? Could he have prevented it? If yes, why did he not do so? These questions bring to mind a rather similar question posed by the Jews who had come to console Martha and Mary at the passing of their brother, Lazarus. Those who saw Jesus weep, observing how much he loved him, asked, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” (John11: 37). Like the lesson in the story of Lazarus, Jesus does not prevent the storm in order to demonstrate his power over creation. He said, ‘this sickness will not end in death.

No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it’ (v. 4) … and for your sake I am glad I was not there so that you may believe (v. 15). It seems logical therefore to reason that Jesus’ question to the disciples about their lack of faith might have been to teach them the significance of faith in the power of his presence. As if rehearsed, both Martha and Mary verbalized faith in the power Jesus’ presence over death when they said, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died” (John 11: 21 & 32). They understood that the presence of Jesus was the antidote to death. Jesus is the source and sustainer of life. The one who came that we might have life in abundance (John 10:10) would not allow death steal that life from us. This life, which we have in Christ, begins even now while we are on earth with bodily health. As much as we call on Jesus to heal our souls, we must not neglect to ask him to heal our bodies as well. He underwent the ignominy of his own creatures and endured torture at the hands of those he fashioned with his own hands in order to save not just our souls but also our bodies. As Isaiah affirms, ‘by his stripes you are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5).

Faith is essential to discipleship. If we must follow Jesus, we must believe that he never abandons us when the road is rough and dangers abound. Dearly beloved, the storms in our lives may be strong, but even stronger are his words, “QUIET! BE STILL!”

May Jesus bless you, and may our Lady protect you!
With blessings from my heart,