Coronavirus Talk 20
Let us begin with an Our Father
The other miracle Jesus performed that is found in all four gospels, in addition to the Miracle of the Loaves, is the Calming of the Storm at Sea. Matthew even has two versions.
I think it is significant that all the gospels report these two miracles because they make crystal clear that the gospel, as it finds its way down through the centuries, experiences persecution, hardship, suspicion, ridicule, charges of irrelevance, and internal corruption. Remember: the gospel and the Church are not the same reality. The gospel is preached in a “church continually purifying itself”, as St. Paul VI called it, which works hard to become more faithful to the gospel yet, because the church is composed of humans, it will never escape or avoid the frailties that are present in our hearts. But these two miracles call the Christian to consider that Jesus is always present in the church and with its members, particularly in times that indicate that we are starving for Jesus’ presence or have become frightened because the boat that symbolizes the church is being battered by the waves of a culture of indifference, seems far away from the shores of scripture and tradition, and faces the contrary winds of internal strife and mistrust.
Here is Mark’s version of the Calming of the Storm:
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and go on ahead of him, to Bethsaida while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on the land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage it is I. Do not be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them. And the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. – Mark 6: 45-52
Of all the gospels, Mark is the one which is hardest on the disciples. He continually points out their many defects; but especially, Mark harps on the particular defect of their hardheartedness, their inability to take Jesus at his word. He emphasizes that the disciples had not understood about the loaves, Jesus’ “gateway miracle” as I said last night. They did not connect what Jesus did for the 5,000 people with a promise to accompany them through any threat or danger. They did not get the fact that Jesus promised that he would always be with them. Like the Israelites watching the Egyptians come closer and closer, they become terrified that they will die. And they, just like we do when we are confronted with something that appears to surpass our ability to control it, think Jesus is a ghost, an illusion, a pipe dream, a false hope. They cry our until he makes a way out of no way and says those magic words: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”
Here’s Matthew’s take:
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from land, beaten by the waves for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14: 22-33.
None of the other gospels report Peter’s walking on the water.
I think the Church made sure these miracles were included because Jesus promises that whatever storms batter our lives, whatever sufferings we endure, no matter how afraid we are, how small our faith may be, no matter how loudly we cry: “Save us, Lord, we are perishing, ” Jesus is always there, saying: “Be not afraid! And why did you doubt?” This passage makes clear what the consequences are when we take our eyes off of Jesus. Without Jesus’ assurance and presence, there is no way we can cope with the squalls that come up in life. The lesson is obvious: Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Jesus always makes a way out of no way, whether we give him the credit or not.
A final word about miracles: Albert Einstein, arguably one of the most brilliant persons who ever lived, gave the most marvelous testimony about how we could look how to live our lives. He said: “We can look at life as if nothing is a miracle, or we can look at life as if everything is a miracle.”
So, who is Jesus? Healer, teacher, miracle worker. The Way, the Truth and the Life.
First, as I wrap this up, let me share with you that I have endured hundreds of graduations over the years and nearly every valedictory speech I have heard has included this phrase or its equivalent: “Graduation is not an end, it’s a beginning.” So tonight does mark an end to the series, and it is, rather than a beginning, a continuation of how we will deal with this difficult situation of a virus that didn’t end during this past month and of the physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and social storm at sea in which we find ourselves. How do we continue to grow and thrive in these times?
Maybe this reflection will help.
For someone to live a life that leads to wisdom, a life of faith, for example, he or she will also have to learn how to welcome paradoxes: ironies, seeming inconsistencies. We began this series by thinking about the Stockdale Paradox, in which, during difficult times, we “face the absolute faith that we will prevail over this virus but also face the harsh reality that no one knows when the end will be.” That first night, I also suggested that practicing humility and solidarity would be the tools we should draw upon for help. We need to continue to do that. I also talked about paradoxes when we were looking at the window parables, the parables that describe the Kingdom of God. I said that the kingdom of God is not a place, but a mindset: an attitude, a way of looking at the world. The Kingdom is this world but reversed, the graced awareness in which the blind are the ones who see, the poor are the ones who are rich, where the person who loses his life finds it.
Becoming comfortable with paradox is a valid indicator that we are growing in wisdom.
So, as a gift to you, I want to leave you with ten paradoxes, ones that I continue to straddle and struggle with in my prayer and my life, hoping that they will also intrigue you enough to help you live gently with these times and with all others. Some of them we have already heard, but only one of them is original to me. I will let you guess which one. Here they are:
“Only through suffering does one truly learn.”
“Faith always produces miracles, but miracles don’t always produce faith.”
“For those with faith, no explanation is necessary; for those without faith, no explanation is possible.”
“Unless you believe it, you will never see it.”
“Becoming truly free is always a process of subtraction.”
“We die to rise.”
“Don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big God is.”
“The true gospel is a call to self-denial; it is not a call to self-fulfillment.”
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
“The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.”
Let me thank you for giving me the privilege of sharing faith with you during these days, those who came always, often, occasionally, or once. You have helped me appreciate my faith more. I want to especially thank Jim Spina, Camille, and the children for their nightly hospitality, and, especially, I want to thank God and God’s human face Jesus Christ who has sent us the Holy Spirit to console one another these last few weeks. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
I have ended every talk of these sessions with a Hail Mary because I consider Mary the most effective model for anyone and everyone who wants to become a sincere and faithful follower of Jesus. Mary is the epitome of the paradox, isn’t she? An extraordinary work of God: the virgin who conceived. It is Mary who says what I think are the bravest words in all the Scriptures: “Let it be done unto me according to your will.”
How many of us would be brave enough and trusting enough to give God that total freedom to direct our lives?
So, let us end with a Hail Mary and a blessing.
Thank you all very much.