Above the office door of the Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Young, hung a stone plaque inscribed with the words «Called or not, God is Present».
The dramatic story of today’s Gospel (19th Sunday A) is a parable of our lives. It is about «The Storm in the Lake» (Mathew 14: 22-33). It is about the storms in our lives.
Being born in an island in the time when the main means of transportation was by boat, without any comfort and any safety conditions I «tasted» a few «storms in the lake» or better… a few storms in the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds Madeira Island. I can tell that they are frightening and very uncomfortable. What today takes me thirty minutes to travel from my house to Funchal, in my childhood it would take about three hours. There were people who would start throwing up (vomiting) on the night before. Only the thought of taking the boat would make them sea sick.
Today’s Gospel talks about a scary storm in the «fourth watch of the night». Jesus came, walked on the waters and calmed them down.
This dramatic story brings to my mind an old and very well-known story called «Foot Prints in the Sand».
I have seen this story framed and hanging on walls and in different places. «Called or not, God is present».
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FOOT PRINTS IN THE SAND
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed a set of foot prints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the foot prints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of life there was only one set of foot prints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
«LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You most, You would leave me.»
The LORD replied:
«My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trials and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.»
– (Fr. Tommy Lane)
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But at once Jesus called out to them, saying: «Courage, it is I, do not be afraid». (Math. 14:27).
CALLED OR NOT, GOD IS PRESENT.
Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade, August 9, 2020