Reflection on Mathew 8:23-27 : Storms

Prepare for Life’s Storms: A Gospel Reflection on Faith, Family, and Trusting Jesus in Crisis ( 1-7-2025)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

One evening, a family was enjoying dinner together after their prayer. The father shared funny stories from his childhood.   The mother and children were listening curiously to the funny and heroic story of the father. It was a normal, peaceful evening.

Suddenly, the phone rang. The father answered. His smile faded. He looked at his wife with quiet fear and sorrow. The call was from the hospital and his brother had just met with an accident. The news changed everything; laughter disappeared,  the food was left untouched. What had been a normal evening turned into a night of tears and questions.

That’s how storms come into our lives, without any warning. No time to prepare and no time to think. This is exactly what the Gospel tells us today. A great storm arose on the sea.  It would have been a sudden storm; the disciples were sailing calmly with Jesus. The next moment, the waves were crashing into the boat, and they feared for their lives. What is important to understand is that the disciples were doing everything right. They were with Jesus, they had obeyed Him and still, the storm came.

This Gospel is not just about the Sea of Galilee. It is about our homes, our families, our children, our health, our peace. One phone call, one medical report, one broken relationship and everything feels like it is sinking.

But here’s the hope: Jesus was in the boat. Even if He seemed to be asleep, He was there. His silence was not His absence. And when the disciples cried out, “Lord, save us,” He got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was great calm.

The Old Testament gives us a similar scene. The Israelites were suddenly trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. They didn’t see the army coming coming. But God opened a path where there was none. Not because they understood, but because they trusted.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton also experienced a sudden storm. Her husband died when he was very young, leaving her with five children. But she clung to Jesus even amidst poverty, lowliness, rejection and pain. She once said, “Afflictions are the steps to heaven.”

So, dear brothers and sisters, what can we take into our homes from this Gospel?

We may not be able to prevent the storms. But we can prepare our hearts. A family that prays together before, during and after the storm is the family that survives it. Even when everything changes suddenly, don’t forget who is in your boat and cling to him.

Lord, when  storms come  into my  life , help me to cling  to you .

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God Bless…