Men of little faith

23

¹⁷ He got into a boat and his disciples followed him.

24

Suddenly a violent storm ¹⁸ came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep.

25

They came and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! ¹⁹ We are perishing!"

26

He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"
²⁰ Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

27

The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?" (Matthew 8: 23 – 27)

 

Jesus calls the disciples who are with him in the boat "men of little faith." They had enough faith to go to him for help; what did they lack?

 

5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;

6

In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

The disciples relied on their own perception of the event. They did not acknowledge His power and presence.

Complete trust in God implies absolute surrender to His divine Providence, that is, accepting unconditionally His will in every situation.

Building on Rock

24

¹² "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

25

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

26

And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

27

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

 

Lord Jesus, the rains are falling heavily; the floods are everywhere. The house is buffeted by furious winds. I have built my house on the solid rock of your word. See to it Lord that my house does not collapse. Amen!

The Spirit Gives Life

"It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." (John 6: 63)

The Spirit gives life. The Holy Spirit gives eternal life. Christ's words are spirit and life.

List all that the Spirit gives:

• Life
  
• Power
  
• Knowledge
  
• Wisdom
  
• Fear of the Lord
  
• Discernment
  
• Joy
  

The Holy Spirit is the one thing we truly need.

Sanctifying Grace

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sanctifying grace thus:

"Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God's call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God's interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification." (CCC # 2000)

The Cup of Salvation

"What return can I make to the Lord for all that he gives to me? The cup of salvation I will take up and I will call upon the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116: 12-13)

This is Thanksgiving season. How do we thank the Lord for all that He gives to us? If we take the example of the Psalmist, we thank Him first and foremost through Eucharistic worship. In the Eucharist, which means Thanksgiving, we honor the Lord by lifting up "the cup of salvation."

Jesus Christ cures you

"Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and make your bed.' Aeneas got up immediately." (Acts 9: 34)

It is Jesus Christ who heals. Grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ mediates the fruits of our redemption through:

• The Sacraments
  
• The word of God
  
• Prayer
  
• The name of Jesus
  

"Jesus Christ cures you"

• Jesus Christ gives you.
  
• Jesus Christ touches you.
  
• Jesus Christ loves you.