FAITH  AND TERROR 

SEEM  TO  MIX! 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Faith And Terror Seem To Mix.”

Hopefully – faith comes when we’re feeling terror.

We’re about to get into the 100 Anniversary of World War I – 1914-1918 -  when men dug in and felt the terror of trench warfare.  And obviously those in that horror faced their fears – faced life – faced death -  needed God and screamed, “Where are you God in all this mess?”  And we all know the saying, “There are no atheists in fox holes?”

At least back then …. Maybe yes…. Maybe more … There was probably less atheism back then  than there is today. Then again, who knows what lurches in the hearts and minds of others – especially in muddy foxholes of our soul.

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

The history of the world is, “War and Peace – and then war again.

We have the horrors of war in Iraq once more. It’s déjà vu over and over and over again.

I’m sure many are down on their knees – crying to Allah –crying to God -  and surprise we know that both sides are proclaiming God. That’s part of the game – and the stories.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel tells the story of the storm on the lake according to Matthew [8:23-27].  A sudden storm hits the boat Jesus is in – and in terror they cried out to Jesus to wake up and save them. The Greek describes it as an earthquake [seismos] of the waters. The boat is swamped. Fear takes over.

 We know the story.

Jesus wakes us and says, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

Then Jesus gets up and yell to the winds and the sea and there is a great calm. Then comes Matthew’s message: “They were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

JANUARY 15, 2000

Reading today’s gospel last night, I reached for a journal – my notes – from a trip to Israel for priests in January 2000.

We got on the boat that morning and the plan was to go across the lake from Tiberius to Capernaum.  That was the plan – but a storm came up and we had to get off at Nof Ginossar. “The name of the boat was ‘Luke’. I saw Matthew, Mark, Mary – and I assume there was a John.”

A slight storm came up – nothing like the one in today’s gospel – but I said great – I’ll use this in a homily someday. Perfect timing.

“We couldn’t dock. It was too rough. We tried 4 times. This other boat just came right in and did it on the first shot and then this guy from another boat helped us.”

Our guide “Steve had read some scripture about the boat crossing on the lake and we sang the hymn, “Be not afraid.”

We weren’t terrified – but it gave us a sense of what happened to the disciples of Jesus that day.”

Terror – storms – earthquakes – wind – wake people up – and like most everyone who sees a sudden something, we all say, “Oh my God.”

That’s one of the most basic prayers. Faith shows up when there is terror and the different.

In that first reading from Amos we heard about the lion that roars.

When the lion roars – the cry for the God in and around us hopefully  also roars.

CONCLUSION

Church moments – prayer moments – help us in terror moments – because it’s moments like this moment at a morning Mass that we are storing up faith.

The title of my homily is, “Faith And Terror Seem To Mix.”