Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

There are times in our lives when we, like the disciples, feel like we are perishing. We are terrified by whatever we a facing. Sometimes it is the loss of a job, a loved one, or our health. Whatever the crisis, Jesus is near, reminding us to have faith. We should know how much God loves us and that no matter what happens, He is always with us. And so, even in the midst of the darkest of nights, we should find great calm and comfort knowing that God will never abandon us. He will rebuke the winds and the sea for us if we ask Him and we will be amazed at how much He shows us His Love, even when we fail to do the same.

Do we truly trust that God will save us? How can we put aside our fears and doubts and let in the calm of Christ? Are we as amazed as we should be at the love and mercy God shows us?

O Lord, let us have faith that you will see us safely through the storms of our lives.

Amen.

The Fifth Tuesday of Easter

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

If we want peace in our lives, then we should seek it in the solace of God. The peace He gives us is a spiritual peace, which fills us with love and protects us from fear. No trials or tribulations can upset the peace God gives us as long as we trust in His Divine Plan. The peace of God cannot be disturbed unless we turn our backs on it. Many of the great saints received this gift of peace and were able to face the greatest of difficulties and even death with a calm and clean heart. It is the source of sustaining strength when faced with overwhelming problems because when God’s Peace is within us we realize our worldly anxieties are passing and insignificant when compared to the love, mercy, and grace God pours out upon us each day. The promise of eternal life with Him in heaven should be all we need to keep us going along the path to paradise in spite of all our worldly difficulties.

Are our hearts open to God’s peace? How can we cleanse ourselves of the troubles and fears that keep us from embracing His peace? How do we show our gratitude for the peace that God has given us?

O Lord, grant us your peace.

Amen.

Wednesday after Epiphany

When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”

When we are in the midst of a storm of trials, beset upon by sin and imperfection, and floundering in our faith, we should take courage and be not afraid because Jesus is always with us in our times of need. We think he has abandoned us, we might not sense his presence with us, or even be terrified of what is going on around us, but if we look for him, he will give us the graces we need to survive any storm and to calm our hearts. Sometimes we are cast about with sorrows, sufferings, and sins, but as long as we keep the faith and do not harden our hearts, we will eventually make it through our tribulations and find the peace of doing God’s Will on the other side. This is why we should never give up on God, no matter what is going on in our lives, because He will never give up on us. He loves us more than we can ever appreciate and has sacrificed more for us than we can ever repay.

Do we turn to God when we are beset by the storms of life? Do we let Jesus calm our hearts when they are in turmoil? Do we trust that God will always be with us, no matter what?

O Lord, grant us the courage to be not afraid.

Amen.

Thirteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

When our souls are beset by storms of doubt, Jesus is always at the ready to remind us of our need to have faith in him and to trust that he will calm the winds and seas of worry. No matter how hopeless things appear, we cannot let our anxieties overcome our faith. No matter how bruised and battered we are by life, we cannot let the winds of uncertainty terrify us. God is with us and that should be enough for us to withstand all our sufferings. The next time we are afraid of something, we ought to remember what sort of God-man Jesus is and we should obey him and let our hearts be calmed.

What anxieties, worries, and doubts are currently on our minds? How can we offer these up to the Lord in the spirit of trust? How do we remind ourselves that God is with us?

O Lord, calm the stormy winds and seas of our hearts.

Amen.

Fourth Friday of Easter

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

When we are going through times of trouble we should try to keep these words in mind. We might have doubts, fears, and anxieties, but as long as we keep the Living Word of God in our hearts, there is nothing that can trouble us. So let us have faith in God and love Him and his children with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.

Are our hearts troubled? If so, then how can we calm them and remember God is always with us? If they are not troubled yet, then how can we prepare ourselves for those future trials that lay ahead?

O Lord, calm our troubled hearts.

Amen.

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

"Peace be with you." But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

When something unexpected happens we can become startled and terrified, just as the disciples were when Jesus appeared to them. However, no matter whatever happens in our lives, whether expected or not, God is constantly telling us, “Peace be with you.” He wants us to be calm and recollected in the midst of out triumphs and our trials. And if we truly trust in Him, we should always be at peace because we ought to know that He loves us and always has our best interest at heart. So let us be instruments of peace in this hectic world and welcome the Holy Ghost into our lives not with fear and trembling, but with joy and dancing.

Do we have peace in our lives? How can we cultivate the calm of Christ? What can we do to be an instrument of God’s peace?

O Lord, grant us your peace.

Amen.