Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Matthew 8:23-27)
Tiger Woods’ won the U.S. Open a few weeks ago with unswerving concentration. While his opponent occasionally frolicked with the crowd, Woods walked the nineteen-hole playoff with head down and attention fixed on the game.
As steadfast as Tiger Woods’ concentration is, it hardly matches the self-control Jesus exhibits in the gospel today. He sleeps through a gale as if it were a gentle breeze fostering slumber. In doing so, he means to teach his disciples the preliminaries of a missionary journey.
The group is crossing the sea to pagan territory. They will land, as we shall see tomorrow, in the land of the Gadarenes. Trust in the Lord’s dominion over any and all evil will allow them to successfully sow the seeds of the Kingdom. As we enter pagan land, which our society often approximates, we need to develop similar trust in the Lord. Professing faith in the Lord as the source and goal of our lives, we will do more than vanquish sneers. We will enable our associates to likewise sense the wonders of God’s love.
