Twice in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus calms the fears of his apostles while they are at sea. The first time Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat when a great storm came up. The apostles were much afraid and woke him up. He calmed the sea and said to them: “Why are you terrified ? Do you not yet have faith ?”
In today’s Gospel, once again they are terrified and Jesus responds: “It is I, do not be afraid.”
The darkness, the water and the wind represent the dark forces that can threaten our lives such as: crime, terrorism, nuclear war, Covid, a relationship that seems about to break, serious financial problems, or a shaky job. These all unsettle us, yet we know that the message of Christmas is our God is not an absentee God. He entered our humanity that Christmas morning.
So let’s keep celebrating Christmas, and hear the Lord say to you: “It is I, do not be afraid.”
Happy New Year, DeColores, Deacon Doug
