When the water is calm and the sailing is smooth, we feel happy and stable. We don’t want this state of serenity to end; we just want to stay with it.
But we know that this is not always the case in life. Storms come by naturally and monsoon rains would disrupt our routines. Accidents do happen and mistakes result into unpleasant consequences.
That’s just how life is; oftentimes, it’s full of surprises and unexpected crises. In one minute or two, one’s feeling or state of affair can change dramatically.
We’ve seen it happen in the lives of many people in the Philippines in the past weeks. The heavy rains that continuously pounded on the island of Luzon have caused flooding, death, famine, destructions, and disruptions.
Absolutely, many people have pointed a finger on the causes of this disaster besides Mother Nature. However, the issue here is that storms (not just literally) and crises occur in life, whether we like it or not.
I’ve also seen this come about at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church last weekend. The little fire that transpired in the flower room of our church has disrupted our peace and boggled our minds. How did it occur? Who’s responsible for it? It is certainly not faulty electrical wiring according to the fire department. An incident like this one came during a period of achievement, joy and contentment over the progress of our church renovation and the success of all our endeavors, particularly those of our centennial celebrations and our children’s choir during the summer’s world choir games.
In periods of crises, confusion, and instability, we need to find our balance. We can only do this if we center ourselves in God. He’s the One who would bring us back to serenity; he’s the One who would calm our fears and anxieties.
We can only do this if we create an intimate space for Him through prayer and silence. He, the Bread of Life, would strengthen us, assure us of his guidance, and tell us not to fear!
A few days ago, a Salvadoran woman who was helping me prepare a Memorial Mass for a deceased young father assured me that God would not abandon the dead man’s five little children.
“I witnessed this happen to my aunt in El Salvador,” she shared. “She became a widow at a very young age and was left to raise her six young children. After many years, I witnessed how she miraculously provided for them and sent them all to school.’
Indeed, it takes a leap of faith to believe that God never abandons us. Just as we believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, we must believe in the ever-assuring presence of Jesus in our everyday lives.
When tempests come our way, let’s put ourselves immediately in the presence of God. Our logical minds can think of many ways to save us from further pains and destructions, but our prayerful attitudes can surely lead us back to serenity.
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
