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12thSunday
in Ordinary Time 4/35-41 |
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| Background: The Lake of Genesareth (also called the Sea of Galilee) is a relatively
small body of water, 14 miles long and three to seven miles wide. not a lake like on of
America’s Great Lakes. It was hardly a small ocean. But storms could up suddenly as
the winds swept down from the mountains of Lebanon, more over the boats used by the
fishermen on the lake were sturdy enough but not built to resist more than the normal
waves on a not very big lake. The fishermen did not take unnecessary chances. They were
quite skillful in reading the weather signs and were never very far from one shore or
another. This particular storm must have been especially strong and to have given no
advance warning. Obviously it is a story told for a troubled Church – which of course
has always been troubled. |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time two kids, a boy eight and a girl
ten, went out on the tiny lake where their family had a small summer home, for a boat ride
with their dad. There’s supposed to be a storm, their mother said, be careful. But
moms always worry and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. No one put on life jackets
because it was not a dangerous lake. Right? Well, they had a nice ride from one end to the
other while their dad told them about some of the silly things he had done when he was a
kid and then when he was an officer in the Navy flying off an aircraft carrier. They
hardly noticed that the sky was filling up with clouds and the wind was picking up. Put on
your life jackets, said the daddy. DadDY! said the kids! That’s an order he said. He
never talked that way so they put on their life jackets. They rowed across the lake
towards their cottage, but it started to rain, and they couldn’t see the shore. Next
a big storm him them and the waves banged against the boat. The kids were scared, the
little girl began to cry. Don’t worry, said the daddy. Then a great big wave rolled
the boat over. Hang on to the sides were the last words they heard their daddy say. The
kids sunk deep into the lake and sucked in a lot of water before they bounded to the
surface. They both screamed for their daddy(well, would you?) and hung on to the boat for
dear life. Then they cried a lot. They were in the water for a long time. Then suddenly
the stormed stopped and the sun came out. They saw their daddy at the stern of the boat,
pushing it. Put your feet down, he shouted. They did and you know what? They touched
bottom. They looked around and saw they were right in front of their cottage. We were
never afraid, they told their mommy, because we knew daddy was with us all the time. Mommy
seemed skeptical, but that’s the way mommies are.
June Homilies: 4th | 11th | 18th
| 25th |
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