Crossover from fear to faith

The story is told about a man who is new in the city and said: “What a nice passover!” His friend corrected him and said: “It is called an overpass.” Based on the correction, he said next: “Oh, that’s a nice overfly.” This time, he was corrected again by his friend who said: “It is called a flyover.”

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In today’s gospel (Mk. 4, 35-41), Jesus rebuked His disciples who were terrified when a violent squall threatened to capsize their boat. “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” This same question He asks each one of us today as we cross the ocean of the pandemic and the night of COVID-19.

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STAY AFLOAT. This is my simple and constant message especially these days. May we not drown with the negativities that come with COVID-19: fear, worry, impatience, hopelessness, and depression. Let’s hold on to the Lord’s presence. He is with us in the boat. He can calm the wind and the sea.

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HELP OTHERS STAY AFLOAT. Let us all give words of hope and joy. Let us not become “nega stars.” And may we be extra generous in our caring, and in our sharing to people around us who are suffering.

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How do we cross over from fear to faith? “Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.” When we learn to leave the crowd, or make time to leave the crowd to be with, and really listen to Jesus in prayer, our fears are lessened and our faith becomes stronger.

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“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” You and I must have asked the same question to our Lord these days of masks and vaccinations. In desperation, we often turn to the Lord in anger, fear, or even in hopelessness. The Lord understands our weak human nature, but, always, He wants us to learn to cross over from our doubts and fears toward trust and faith.

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“Quiet! Be still!” Let us make this our constant prayer, our mantra whenever we encounter storms in life. Oftentimes, when we panic, and become restless and impatient, all the more we “rock the boat.” “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46, 10). Lord, deliver us from useless worries and anxieties!

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Happy Father’s Day! Today, we honor and thank our most loving Father. We honor and thank our own earthly father. We pray for all fathers, and for all who have the responsibility to guide, provide, defend, and preserve. St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us!

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When was the last time you embraced your father? Please embrace him now while you still can. I will be happy to embrace my father when I meet him again, someday. He left this world on June 23, 1987. A lot of things have happened to me, and to our family since then… What a reunion it would be when we could talk and share again, and embrace each other again.

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My acronym for F-A-T-H-E-R. F (faithful); A (affectionate); T (trustworthy); H (humble); E (exemplary); R (responsible). Perhaps you can make your own, together with your family members!

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By the way, there are no perfect fathers. Only the heavenly Father is perfect. The rest have flaws and paws, but the message is clear: We keep trying to become like our heavenly Father. We do not romanticize our fathers. We continue to honor them, and respect them, and learn from their fine examples or mistakes, as the case may be.

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“And you, of tender years, can’t know the fears that your elders grew by. And so, please help them with your youth. They seek the truth before they can die.” Words of advice for the young from the song “Teach” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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A moment with the Lord:Lord, give us the courage and grace to cross over from fear to faith. Amen.

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