Reflection Re-Entry 2020:

In order to truly be a disciple of Christ we need to keep first things first.  All the things we propose don’t seem to make any sense to anyone, all the issues we discuss falls on deaf ears.  The world was a mess 2,000 years ago much like it is a mess now.  God the Father had a one word answer to all of our problems….JESUS.  It is the same answer today as it was then because in all the questions, all the confusion, all the fear, Jesus is still the same now as then.  He is still the answer; He hasn’t changed it is us who have.  He is the only answer at the end of the day.  He is the answer to the question that is human existence.  In a world that is constantly branding us with all the issues, all the anxiety, all the division, all the hate, Jesus is still the answer.  How about we lead with that….we are the church of Gospel of Jesus Christ.  How about it?  We are the church of the best news ever.  Maybe we should stop believing that everyone gets that.  Maybe we should stop believing that all Catholics get that.  Perhaps we need to stop playing defense and become a church that is on the offense.  I don’t have the answers to many questions I know, but I have the answer to the need for good news in a world that is in such turmoil because it is the same answer God gave us 2,000 years ago: Jesus.

How do we heal?  Why do we fear?  Where is our hearts?  What is at the center of our lives?

In the Gospel Peter has great faith for a few minutes.  Like many of us, especially now, who would be so willing to jump from the boat placing our feet on the water and walk towards Jesus, Peter becomes distracted by the storms and waves around him and sinks.  We are surrounded by waves and storms right now in our current life.  Our focus doesn’t seem to be on God very much anymore.  We tend to focus on wealth, possessions, status, technology, trips, work, etc.  Many of us look to God just not necessarily at the center.  And, as we do, we most often row our boat directly into the storms of life.  Our fear and uncertainty and anxiety have overtaken our lives and we are feeling the water that we are standing on moving up our bodies to slowly overtake us just as Peter did.  It’s easy to focus on Peter sinking in the water, taking his eyes off of Christ and falling into the dark water.  However, I want to focus on what happens when Jesus reaches out to Peter and lifts him up from the water to place him back into the boat; As soon as Peter steps back into the boat, the storms stop.  As soon as we put God back into the center of our lives, the storms cease damaging our lives.  Our anxiety subsides, our fear relaxes, our focus shifts and our eyes are opened.  Jesus is still the same now as then.  He is still the answer to the question of human existence.  Jesus is the Way. 

We must begin to ask ourselves what is at the center of our lives.  What is it that we are looking upon during the crashing of the waves, and blowing of the wind, and the darkness of the storms that we are living in now?  There should be but one answer…

Mr. Swann – Principal