The Wind and the Sea

06-20-2021Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

Living along the shores of Lake Superior—the “big lake,” as the locals call it—you can often hear the advice, “Respect the lake; don’t take it for granted.” People who know Lake Superior respect its power and watch out for its many moods. Sunken ships and boats crushed into kindling are testimonies to what the lake can do.

The readings of this Sunday evoke our memories of the lake, of the mighty Mississippi River, or of the ocean itself. Who but God can control these mighty waters and set limits to their advance? The lake described in today’s Gospel was a body of water subject to sudden storms and churned into dangerous waves by terrible winds.

But these mighty agents are subject to God. The sailor and the fisher all respect the water. Even more, they respect the awesome power of the Maker of wind and sea.