Stormy Weather

Homily for Wednesday after the Epiphany

The church chooses the First Letter St. John as the first reading for the liturgies of the Christmas season to help us to better understand the mystery of the Incarnation. St. John offers us the good news of God’s love for us. Without God’s love for us, the Incarnation would be meaningless. God chose to become one of us because God loves us.

Many people in our world today have already returned to their daily routine leaving behind the expressions of joy and love that come every Christmas. How can the love which is proclaimed in our first reading, brought to perfection among us this Christmas, hold our attention, carry our hearts, and continue to shape our lives? Today’s Gospel text offers us an insight. In the Gospel text, the disciples have just witnessed the great miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Much as we are sent from the celebration of Christmas into our routines and work, Jesus sends his disciples in a boat toward Bethsaida. What they encounter as they make their way over the Sea of Galilee can be compared to what we encounter when we return to our ordinary, daily life; namely, stormy weather.

The disciples, we are told, had not understood the incident of the loaves. One of the reasons the church calls us to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation in this way every year is precisely because it is a mystery. How is it that the God of creation would humbly enter into our humanity so as to redeem us? The question and the answer is something we can return to year after year, entering further and further into the truth of this reality each time. The truth is that the Lord dwells among us and never leaves us. Just as he called to the disciples in the boat, he calls to us: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” Yes, he is ready to get into our boat and to calm any winds that rage in our lives.

As we prepare for this holy Eucharist, let us listen for his voice; let us look for Christ as he draws near and take courage. It is Jesus himself who draws us into the ministry. It is Christ who leads us deeper into the understanding of his miraculous presence. Perfect love drives out fear and whoever remains in this love remains in God and God in them.