Mc 4,35-41 – Saint John Bosco, Presbyter – Memory
A storm seems to be the main protagonist of today’s Gospel page. But the thing that matters most is Jesus’ ability to dominate storms. Yet what catches the eye is the fear of the discipleswho when they find themselves in difficulty, stop trusting in Jesus who is on the boat with them. God is not the one who keeps us from storms, but the one who stays with us through those storms.
Having faith means continuing to trust in God even when we have the feeling that we are lost and that there is no longer any way out. If we believe that through Jesus God has definitively entered the history of each of us, then we must deeply believe that in the boat of our life we are no longer alone, but He is always with us, even when we feel like he’s asleep or apparently doesn’t care about us destiny. Today we celebrate a great saint who made his life an immense profession of faith in Jesus. He is Saint John Bosco, today’s saint. And it is interesting that at a certain point Saint John Bosco tells his children about a particular dream that he has. In the dream he sees the rough sea, shaken by violent waves and impetuous winds.
In the center of this stormy sea there is a large ship, symbol of the Church, attacked from every side, hit, bumped, apparently destined to sink. The enemies are strong, the confusion is great and the situation seems to have no way out. Nevertheless that ship is not abandoned: at the helm is the Pope, who with great difficulty tries to guide it among the waves. At a certain point, two columns appear in the sea: a higher one, surmounted by the Eucharist, and another lower one, on which the statue of Mary Help of Christians stands. When the ship manages to anchor itself firmly to these two columns, the storm subsides, the attacks cease and the ship finally finds stability and safety.
The message of the dream is clear and very profound: in the storms of history and personal life, the The Church and every believer are not saved by their own strength, but by remaining anchored to Christ present in the Eucharist and entrusting himself with trust to Mary. Don Bosco wanted to teach his boys that faith does not eliminate difficulties, but gives a firm point to hold on to when everything seems to be collapsing. Here is the true educator: he is not the one who takes away your difficulties, but the one who teaches you how to deal with them.
