From: Matthew 8:23-27

The Calming of the Storm

[23] And when He (Jesus) got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. [24]
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being
swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. [25] And they went and woke Him,
saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” [26] And He said to them, “Why are
you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the
sea; and there was a great calm. [27] And the men marvelled, saying, “What
sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?”

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Commentary:

23-27. This remarkable miracle left a deep impression on Jesus’ disciples, as
can be seen from the fact that the first three evangelists all report it. Christian
Tradition has applied this miracle in various ways to the life of the Church and
the experience of the individual soul. From earliest times Christian art and lite-
rature have seen the boat as representing the Church, which also has to make
its way around hazards which threaten to capsize it. Indeed, very early on,
Christians were persecuted in various ways by Jews of their time, and were
misunderstood by the public opinion of a pagan society—which also began to
persecute them. Jesus’ sleeping through the storm has been applied to the fact
that sometimes God seems not to come to the Church’s rescue during persecu-
tion. Following the example of the Apostles in the boat, Christians should seek
Jesus’ help, borrowing their words, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing”. Then,
when it seems we can bear it no longer, Jesus shows His power: “He rose and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm”—but first rebuking
us for being men of little faith. Quite often Gospel accounts are meant to serve
as examples to us: they epitomize the future history of the Church and of the
individual Christian soul.

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12 ©

Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:

You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,

therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.

Do two men take the road together

if they have not planned to do so?

Does the lion roar in the jungle

if no prey has been found?

Does the young lion growl in his lair

if he has captured nothing?

Does the bird fall to the ground

if no trap has been set?

Does the snare spring up from the ground

if nothing has been caught?

Does the trumpet sound in the city

without the populace becoming alarmed?

Does misfortune come to a city

if the Lord has not sent it?

No more does the Lord do anything

without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.

The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?

The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze;

and yet you never came back to me.

It is the Lord who speaks.

This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you,

and because I am going to do this to you,

Israel, prepare to meet your God!

Psalm

Psalm 5:5-8 ©

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

You are no God who loves evil;

no sinner is your guest.

The boastful shall not stand their ground

before your face.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

You hate all who do evil;

you destroy all who lie.

The deceitful and bloodthirsty man

the Lord detests.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

But I through the greatness of your love

have access to your house.

I bow down before your holy temple,

filled with awe.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or	Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’