There is a strange little sentence in this Sunday's Gospel from Saint Mark.  Our Blessed Lord has just finished a long day teaching.  I pause to express my thanks to our wonderful catholic teachers and support staff in our schools.  Moving on.  The disciples invite Jesus into their boat - Marks code word for the Church. They think it's their adventure! They have a lot to learn. It isn't.  And Mark says, " On leaving the crowd behind, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was."  There's the strange bit.  He is still in teaching mode.

A few years ago, in another time and place, I was called to the bedside of a disciple who was at end of life.  I was astonished by her prayerful peace and tranquility. After we had said the prayers, she said she wanted to ask for a favour.  And the favour was to have Mark 4: 35 - 41 as the Gospel reading for her Funeral Mass.  She explained that her family's faith had been broken by doubt and the storms which had swept over their lives.  They couldn't make the crossing and they couldn't look at themselves to ask why this was so.  All they had for God was a question that may be familiar to us.   "Do You not care that we are perishing!"   In danger, they had lost faith in the oceanic, boundless Love which is their life.

The awakened Jesus, like the sleeping Jesus is not storm tossed.  He rebukes fear and commands silence and peace and the waves and the winds have no choice but to obey Him.

His answer to their question, 'Does God care?' is Yes.  But this can only be understood and received by the mind that does not doubt.

The woman of faith wanted to leave her family one last gift.  To understand more of her own crossing to the other side and to challenge them. This week, Mark invites us talk to Jesus about the ways fear overrides our faith.  Instead of speculating about Jesus identity, it is better to ask how we might integrate His Teaching into our lives.  Why? Because when Jesus the Teacher cannot be received, Jesus the Saviour is born.

Jesus loved telling stories.  And we all love a good story.  His stories, or parables, take everyday things and suggest they can help us to see and become something more.  If we have no real feel for spiritual things, His stories will hit our ears but not our hearts.  If we do have a feel for spiritual things, His stories will open a map but only leave clues about the route and the destination.

But here's the thing.  I heard a story once upon a time about a guy who needed to see what went on between the seed and the soil.  So he kept digging the seed up to see what was happening.  I don't need to tell you how it ended!

It's clear that Jesus sees us differently, and I would say, with more grandeur than we see ourselves.  If you like, He sees what we are becoming as His parables play in our hearts and reshape them.  Here's an example.  Let's say we think we're a mustard seed.  Not just small but the smallest, not just unimportant, but the least important.  He thinks we're a tree. But the punchline can't be missed - a Tree that shelters and protects others!!!!! Now we have to rethink the whole experience.

So we entrust ourselves with every breath to His Kingdom.  We don't need to keep poking around to see how we're doing.  Probably not too good if we told the truth lol. But still He calls us on.  Telling us to trust Him.  Telling us to trust Him.

I'm sure you heard the story of President DeGaulle, who lived in the shadow of MontMarte.  Instead of saying reverently, " O Sacred Heart of Jesus I place all my trust in Thee."  He said, "O Sacred Heart of Jesus place all your trust in me."  Funny at one level, but I wonder sometimes if DeGaulle exposes a raw nerve in all of us who still think we're running the show!