Stilled Storms

Homily for 8:30 Mass   I suspect many of us, but not all, have seen and heard the famous 1940 Walt Disney animated film called Fantasia.  It has a music arrangement called the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  The music and story dovetail well with today’s first reading, the responsorial psalm, and the Gospel.  Some of us may remember that Disney music. You might refresh your memories by playing it later using you tube.

Many of us grew up with Mickey Mouse.  He is the apprentice for the Sorcerer Yen Sid (that’s Disney pronounced backwards).  When Yen Sid puts down his magic hat and goes to his chambers, Mickey then puts on the hat and tries its magic on a broom to make it walk and do his chore of carrying water in buckets.  He falls asleep and dreams he is a powerful sorcerer high on top of a mountain where he commands the stars, planets, and water.  In his dream and accompanied by dramatic music, sleeping Mickey summons a storm creating high winds and crashing waves. Unknown to Mickey, many brooms carrying water buckets and marching to the music, eventually flood the room.  It’s chaos. Importantly, when the real sorcerer Yen Sed wakes up and returns, he raises his arms and stills the waters. 

This Sorcerer’s Apprentice moment in Fantasia reminds me, and perhaps will remind many of you, of today’s Responsorial Psalm and Gospel in which Jesus awakens from his sleep and calms the stormy waters.  We Cape Codders and visitors to our beautiful coast and surrounding ocean waters, can relate to that psalm we just heard played and sung: They who sailed the sea in ships, trading on the deep waters, saw the works of the LORD and his wonders in the abyss. His command raised up a storm wind which tossed its waves on high. They mounted up to heaven; they sank to the depths; their hearts melted away in their plight. They cried to the LORD in their distress; from their straits he rescued them. He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that they were calmed, and he brought them to their desired haven. This psalm reminds us of Jesus, and it tells us the storm was hushed; it was stilled. If only this was true in our lives.

We all suffer from storms in our lives when it seems as if our distress will never end.  Our hearts melt away in our plight and pain.  We sink to the depths.  But if we listen carefully, like Job in our first reading who heard the Lord out of the storm, the waves can be stilled.  Our storms can be hushed to gentle breezes when we hear the Lord. We just have to listen and be comforted, so as not to be afraid.

Many of these storms are of our own making, as if we have placed a sorcerer’s hat on our heads to make waves in our relationships with other people through insults; behavior caused by jealousy or anger; social media outrageous exchanges; and political arguments that divide families and friends, even church parishioners here at Christ the King.  We Mickey’s [and Minnie’s] must take off those sorcerers’ hats and be stilled.

How do we do this?  Let’s consider our Gospel reading.  Our hats come off when we listen to Jesus and do as he says to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” In other words, Jesus tells us to see the other side – the other point of view, to show respect and listen.  When we do, we might learn something and prevent stormy seas threatening to capsize, damage, or destroy our boats we call our relationships, especially with family and friends.  

Staying on our own side means we are closed-minded.  We promote division and tribal thinking.  We think in terms of black and white, or good and evil rather than shades of grey and compromise, not conflict. There is no better way to create chaos and storms than to cast someone as evil simply because that person has a different position or point of view.  We are all guilty of that way of thinking and acting. And, Jesus knows.

Our anger – the storms – churn and buffet us, and even our church. Unsettling storms and high, crashing waves of close-mindedness should compel us to ask Jesus, like his disciples: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus likely would reprimand us because we can be the blowing and storm-caused winds.  And, we often are. We churn the waters through anger and even hate prompting Jesus to say to us: “Quiet!  Be still!" He asks us: Why are you terrified? Why are you angry and hateful? Why are you such violent squalls? When we hear Jesus and listen to him– when we are open to him, our winds become gentle, and there can be great calm. 

Jesus is not a sorcerer like Yen Sid, but when we follow him something that seems like magic can happen – being able to forgive; being loving; being tolerant; being charitable; and being compassionate.  All seemingly miraculous at times.

We end by acknowledging that today is the first day of summer.  At 11:32 this evening we reach the Summer Solstice when we have the most hours of daylight during the year.  The sun has reached its most northern point in the sky.

This Solstice bringing us the greatest light provides symbolism for today – Father’s Day – when fathers must remember we are to bring the light of Christ to our children. Fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, those who serve as Dads in the lives of children, and adults, need to be in the boat with them – involved in their lives. And, we must not be sleeping. 

By being awake, and involved, we show that we love them. In many cases, we ask to be forgiven. If we haven’t already asked, we should.

And as children, young and much older, we say to our fathers and those showing us fatherly love, whether living or have passed away and are no longer with us: 

You are the wind in my sails

You guide me as I steer and find direction. 

You give me the strength to keep on going.

You watch over me as I navigate stormy seas.  

You are the harbour where I stop for rest.

You are my encourager when I lose hope. 

You are the lighthouse that keeps my path safe. 

You are with me always.  

I thank God for you.  Amen.

Happy Father’s Day!

Deacon David Pierce