HE CALMS OUR STORMS

HE CALMS OUR STORMS

(Thursday, June 15)

This Thursday morning, I’m thinking about the fact that “Thurs-day” is named after the Germanic god Thor, whom pagans associate with thunder and storms. At the same time, today’s Gospel-reading (Mt 8:23-27) is about our Lord Jesus Christ calming the storm: He was “asleep” in the boat with His disciples, when a great storm arose and they woke Him up to “save” them. So “He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

I love the fact that this morning we Christians can use the pagan name for “Thurs-day,” insofar as we use the English language, but we are not somehow contaminated by it. Calling this fifth day of the week “Thurs-day” does not compel us to appeal to Thor in our “storms,” because we have been sent One Who sits in the same “boat” with us, when they arise. He may sometimes be “asleep,” when this happens, but doesn’t mind when we wake Him up. Let me not hesitate to do that this Thursday, when or if any storm arises, and say with the disciples: “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”