An especially privileged time for the development of faith is when we are met by storms in our life. The storm at sea described in the Gospel is a certain symbol of our situation. During difficult trials of faith, in times of lesser or greater storms, it seems Jesus has abandoned us, that He is not there. There can be various storms: the storms of temptations, storms of scruples, worrying about the future, about health, and about work, storms involving a discord in marriage or broken relationships. In the face of the storm, two types of attitudes occur – fear, as in the case of the terrified Apostles, and peace, symbolized by the sleeping Jesus in the boat. Jesus is sleeping through a human tragedy, in a boat tossed by the waves, and in danger of being sunk at any moment. He must have been tired: but was it only His tiredness? Jesus slept in the Apostles boat and they thought that everything was lost. This is where their panic, stress and terror came from when they woke Jesus. During that storm, two attitudes were revealed. On the one hand one could see the faces of the Apostles contorted in fear and on the other hand, the peaceful face of Jesus who was sleeping. Christ’s attitude seemed so strange that the Apostles accused Him. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mk 4:38)

Every storm has its purpose, it is God’s passing by which should bring with it some great grace, primarily the grace of trust. During a storm, you should direct the eyes of your faith on the peaceful face of Christ. A “theology of God’s sleep” could be discussed here. During our storms, God seems to be sleeping. The revelation of the Bible includes not only God’s word, but also God’s gestures. How very rich in context is this threat. Of course, this does not mean that when threatened with danger one should do nothing. Quietism is contradictory to the teaching of the Church. Jesus does not reproach the Apostles for trying to save the boat. He accused them of the temptation of fear or even panic. It is with this gesture of sleep, that He wanted to tell them: “But I am with you, you should be calm, for nothing can happen to the boat in which I am.”

The attitude of faith is simultaneously a prayer of faith. It is expressed by calm in face of danger, by peace on a spiritual level, for we have no direct influence on our psychophysical level. There will be many anxieties that will tear us apart, but that is not important. What is important is, that fear, which is roused in our emotional and mental level does not control our spiritual level. It is important that it does not control our spiritual level. It is important that it does not cause a change in our attitude, our deeds, thoughts and desires. Our faith and belief in the fact that He is present here close to us, makes us calm in spite of our emotional state. His presence is a presence of eternal power and eternal love.

When the storms come into your life, be they internal or external, look at the peaceful face of Jesus. Then you will understand that you are not alone and that He, in every situation is as if saying: “this storm will pass; it has to pass”
During our storms and the trials of our faith, we can never forget about the continuous presence of her close to us, of the one who is the Mother of our abandonment to God. Let us ask her to allow us to share in her abandonment to God, so that we might stop trusting ourselves, things or people. Let us ask Mary, to help us perceive the continuous presence of her Son being close to us, who is our unique security. We ask Mary that we, following her example, might trust exclusively in the Lord: “Mother of Great Abandonment, I offer myself to you without reservation, to the end.”