Jesus calms a storm and a man’s rage
Bible Accent: Diocese
Saint for Today: St. Aloysius/a>
Jesus explains the parable of the sower
Jesus had spent most of the day telling parables to a crowd of people who had gathered by the sea to listen to him. Now that the daylight was fading into the west, he said to his disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
Jesus waved to the people and climbed into a boat with his disciples. Ropes were untied, sails were raised and the boat headed into the sea at night. Jesus was very tired, so he found a cushion in the stern of the boat and went to sleep.
As Jesus slept peacefully, the weather began to change. A strong wind filled the sails and threatened to tip the boat over. The waves pounded the boat like a fist of water, flooding the lower deck of the boat. As the disciples shouted orders to each other to try and control the boat, Jesus continued to sleep.
When the disciples were afraid the boat was either going to sink or capsize, they woke Jesus up. “Teacher,” they said, “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus woke up, wiped his eyes and looked at his disciples. Then he stood up and spoke to the storm. “Quiet! Be still!” Immediately, the wind became silent and the waves disappeared into the sea. Then Jesus asked his disciples a question. “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” In spite of everything the disciples had already seen Jesus do, they were amazed at what they had just seen. “Who then is this whom even the wind and the sea obey?” The boat sailed through the night on calm, quiet water. In the morning the disciples secured the boat when they reached the opposite shore, in the territory of the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus put his feet down on dry land, a strange man approached him. This man had been living among the tombs in the area. He was out of his mind, and his bouts of anger were so violent that not even chains could hold him. At times he would even try to hurt himself with stones.
He shouted at Jesus, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” Jesus spoke as calmly to the man as he had to storm of the night before. “Unclean spirit, come out of the man.”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
Mark 4 & 5
Q&A
1. What was Jesus doing during the storm?
2. What did Jesus say to strange man?
Bible Accent: Diocese
The Catholic churches we attend may be large or small, plain or beautiful, but they have many things in common. Every Catholic church belongs to a group of churches in its geographic area; this group is called a diocese. A diocese usually takes its name from the “see city,” the place where the bishop lives and where his cathedral is located. Dioceses, too, are organized into geographic groups known as provinces. One diocese in each province is called an archdiocese because it is considered the chief diocese in the province. Archdioceses are led by archbishops. Do you know the name of your diocese? Your bishop?
Saint for Today: St. Aloysius
Luigi Gonzaga, better known as Aloysius (1568-1591), was the son of parents who served in the Spanish courts. His father was Marquis of Castiglione and his mother was the lady of honor to the wife of King Philip II. Although his father wanted to him to become a successful soldier, Aloysius knew from the age of seven that he would spend most of his time in prayer and devotional study. He was sent with his brother to Florence, Italy, to study Latin and Italian languages, but spent as much time as he could learning about the lives of the saints. It was during this period in his life he decide he wanted to become a member of the Society of Jesus. In November, 1585, Aloysius joined the Jesuits. When there was an outbreak of the plague in Rome in 1591, Aloysius worked with the other clergy in hospitals caring for the sick. He, himself, was often in poor health, and died while still a very young man. We remember him, the patron saint of Catholic youth, on June 21.
