💖 HOMILY - JULY 1 💖

First Reading - Genesis 19:15-29

Gospel - Matthew 8:23-27

Life can often feel like a storm—unpredictable, frightening, and beyond our control. In such moments, the readings of today remind us that God is not distant or indifferent. He is the one who saves, the one who accompanies us through every storm, and the one who calls us to trust even when everything around us seems to be falling apart.

In the first reading, we see God’s merciful intervention in the life of Lot. Although the city of Sodom was steeped in sin, God does not abandon the just. He sends His angels to rescue Lot and his family before destruction falls upon the city. Lot hesitates, and yet God’s mercy persists. Even in the midst of judgment, God’s concern for the righteous remains. The lesson is clear: God’s saving hand reaches out even when we falter or hesitate. Our part is to trust, obey, and move forward when He calls.

In the gospel, the disciples face a violent storm at sea while Jesus is asleep in the boat. Overwhelmed by fear, they cry out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” Jesus wakes and rebukes both the storm and their fear. “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” He says. Then He calms the sea with a word. This episode is not just about the power of Jesus over nature; it is a profound lesson on trust. Even when Jesus seems silent or distant—asleep in the boat—He is still present. The disciples had the Lord of the universe with them, yet they were afraid. Their panic reveals their lack of faith, just as our anxieties often reveal our own.

Dear friends, God’s saving presence in times of distress is linking thread between both the readings of the day. Lot is saved from destruction, and the disciples are saved from the storm. But both cases also reveal the need for personal response: Lot had to flee, the disciples had to wake Jesus. In our own storms—be they external or internal—we are called not to surrender to fear but to act in faith, calling upon the Lord who is already with us.

Let us be reminded today that no storm is too violent and no danger too great when Jesus is in our boat. He may seem silent, but He is never absent. He invites us not only to trust in His power but to believe in His presence.

May our faith grow deeper in life’s storms, and may we never forget that God’s mercy and power are always at work for those who call upon Him in trust.