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Jesus got into a boat and his
disciples followed
him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on
the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was
asleep. They came and woke him saying, “Lord, save
us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are
you terrified, O
you of little faith?” Then he got up,
rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were
amazed and said, “What sort of
man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
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Odessa,
Texas was a town consumed by high school football; its stadium was
larger than those of many colleges. Local talk radio kept up a steady
commentary on what the coach and players were doing. One of its
citizens even criticized the school system because there was "too much
learning in the school." The adults were obsessed beyond all
reason with winning and losing. One of the consequences was an enormous
pressure placed on the coach and players. The role
of the team and its coaches took on the job of protecting against
the idea that the town was inconsequential and its citizens were
insignificant. Such is the setting of the movie
"Friday Night Lights." The beginning session portrays the pressure that
is
completely overpowering for the young people and their coaches. As one
young person commented, "I don't feel seventeen."
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Matthew’s
Gospel speaks
of the pressure of a sudden fierce storm that threw the fishermen
into a
state of panic. The
pressure was so great that even their experience could not keep the
apostles
from panicking. In general, they were people who knew what to do with
these sudden
storms. They understood the procedures; they had been through them
before. But, as they were being tossed and thrown in every
direction, they lost perspective. The pressure of the moment was too
much. They yelled at Jesus in their fright: “Lord, save
us! We
are perishing! We are about to die.”
The Gospel passage shows the consequence of pressure. Under the pressure of the moment, people will act in ways that lead them to do things that they would never do were they not under the pressure. In the movie "Friday Night Lights," the young people and coaches who made up the football team of Odessa, Texas were not meant to have the pressure that was placed upon them. It was too much, and its effects are portrayed in the movie: debilitating pride, looking for emotional relief through activities that were not healthy, and in particular, loss of focus about what life really is. What should one do with the pressure of life? Obviously, there must be a way to place it in perspective. The Apostles called to the one person who could help them and received the calm they needed. The young people and adults of the Odessa football team were not as fortunate. Their only relief could come with the end of high school or for the coaches, loss of their job. We are people who are often under some type of mental pressure, either of our own making or because of the situation in which we find ourselves. Whatever the pressure, we must take the time to assess our situation and call on someone to help. Primarily the Christian will find the someone to be the Lord who simply calls us to a deeper faith in him and his way. |
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THOUGHT
What causes the greatest pressure in your
life right now?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, your Son was aware of the pressures that are part of
human nature. He worked with that pressure with his followers here on
earth. We pray for the grace to turn to you and your Son when the
pressures of our lives overwhelm us. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |