4th Sunday after Epiphany 2017

We must settle all disputes we have with our neighbor before we come to the Eucharistic table and to love and care for the souls of our neighbors, whether or not we like them personally.  St. Frances de Sales who had a bad vice, that of an extreme temper, re-channeled the energy from that vice towards the teaching of the faith to thousands.  He wrote the Introduction to the Devout Life and is known today as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Teachers of the Faith.  St. Martina underwent unbelievable torture because she would not renounce her Faith and pay tribute to false gods as demanded by the Emperor.  How many of the saints have shown us similar acts of heroic virtue and steadfast Faith in the history of the Church and what do we give in return?  It is a question we must ask ourselves if we are to be true followers of Christ.  We are then taught of the importance of Faith through today’s Gospel reading where the disciples are caught in a storm with heavy waves which tossed their boat to and fro, threatening to sink it.  The disciples desperately awoke Jesus from His nap begging Him to save them.  He in turn rebuked them for their lack of Faith since He was aboard the boat and would not let harm come to them.  

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