Community in the Storm

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to step out amid the storms of violence and hatred on our journey and witness to the love and support of Christ for people in peril.

Christ in the Curves

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents growth in the Church at Antioch.

* [11:19–26] The Jewish Christian antipathy to the mixed community was reflected by the early missionaries generally. The few among them who entertained a different view succeeded in introducing Gentiles into the community at Antioch (in Syria). When the disconcerted Jerusalem community sent Barnabas to investigate, he was so favorably impressed by what he observed that he persuaded his friend Saul to participate in the Antioch mission.

* [11:26] Christians: “Christians” is first applied to the members of the community at Antioch because the Gentile members of the community enable it to stand out clearly from Judaism. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 87 is a song of Zion.

* [Psalm 87] A song of Zion, like Ps 46; 48; 76; 132.

* [87:2] The gates: the city itself, a common Hebrew idiom.

* [87:5–6] The bond between the exile and the holy city was so strong as to override the exile’s citizenship of lesser cities. (Psalms, PSALM 87 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims His relationship to the Father at the Feast of the Dedication.

* [10:22] Feast of the Dedication: an eight-day festival of lights (Hebrew, Hanukkah) held in December, three months after the feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:2), to celebrate the Maccabees’ rededication of the altar and reconsecration of the temple in 164 B.C., after their desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Dn 8:13; 9:27; cf. 1 Mc 4:36–59; 2 Mc 1:18–2:19; 10:1–8).

* [10:23] Portico of Solomon: on the east side of the temple area, offering protection against the cold winds from the desert.

* [10:24] Keep us in suspense: literally, “How long will you take away our life?” Cf. Jn 11:48–50. If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly: cf. Lk 22:67. This is the climax of Jesus’ encounters with the Jewish authorities. There has never yet been an open confession before them.

* [10:25] I told you: probably at Jn 8:25 which was an evasive answer.

* [10:29] The textual evidence for the first clause is very divided; it may also be translated: “As for the Father, what he has given me is greater than all,” or “My Father is greater than all, in what he has given me.”

* [10:30] This is justification for Jn 10:29; it asserts unity of power and reveals that the words and deeds of Jesus are the words and deeds of God. (John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Becky Nickerson celebrates that they welcomed our first grandchild, Jackson, to the world. It didn’t take long, and Jackson knew their voices. And they, in return, listened to his every sound and movement and knew him as well.

The Lord’s voice is steady and leading us. Do we always listen to it? Nope. Sometimes we may flat-out ignore it. Yet when the world gets “noisy,” or we are impatient and waiting for God to answer, we sometimes need to listen closer. God’s voice is there. And we know God’s voice. 

In my several years of research on the topic of belonging, I have learned that belonging is an active term. It requires active engagement, trust, vulnerability, and intentionality. Belonging, while personally and individually determined, often encompasses being seen (for all aspects of who we are), heard, and affirmed. It involves feeling connected, valued, and known. 

In the embrace of the Lord, we have a place of belonging. That too is active. “No one can take them out of my hand.” God knows each of us by name. We belong with and to God. Today, amidst the “noise” of your day, I invite you to listen closely and intentionally, resting in the assurance that you are known, you belong, and you are loved. (Nickerson, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Great might of Christ's hand,” by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.

"The faithful also have the help of Christ, and the devil is not able to snatch them. Those who have an endless enjoyment of good things remain in Christ's hand, no one thereafter snatching them away from the bliss that is given to them. [No one can throw them] into punishment or torments. For it is not possible that those who are in Christ's hand should be snatched away to be punished because of the great might Christ has. For 'the hand' in the divine Scripture signifies 'the power'" It cannot be doubted therefore that the hand of Christ is unconquerable and mighty to all things." (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 7.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 11:19-26 comments on an adage that says, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” But what can you do when all that you can see is the bend in the road?

Start by reminding yourself as you face that curve: God always has a plan in mind. Hold fast to what you know, despite what you can’t see. Those early believers, though hounded out of Jerusalem, continued to proclaim the good news. In the same way, you can continue to love and serve the Lord, wherever you are, whatever has happened. Cling to the truths you know, even as you wait for God to show you the next steps he has planned for you. As you pray, listen for the Lord’s gentle encouragement. He will help you negotiate all of life’s curves.

“Lord, I can’t see where you’re leading me, but I trust that you will work out your good plan for my life.” (Meditation on Acts 11:19-26, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Acts, God has the message spread even to Antioch where Gentiles are converting. Barnabas and Paul go to Antioch. Now in Antioch they take the name “Christian” as they follow the Messiah, Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is at the feast of Dedication and He continues to speak about how the sheep will hear His voice. In John, the Father has sent Jesus into the world and He offers an eternal life that will never perish. Friar Jude proclaims that Life in Christ offers so much love that even if we die, we will continue.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, responds to a sermon, in which the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry considers how Jesus sustains us in the storms of life.

When it was darkest, when it was most uncertain, Peter … saw a figure coming toward them…. It was Jesus. He was walking on the water. And Peter, without even thinking, says, “Lord, if you bid me come to you, I’ll come to you!” And Jesus says, “Well come on, brother.” Peter jumps out of the boat and starts walking on the water, heading toward Jesus, and he actually did it. He just saw him, he said, “Lord!” He kept walking. “Lord! It’s you!” Reverend Curry offers an African American spiritual, pointing to the faith of people in crisis:

Then, he looked around, and it was a serious “uh-oh” moment. And the text says … that when Peter looked at the wind and the waves and saw the storm around him and lost his focus on Jesus and focused on the storm, that is when he began to sink.

Remember the song …

I got my hand on the Gospel plow
Wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on

Oh, I bet that there’s some wisdom here, because in Matthew’s version, I want you to notice that the storm doesn’t stop. This is not a story about Jesus calming the sea. The storm rages on. But if you want to know how to walk through a storm? Keep your eyes on the prize. Keep your eyes focused on this Jesus, on his teachings, on his spirit. Abide with him, dwell with him, live in him. And when you live in him, guess what? He will start living in you….

That’s how Peter walks on water. To throw yourself into the arms of Jesus … and hold on. (Rohr, n.d.)

We may find ourselves in a struggle with the storms of life and we implore the Spirit to remind us that we are not alone and if we Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed with the support of Christ, all will be well.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/11? 

John, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?22 

Meditation on Acts 11:19-26. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/28/1551908/ 

Nickerson, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-28-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 87 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/87?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Keep Your Eyes on the Prize. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/keep-your-eyes-on-the-prize/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). My Sheep Hear My Voice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Faith Service and Fear

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the trust we develop in Providence to bring us to safety when we encounter storms that may raise our fear as we serve the people in our environment.

Calming the Storms

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents The Need for Assistants to serve the community.

* [6:1–7] The Hellenists…the Hebrews: the Hellenists were not necessarily Jews from the diaspora, but were more probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. Both groups belong to the Jerusalem Jewish Christian community. The conflict between them leads to a restructuring of the community that will better serve the community’s needs. The real purpose of the whole episode, however, is to introduce Stephen as a prominent figure in the community whose long speech and martyrdom will be recounted in Acts 7. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus calms the fear of the Apostles when Walking on the Water.

* [6:16–21] The fifth sign is a nature miracle, portraying Jesus sharing Yahweh’s power. Cf. the parallel stories following the multiplication of the loaves in Mk 6:45–52 and Mt 14:22–33.

* [6:19] Walking on the sea: although the Greek (cf. Jn 6:16) could mean “on the seashore” or “by the sea” (cf. Jn 21:1), the parallels, especially Mt 14:25, make clear that Jesus walked upon the water. John may allude to Jb 9:8: God “treads upon the crests of the sea.”

* [6:20] It is I: literally, “I am.” See also notes on Jn 4:26 and Mk 6:50. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Laura Roost comments that in this time and watching world news it can be hard to remember that the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord.

This is not unique to our time, of course. I am reminded through faithful homilies that weekly challenge us to return the following week able to offer our everyday lived faith in community from the past week back to God the following week. It is lived faith in community and everyday life that makes us able to see both the outrages of the world, and the kindness of the Lord through which hope comes. In the end the kindness is there – it is up to us to cling to Christ and live Easter hope everyday. As we end thinking about the ways the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord – even now – I share a helpful prayer from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith: 

“Help us to embrace the world You have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into the life and joy of Easter.” (Roost, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes Christ our physician, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:16-21 comments that Jesus doesn’t always jump into our boats and tell us exactly why we shouldn’t be afraid. In fact, sometimes he doesn’t immediately calm our “storms.” Instead, he gives us the opportunity to exercise our faith and decide how we will respond. He knows that’s how we grow in wisdom and trust in him.

Look back on a difficult situation in your life. Were there times when it felt as if you were all on your own—as if even Jesus wasn’t there to help? But now, using 20/20 hindsight, can you see how he really was there, patiently guiding you to the shore? Think about how that experience actually made you stronger and built your faith, maybe in ways you never expected.

Interestingly, all three versions of this story ( Matthew 14:22–33., Mark 6:45–52, and John 6:16-21 ) have one key point in common: Jesus tells the disciples not to be afraid. That message is for you, too! When you’re in the dark, tossed about, know that Jesus is closer than you may think. Let that truth calm your fears and strengthen your faith!

“Jesus, thank you for leading me through the storms of my life.” (Meditation on John 6:16-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts 2 and 4 we see a united community but in Acts 6 we realize that always wasn’t the case the Greek widows were not receiving the needed assistance to the same degree as the Hebrew widows. The phrase “deacons” is based on the Greek word to serve. The “first deacon”, Stephen, would both assist in charity and preach. Did the first deacons proclaim the Good News too? Friar Jude continues to comment on the connection of the miracle of the loaves to Psalm 23 and in today’s Gospel there is a resonance with “Beside restful waters” as sign of Jesus protection and satisfaction of the deepest hunger of our hearts.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes at the Center for Action and Contemplation, we seek to ground compassionate action in contemplative, nondual consciousness. When we experience the reality of our oneness with God, others, and creation, actions of justice and healing naturally follow. If we’re working to create a more whole world, contemplation will give our actions nonviolent, loving power for the long haul.

The civil rights leader John Lewis (1940–2020) has been an inspiration to many of us. How did this saintly public man avoid deeper recognition for so long? His words read like a prayer for contemplative action:

Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Know that the truth always leads to love and the perpetuation of peace. Its products are never bitterness and strife. Clothe yourself in the work of love, in the revolutionary work of nonviolent resistance against evil. Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We affirm the action of the Spirit as we contemplate the calm and peace we receive when working in service of the needs of the community.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6?1 

John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?16 

Meditation on John 6:16-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/18/1545853/ 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation, Liberation, and Action: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-18-2026 

Roost, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-18-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Said: "It Is I - Do Not Be Afraid". Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/