"Why Are you Terrified?" A Tornado Story

This past Sunday, on June 21st, the Gospel came from Mark chapter 4.  Jesus was asleep on the boat when a storm struck.  The disciples wake Jesus up and asked him if he cared that they were perishing.  Jesus in response rebukes the wind and at once the sea becomes calm.  Jesus then turned to his disciples, "Why are you terrified?" (Mk 4:40)

I could only think of my own story of a storm I encountered with a dear friend Sarah Pica, now Sister Marie Benedicta of the Cross.  The story came to mind for multiple reasons.  First the Gospel reading, second the Midwest has been recently hammered with storms, and finally tomorrow is Sister Marie Benedicta of the Cross's Birthday.

It was June 5th, 2010.  Sarah Pica had made the decision that she was to enter the Cloister Carmelite order in Des Plaines on July 16th of that year.  In our previous conversations she expressed her desire to go to a Priest's Ordination and First Mass because she had never been to an ordination and this was going to be her last chance to ever experience one.  I was blessed to pick her up from central Illinois for this road trip and went to the ordination of 4 men for the Diocese of Joliet.  Afterwards, we made our was to Fr. John Lindsey's first Mass.  While at Mass, the weather turned to a down pour.  Afterwards, Sarah and I grabbed dinner and continued on to the University of Illinois where we planned to catch up with FOCUS missionaries and friends.   

However, the further we went the south, the greater was the intensity of lightening, wind, and rain.  I was getting low on gas, almost running on fumes.  So I planned to fill up at our next turn off to U of I from the interstate.  As we pulled into the gas station the tornado sirens went off.  I told Sarah to head in, while I filled the tank up, which would become providential for the power was about to go out.  I made my way into building finding everyone in the bathroom doorways away from the windows.  Commotion soon struck, over the emergency radio the announcement was made that a tornado had landed no more then 5 miles in the next town and was heading our direction.  All of a sudden the power went out.  The wind continued to blow hard has trash cans banged against the windows.  As fear was seen on people's faces and heard in their voices, there was a little girl crying as we huddled in the bathroom door way.  And there was Sarah Pica, completely calm, down on her knees talking to the little girl to help her through the terrifying storm.

At that moment, it was clear.  If the tornado were to come and hit us, I was in a presence of a saint, in the presence of person radiating Christ and living a life for Christ!  And if I were to go that day, what great company I was with! The tornado eventually missed us by a mile, and if we had not stopped to fill up for gas, we would have been in the direct line of the tornado! (coincidence, I think not).

That moment of clarity in the gas station was similar to what the Lord was asking of his disciples in the terrifying storm.  Did the disciples not know who they were with?  Yes, the squall they experienced was terrifying, but they were with the Lord!  What great company to be with!  Jesus questioned their faith - and was asking his disciples to trust in him.  Though the disciples failed in trusting in the Lord during that storm, they would eventually have faith to face a different kind of storm that would take their lives!

Storms will always come!  The question is, will we be with the Lord when they do?  Because if we are there is nothing to be terrified about!