Do not be afraid, the Lord will calm your storms

Job 3:1.8-11, 2 Cor. 5:14-17, Mk 4:35-41. On this Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, the Church invites us to put our confidence in God who will always calm the storms of our life. Storms are part of human experiences. There is no life without a storm which takes various dimensions to 'stare us in the face'. Today’s first reading provides us with God’s response to the complaints of Job about the numerous and almost incessant storms in his life (Job 38:1.8-11). After calamities befell Job who is reputed as a faithful man of God (Job 1:13-22), he decided to confront God for an answer to his problems (Job 3:11.7.20.13.3). God took out time to respond to him, certainly not as Job would have loved to have it, rather God responded by asking him questions. These questions highlight the mighty power and greatness of God over all His creatures. Of course the world and all it contains including the wind and the seas are the work of His hands and are subject to His Command (Ps 24:1-2).

In today's second reading, Paul reminds us that we are different because of our unity with Jesus. His death and resurrection raised us to a new level – we are part of His new creation. Jesus has raised us from the mere fleshy, mortal existence into a spiritual, eternal existence, through His dying and raising. In today’s Gospel, Jesus exercised the power of God to put everything under control by rebuking the wind and commanding the sea to be still (Mk 4:39). Jesus exercised this power because He is God, indicating that He has come into the world to calm the storms of our lives and bring about peace in our troubled situations. Like Job in the first reading, the disciples began to panic just as we usually do in the face of challenges and called out in fear: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mk 4:38). Who says that the master does not care about our wellbeing? He does and always will do. All we need to do as Jesus pointed out, is to trust and have faith in the power of God to save us (Mk 4:40). God always delivers those who put their trust in Him and even when He is seemingly silent, He is doing something for our good. As we renew our trust in the Lord this day, may our faith never fail us.

May the Lord calm every storm ragging in our lives! Amen!! Good morning and happy Sunday!!!