Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 22, 2024

Cycle B

First Reading: Job 38:1,8-11

The Lord answers Job's complaints.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 107:23-24,25-26,28-29,30-31

A song of praise to God for rescue

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Those in Christ are a new creation.

Gospel Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Jesus calms the storm.

Why are you terrified?

When we look at the world and think about what is happening, do we not get the impression that it is a big disorder and even chaos? We can look at our families, society, and institutions, and sometimes we can also identify chaos. Our ancestors identified the chaos with the sea, especially when they testified to the behavior of the sea while the storm was going on. How many stories have we listened to about catastrophic journeys by boat? There are plenty of stories where the power of nature defeats the human being.

Today’s gospel set us on a boat, reminding us that navigation on the sea is like setting in our daily journey. Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” They left the crowd and began their journey by boat. They were pacified by the Lord before they began such a journey on the sea because they were just finished listening to the preaching of Jesus about the Kingdom of God. However, we contemplate an interesting scene where the disciples enter a big trouble and doubt and distrust take over.

Brothers and sisters, many times our journey is the disciples’ journey. Perhaps we are fervent and devout Christians, loyal followers of Jesus like the disciples, but when it came up to us, “a violent squall and waves broke over our boat, and it began to fill up.” Our faith in Jesus shakes, and we can lose direction because we could be terrified. Constantly, in a chaotic society full of doubts or problems, we get lost and disoriented, and our hope in Jesus is often threatened. Nevertheless, Jesus is with us, and today his words resound among the chaos: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” It is true that sometimes it is very complicated to get Jesus; the confusion takes over us, and we can think the Lord is sleeping, or the Lord doesn't care about us, like the disciples said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” The experience of the disciples is our experience.

On the other hand, we have in the first reading Job’s example. The story of Job is quite interesting because he was a devotional example; he was a righteous believer and a generous and lovely man. However, he got many challenges that pushed him to suffering, misfortune, and despair. We can also feel like Job, who complained to God about the state of things and questioned his way of governing this world. Yet, God addressed him out of the storm, which means that God sent a message among the chaos: “Who shut within doors the sea... when I set limits for it […] and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!” Just God can handle the power of nature; in this sense, the reading shows us that just God can handle every problem and storm.

Job experience and disciple experience remind us of our human inconsistency during hard moments or crisis moments. It is true that Jesus manifests the power of God; the disciples can identify Jesus with the God of their ancestors, as represented in Job. Recognizing our human condition as needed by God is a fact that we must consider in moments of crisis. The liturgy wants to emphasize that only God can assist us in the most complicated moments. Mark’s community teaches us today that when we are in the most challenging situation, God can save the course of our lives. Jesus can calm the chaos over nature, our physical storm; he can also calm the emotional storms we face. “Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey?”

The burden and oppression in our lives can take over; however, today we have a beautiful moment to put those insecurities in the hands of Jesus. Let us cross the sea, getting trust that God is assisting us and living new life in him, as Paul reminds the Corinthians. “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” Let us transform our concerns into calm, knowing that with the Lord we can accomplish perfect security in a chaotic society.