May you continue to be consoled and reassured to know that you have a loving Abba-Father Who is in control and always looks out for your best interests.
Thinking about our father, how they would do anything that would assist us in becoming better persons. When we were going through rough times, whether that be emotional, physical, financial, or spiritual, Dad would be there, offering his assistance in whatever way he could. Sometimes his concerns for us would be challenging for us. There were times when his love was truly “tough love.” Yet it was always love, especially as we look back at what we were doing and how Dad sought to be there for us in the situations in which we found ourselves. Sometimes, we had to trust that “father knows best” and he was there to support and love us.
We have an even more loving Abba-Father Who is even more concerned about each of us than any human parent could be. This Abba Who loves us and challenges us, also is with us to console and comfort us. This Abba is ultimately in control and truly knows best. We must do what is expected of us, but then we must also trust in this loving Abba Who is GOD.
GOD is in control. That message comes through loudly in our readings today. The First Reading presents GOD’s response to Job’s question about all the problems that have befallen him. GOD demonstrates the divine wisdom and power by pointing to the fact that no one assists GOD in the process of creating a powerful storm. The Responsorial Psalm proclaims GOD’s mighty acts as seen by sailors during turbulent times on the sea. In the Second Reading, St. Paul proclaims that Jesus is the new creation and that those who are joined to Him are renewed and become part of His new creation. The Gospel account is that of Jesus calming the sea and chiding His disciples for their lack of faith in Him.
First Reading Job 38:1,8-11, From the heart of the tempest the Lord gives Job his answer
Commentary: The Book of Job is a brilliant, evocative piece of writing, exposing in all its anguish the problem of the suffering of innocent people. It is a timeless plaint, expressing the incomprehension and frustration of all those who suffer undeservedly. It may well have been provoked by the second generation of exiles in Babylon, suffering for sins not their own. But it is a problem which brings agony in every age. Why should my child die young? Why should I be subjected to long and humiliating illness? Here, at the beginning of the saga, Job is so wound up that he curses the very day he was born. Throughout his struggle to understand, he has a love-hate relationship to God, wanting to be free of God’s persecuting hand, but at the same time depending on and attached to that same protecting hand, confident that there is a solution. Despite what he sees as God’s unacceptable bullying, he remains convinced that God’s love will never forsake him. The two conflicting emotions seethe together throughout the Book, until the final vision of God’s incomparable wisdom and glory convinces Job that God’s purposes are beyond human reasoning. Job is calmed and comforted by the experience of the awesome and incomprehensible glory of God.
Responsorial Psalm 107:23-26,28-32, O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.
The Responsorial relates the plight of sailors on the sea and GOD’s hand at work both in storms and the calming of storms. Just as the men of the sea can attest to the mighty deeds of nature in gales that blow while they are traveling over the waters, they can also praise GOD for bringing them safely to harbor. GOD’s mighty power is evident to seafarers. So, GOD’s control of nature should also be admitted by others; and GOD should be praised for being in control.
Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, We do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh
Commentary: In this reading of Second Corinthians Paul is explaining that the Resurrection of Christ has radically changed everything. In this new creation all our standards, hopes and expectations have undergone a transformation. He is perhaps already tilting at people who prided themselves on having known Jesus during his earthly life, and pitted their authority against Paul’s own. Certainly later in the letter he sets out to dispute the claims of some people of Jewish background who considered themselves ‘super-apostles’. Salvation is not achieved by this knowledge of the earthly Jesus. The message of the gospel makes sense only in the light of the Resurrection. The Risen Christ is the firstborn from the dead, and his Resurrection is the model for ours. This is the ultimate answer to Job’s question: whatever sorrows earthly life may bring, if we are baptised into Christ’s death, we will also share his Resurrection. We already share Christ’s life and are being transformed into him. The life we are experiencing now is only a preparation for its fulfilment in Christ’s Resurrection.
Gospel Mark 4:35-41: 'Even the wind and the sea obey him'
Commentary: Jesus certainly seems to have chosen a pretty dim and unappreciative group of disciples. They do call him ‘Master’, but after all these wonders they still don’t really trust him, and have no hesitation about addressing him rudely and brusquely. Did you say, ‘Just like me’? Well, perhaps I am just as untrusting. We often behave as though Jesus were quietly snoozing, quite unconcerned about our troubles and concerns, as we struggle hopelessly, up to our necks in the mud and sinking rapidly. However, once Jesus’ attention has been roused, once they have put their trust in him, he effortlessly remedies the situation. There is surely an echo of the prophet Jonah, who was sleeping through the storm and was awakened by the sailors to provide a solution.
The story is shaped in such a way that there is also a strong reminiscence of Psalm 106(107).23-30:
Some went dówn to the séa in shíps, to tráde on the míghty wáters. These have séen the déeds of the LÓRD, the wónders he dóes in the déep.
For he spóke and ráised up the stórm-wind, tóssing high the wáves of the séavthat surged to héaven and drópped to the dépths. Their souls mélted awáy in their distréss.
They stággered and réeled like a drúnkard, for áll their skíll was góne. Then they críed to the LÓRD in their néed, and he réscued thém from their distréss.
He stílled the stórm to a whísper, and the wáves of the séa were húshed. They rejóiced becáuse of the cálm, and he léd them to the háven they desíred.
The purpose of this reminiscence is obviously to show that Jesus is acting as only God could act.
Reflection: How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus' sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples. They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need. The Lord Jesus is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord is there with the same reassuring message: "It is I, do not be afraid."
Faith must be nourished with the Word of God
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God.
Christ's love and truth strengthen us in faith and trust
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God's word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God's promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?
Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. And give me courage to do your will in all circumstances.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Awakening the Christ asleep within you, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3)
A STORMY RELATIONSHIP
“The Lord addressed Job out of the storm.” —Job 38:1
You’re in a veritable hurricane of difficulty, and all you can see of Jesus is that He’s asleep. You want to scream, “Jesus, don’t You care?” (see Mk 4:38) However, Jesus “cares for you” (1 Pt 5:7). “Indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps, [your] Guardian” (Ps 121:4). Since Jesus never sleeps on the job of guarding you, His sleeping in the boat of the Church and of your life must carry another meaning. Possibly, Jesus’ act of sleeping in the boat is yet another case of Him giving us an example (see Jn 13:15).
The disciples, accustomed to the storms of the sea, finally experienced a storm they couldn’t handle. Jesus was in the same storm and the same boat, but was asleep. He had perfect peace in the raging storm. What an Example! (1 Pt 2:21) Facing death, Jesus yawns, arises, and stops the chaos (Mk 4:39).
Jesus has shared His Eucharistic Body (Lk 22:19) and divine nature with us (2 Pt 1:4). He wants to give us His own peace (Jn 20:19). He expects us to follow His example and trust Him in the worst times. This is evident, because instead of comforting His panicked disciples, He challenges them, exclaiming: “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?” (Mk 4:40)
Jesus states that we, His disciples, will undergo storms and trials (Mt 7:25). “It is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard” (1 Pt 4:12). When Jesus the Good Shepherd judges it to be the proper time, He will lead you from the stormy waters to the still waters (Ps 23:2; Ps 107:30). Trust Him and do not fear (Mk 5:36). Jesus is Lord over all storms.
Prayer: Jesus, You are my Refuge. I will not be afraid (Ps 27:1). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” —2 Cor 5:17. Praise Jesus, Whom the winds and waves obey.
The personal action for today: What do I do when circumstances are beyond my control? Do I become paralyzed with fear and panic? Do I try to control others and force them into my way of thinking? Do I turn trustingly to GOD and surrender that which is beyond me? How have I experienced the presence of GOD with me in my most trying times? Have I experienced the calming peace of GOD? What can I do to assist others when they are being tossed about by the stormy seas of life?