12th Sunday Ordinary Time June 23, 2024

Readings: Job 38:1, 8-11, 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, Mark 4:35-41

“Most of us don’t think about anyone having the capacity to change the weather or to control the physical environment simply by thinking about it or praying about it. Most of us are very much caught up in the scientific was of our present age. We can understand the surprise of the followers of Jesus when Jesus was able to control the storm and stop any danger.

The readings today are given to us to make us think about God and about the role of God in our personal life and in the life of the world. The first reading, from the Book of Job, states clearly that God creates all things and creates the weather as well as the physical universe. Those who understand and accept the Book of Job as the Word of God will be able to understand the Gospel more easily than someone who does not believe and really doubts even the existence of a God.

what about the storms in our life? – whether big or small - literal or metaphorical - It is not that storms are good, -- the technical term is that “they suck” – And it is not that we know the reason for them, at the time of the storm, the disciples did not understand why. – But that storm was important to growth the disciple’s faith, -- and potential the storms in our lives can be as well.

While we may not be able to answer the question of “why” for the storm –  or understand the reason for the way God answers our requests, in faith, trusting in God who is in control, there is good to be had in the storm – We can ask about the storms in our life – “how might God help me grow from this?” – just as the disciples grow in faith from that scary storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Fr. Terry