Reflections

12th Sunday Ordinary (B)/Jesus calm down the storm.
	Job 38:1, 8-11 2/ Ps 107 / 2 Cor. 5:14-17/Mk 4:35-41
	Introduction
	Titanic was known in the shipping history not only as the biggest ship but believed to be “the unsinkable ship.” But history also tells that just for one iceberg in middle of calm and romantic night, a great tragedy happened and indeed - it sunk. In the Gospel there is a smaller boat and though the waves were pushing it on every side but it did not sink because Christ was in it.
	Background
	Mark used one of the earliest symbols for the Church – “Ship.” He also wrote a scenario of a boat being tossed by the waves to picture the reality of the Church which was literally in the midst of a “great storm” of persecutions. Emperor Nero burned the city of Rome on 64AD and he blamed it on the Christians. This event was the most tragic and most challenging part of the history of the Church. It could had been the “biggest Storm” that hit the “boat” of Christ. It is also interesting to note the Jesus addressed the wind and the storm (Silence. Be still) in the same way as he addressed the demon-possessed man in Mark 1:25. In Palestine, they believed that the power of the demons was at work in the realm of nature. But Mark wanted to emphasize that any “forces of evil” that might came across the “ship of Christ”, can easily be silenced by Jesus. This was the encouragement that Mark wanted to convey to the wavering faith of his followers. The use of the words “even the wind and the storm obey him” was a symbol of Christ’s Divine power working over the power of nature. It might be referring to the works of Yahweh in the OT. In Gen 1:2 God created the world and, “… darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.” It could also be seen in Ex. 14-15 when God divided the Jordan River and ordered it to come back again to its original level. It is the nature of nature to simply obey its creator. If the God in the OT can bring order to the world, so it will be with Christ; he can bring peace and tranquility to his church anytime it is needed.
	Reflections:
	Lake Galilee was notorious for its storms. They just came out of the blue in a terrifying suddenness. It was not unusual to see terrible squalls hurl themselves, even when the sky is perfectly clear. Sometimes “storms in life” could happen even in the midst of a “beautiful day” of our life. Even though everything seems to be working as planned, a great tragedy could happen that can shake the boat of our life. When these things happen, you should never forget that Christ dwells in you. You received him in baptism, and you are continually receiving him in the Eucharist. With all his powers he can calm all kinds of storm that will come into your way. Sometimes life seems to be a very long night to travel. There are problems which are so big that we think we can not make it to the other side. (Like Job, he thought he can not pass through all the challenges in his life, but at the end he did it.) You are not traveling alone in this world. You have company and there are “other boats” traveling along with you, to look after you and to support you. And most of all there is Someone who is always ready to stand up and calm down even the strongest storm in your way. You should have hope and keep on holding to your faith; with Christ, you can make it to the other side. Stern is given to the most important passenger because from it you can have the best view of the whole sea. Christ has the better view of the “sea of your life.” He knows how big the storm that you are facing. He knows better how to handle and assess it than you do. Just have faith in him. Oftentimes we magnify the situation thinking that the “whole boat of our life” is sinking. But in reality it is not; by over reacting to small problems, things become even worse. When you look around and you see the “Captain” still sleeping, I am telling you my friend – your boat is far from sinking! So stay calm and have faith in God.
	Conclusion
	It is not a question of the “size” the ship nor the “strength” of the storm that can save or sink “the boats in our daily life.” It is the kind “of Passenger” we have in the boat of our hearts that matters most.