YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (7)

YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: JESUS IS THE LORD OF THE WIND AND SEAS: HE CALMS OUR EVERY STORM

BY: Fr. Cosmas Ukadike CM

HOMILY:

Storms are part of the lived human experiences. There isn’t life without a storm. And this storm can take various dimensions to stare us in the face.

In today’s first reading we hear of God’s response to Job’s complaints about the numerous and almost incessant storms in his life (Job 38, 1; 8-11).

We are aware from the scriptures of how calamities after calamity befell Job who is reputed as a faithful man of God (Job 1, 13-22). And after much endurance of it all, he decided to confront God for an answer to his problems (Job 3,11; 7, 20; 13, 3).

So today God took out time to respond to him, certainly not as Job would have loved to have it, but God rather went by way of posing questions to Job. These questions as seen in today’s reading (Job 38,1; 8-11) highlights 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 (Psalm 24, 1-2). In today’s Gospel, Jesus exercised this power of God to put everything under control by rebuking the wind and commanding the sea to be still (Mark 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 here began to panic 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 doesn’t care about our wellbeing? He does and always will do. All we need 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. And may the Lord calm every storm ragging in our lives.

Have a blessed week.

Fr. Cosmas Ukadike, C.M.