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Saturday, June 20, 2015

12th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 21.06.2015

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

The month of June is often called the holiday month because it’s the month of school holidays. The other holiday month is December.

And being school holidays the children would expect their parents to bring them out of the country for a holiday.

Depending on the budget, it can be anywhere from regional to the continental.

And if continental Europe is the choice, then one place that is not really the top choice would be Normandy beach in France.

But it will be the place to visit for some who were there on the 6th June 1944. They were not there on that day for a holiday, but for D-day, a day that they will not forget, and it is also a day that they hope will never happen again.

That was the day when Allied troops began a massive assault across the English Channel on Nazi-occupied France in order to liberate Europe from the German occupation.

In that one day of heavy fighting, over four thousand soldiers lost their lives. 

A soldier’s account of the landing on one of Normandy’s beaches had it that as the landing craft drew near the beach, the soldiers could hear bullets tapping on the ramp of the landing craft. 

And when the ramp was lowered, and as the soldiers charge out, it was all hell breaking loose. It was a day that the surviving veterans would never forget and they hope will never happen again.

No amount of preparation before they set off across the Channel from England prepared them for this nightmare, as they crossed over to the other side.

But it was a day to be remembered, not just for the carnage, but also for the courage that brought about the liberation of Europe.

Not so dramatic was the gospel account when Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side.”

As they set sail, they may not be prepared for what was to come, although the Sea of Galilee was known for blowing up sudden storms and claiming lives.

And indeed a gale blew up and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped, meaning to say it was going to sink.

We can imagine all the shouting and panicking in desperation, and in the midst of all that, Jesus was sleeping, head on a cushion, and maybe snoring even!

How can He? And so the disciples had to wake Him and say, “Master, do you not care? We are going down!”

But what were the disciples expecting Jesus to do?

Maybe they merely wanted Him to help them keep the boat afloat till the storm blew over and that they reach the shore safely.

But did they expect Him to stop the storm just like that. Certainly not, otherwise they won’t be filled with awe, and they wondered “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”

Now we, we are much smarter than the disciples. Because we will ask Jesus that no storms will ever hit us.

And then, should a storm hit us, we will ask Jesus for a bigger boat to keep us safe and secure in the storm.

Surely, this is what we expect for believing in Jesus.

We expect life to be leisurely and sailing over calm and tranquil waters. 

Well here is the good news. If we are asking our God to let our lives be smooth sailing, that there will be no storms in life, and that our boats will be unsinkable, then here is the good news.

The good news is this: God says No!

And we will ask – why? We will always ask why because we can’t quite take “No” for an answer.

We are not much different from the character of Job, from the 1st reading.

Job met with one storm after another, and he too asked why???

Oh yes, we want answers, especially when storms start to blow, and ships start to sink.

Here, let us listen to a reflection that might help us to understand why God may say No to our requests.

It goes like this:

I asked God to take away my bad habit. 
God said, No. It is not for Me to take it away, but for you to give it up.    

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. 
God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.  

I asked God to grant me patience.   
God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned. 

I asked God  to give me happiness. 
God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you. 

I asked God to spare me pain. 
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.  

I asked God to make my spirit grow. 
God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful. 

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. 
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things. 

Let us remember that when God says No, it is not a rejection. 

Rather it is a re-direction; a re-direction to see that God’s plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)

So God will not say that there will be no storms in our lives or that the waters of distress will not swamp our boats.

But Jesus will be with us in the storms. But the storms that He will quell are not the storms out there but rather the storms that are within, the storms in our hearts.

To these storms He says, “Quiet now. Be calm.” As Psalm 46:10 would say “Be still, and know that I am God.”

In the midst of the storms in our hearts, we just need to listen to the voice of Jesus and be still and we will know who God is and where He is.

Yes we need to be still and be calm and we will be able to say Yes to God’s plans for us, plans that are always for our good. 

Simply because God loves us. And the prophet Jeremiah will tell us that God not only loves us, but He loves us with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3)