Homily (2) for 12th Sunday of Ordinary Season
Year B:Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
Readings: Job 38:1, 8-11; Ps 107:23-31; 2 cor 5:14-17 and
Mark 4:35-41
Jesus Calms the Proud Waves of Our Lives
In the readings of
today we are all invited to remain focus on Jesus, the Son of David, God’s
incarnate since he alone can recreate us, the multitude, calm the sea,
the waves and the various storms of our
lives. These storms, could be natural, material, biological, emotional, economical,
socio-political and spiritual, yet, related, depending on where God has placed
us in life.
In the Gospel reading of today, we meet the Markan Jesus who
calms the waves and storms that arose in the sea of Galillee when he was
travelling pastorally with his disciples. Because of the violent and
threatening nature of this meditarenean storm the disciple thought they were
perishing. They were afraid. They were emotionally and psychologically shaken.
Their boat and material possessions were at risk, but not for their recognition
of the teacher of calmness. They woke Christ up, and said, “teacher do you not
care, we are perishing.” Of course, Jesus, the teacher of calmness, woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still.” Instantly, there was
a great calm to the amazement the disciples of this Son of God.
With God everything is possible; every endurance is worth
pursing and every courage is worth taking! (This reminds me of our ongoing 2015
archaeological expedition and pilgrimage in the Holy land. As we journey
through the old city of David, the temple mount, Hezekiah’s tunnel, masada,
engedi, the Qumran community, Dead Sea,
Bethlehem, Caesarea Philippi, Shepherd fields, Nazareth, Jezreel valley,
Galilee-Capernaum, Tabga, Mount of
Beatitude, etc, courage and focus on the Lord are needed to bear the
challenges and sacrifices associated
with pilgrimages and a dig in the desert area, of Bethsaida.
In the case of Job,
familiar to us, repeated in the first
reading, it was, faith, hope, steadfastness and endurance that saw him through
his personal storms and proud waves. He
lost everything, wife, children and his animals. He was cajoled and mocked by
friends! Because, of his personal trust and love for God, he
lived to experience the calmness, and the stillness of his ill-fortunes as the
disciples of Christ would in the storming sea of Galillee!
Equally, Saint Paul throughout his missionary journeys was not immuned from
sufferings, ship-wrecking, waves and storms of all forms. He faced multiple
trials, hardship and imprisonment. Like the disciples of Christ he recognized
the master. One thing, he emphasized, as evident in the second reading, 2 Cor
5:14-17, was the love of Christ, the focus on Christ. Paul says, “the love of
Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died…whoever is in Christ is a new creation.”
The proud storms that face us today are not limited to poverty, illness, medical
issues, family crises, high rate of
divorces, neglect of parental responsibilities( father’s day in the United
States), racism, discrimination and ignorance. It include lack of faith, hope, love and greediness to dominate others.
Threats of war, terrorism and religious extremism are some of them. Corruption
and abuse of public offices of nations and communities, have also replaced a sense of social justice,
authentic leadership and thoughts for the common good! Some worship centers
today, and unfortunately have been converted to a political theatre instead of
a sanctuary to encounter God, in our neighbors, whose Son quieted the waves of
the sea of Galilee.
Whatever form our proud waves of life may take Jesus, God’s
incarnate, Son of Mary and Joseph is the answer!
