12th Sunday of the Year, B – June 23, 2024.
Readings: Job 38:1,8-11; Psalm 106:23-26,28-32; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 & Gospel – Mark 4:26-34.
Sunday Synopsis
In the first reading, Job and his friends focused on the meaning of individual suffering, but God revealed that he had the final word. In the second reading, St. Paul discloses that since one man died and rose again, the faithful are invited to live “no longer for themselves” but for him. The gospel discloses how the sea and the wind obeyed Jesus who delivered his disciples who were frightened. Amidst the winds and storms of materialism, secularism and fear of persecution, we are charged to focus on Jesus who can calm the boat of the Church towards its final destination.
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, our liturgy presents us with the story of the calming of the sea. As contemporary disciples, our gospel suggests that we are in the boat of the Church yet sailing on the murky waters of a mundane world that hates us so badly. It is in this world where the strong winds of capitalism are intent on sinking our Titanic that we are called to be calm and still bear in mind that the Lord would not desert us.
Background and Summary of the Readings
In the first reading (Job 38:1,8-11), Job and his friends focused on the meaning of individual suffering. Still, God invited Job to see himself and his anxieties in the matrix of a world that is wonderful and unfathomable. The text reveals how God invited Job to see himself and his anxieties within the matrix of his creation.
In the second reading (2 Corinthians 5:14-17), St. Paul discloses that since one man died and rose again, the faithful are invited to live “no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.” He underlines that we are “a new creation” because “the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.”
The gospel (Mark 4:26-34) tells the story of the sea’s calming. It recalls how the disciples were afraid of the waves that were breaking into the boat that they were in. They cried out to Jesus who rebuked the wind and the sea, and they obeyed him. At that, he rebuked them for their lack of faith. We are told that they were amazed and wondered how it this that even the wind and sea obeyed him. This leads us to the types of fear:
Types of Fear
1. Negative Fears: This consists of fear of the past, fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of holiness, fear of being caught and the fear of men. Its subtypes include:
a). Fear of the Past: Today, many people are caught up in a web of past sins or guilt of things they may have done in their lives a long time ago. Because they are held down by guilt and self-pity, they are afraid that others might come to know their former ways and judge them.
b). Fear of the Future: Tossed about by the vicissitudes of life, young people often have fears about the future. They are deceived into horoscope or zodiac signs because they want to know their fate in life. As a result, many of them end up in the hands of crooks. Parents too are preoccupied with what the future holds for their kids. Some end in the hands of fortune tellers who dupe them of their hard-earned money and valuables.
c). Fear of the Unknown: Fear of the unknown takes place when people become paranoid suspecting everything and anyone around them – they become nihilistic – they doubt everything, including the existence of God. They have premonitions claiming that evil is lurking around the corner.
d). Fear of holiness: There is a tendency for young people to be afraid of holiness. They think that holiness is for the aged (senior citizens) or “those who have chopped life” as we say in Nigeria. It could be why the Holy Father, Pope Francis has consistently called on young people not to be afraid of embracing holiness.
e). Fear of being Caught: There is a growing fear of not being caught which further plunges us into sin. Popularly called the 11th commandment, “thou shall not be caught,” the fear of being caught could further lead us into sin.
f). Fear of human beings: By saying “Do not be afraid of those who cannot kill the soul,” Jesus suggests that our fear should be directed to God, not human beings – parents, spouses, or superiors over and above our creator.
2. Positive Fears: Positive fears include fear of sin, fear of hell and fear of God:
a) Fear of Sin: As children of God, we are urged to fear sin. This is because if we do, God’s abiding presence will remain with us even as it pleases him.
b) Fear of Hell: Contrary to the opinion that doing good because one is afraid of hell is not good, it is noble to realise the danger of losing one’s soul which Jesus talks about in the gospel to amend one’s ways and make heaven. If the fear of hell would make us make heaven, so be it.
c). Fear of God: This is a holy fear that emboldens us to keep God’s Commandments. It is an awareness of God’s supremacy over us which urges us to revere him and avoid sinning against the Holy Spirit.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Be firm in Faith: Just as Job kept faith alive despite being humiliated by the devil, the first reading urges us to be firm in faith in the face of trials and tribulations bearing in mind that though the just may suffer, God has the final say.
2. Live for Others: Just as one man, Jesus, died for all as St. Paul recalls in the second reading, we are challenged to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters towards making the world a better place to live in.
3. Embrace the New Life: Since old things have passed away, the message of St. Paul invites us to embrace the new life of Christ through faithfulness.
4. Count on God: Though we are in a world that tosses us about through storms of Christian persecution, materialism and secularism, we are charged to always remember that because Jesus is in the boat of the Church, we shall be victorious.
5. Command Authority: By calming the stormy sea, Christ teaches contemporary Christians to leverage their faith in the authority of Jesus to pull down and destroy the stronghold of the devil even as they evangelise nations.
Summary Lines
1. In the first reading, Job and his friends want to focus their attention on the meaning of individual suffering.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul discloses that since one man died and rose again, the faithful are invited to live “no longer for themselves…”
3. He surmises we are “a new creation” because “the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.”
4. The gospel recalls how the disciples were afraid of the waves breaking into the boat they were in.
5. They cried out to Jesus and he rebuked the wind and the sea which obeyed him.
Conclusion
Our liturgy invites the Christian to be calm and still as Jesus does not forget his own especially when they are in dire need. Although the Church is tossed about like a boat on the high sea, Christ has the final word. In the face of fierce persecution against the Church, Christians must learn from the heroic example of Job who was initially worried but later resigned to the will of God. Let us take consolation in the words of the scriptures: “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). As such, do not be afraid or become a slave to fear. May the Holy Spirit help us to imitate the gracious words of Katherine Gaskin so that like the pineapple, we would stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside. Amen!
