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Year - B

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Job 38: 1, 8-11; 2 Cor 5: 14-17; Mk 4: 35-41)

REFLECT:  Fear not! God is with us...

Dear friends, today we are in the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today fear has taken control of the human society. fear of losing God, fear of losing people, fear of losing material benefits and beneficiaries and fear of losing oneself… But today’s readings come as a source of consolation and comfort to all of us saying that when God is near nothing to fear. Fear dominates us when we are not with God, when our word and deeds do not match up to God’s words and deeds…Fear dominates us when we go against God’s plan… fear dominates when we depart from the sight of God. That’s what we see in the readings of the day as a message for us to take heart and amend our lives for the greater glory of God and for the good of each one of us. Therefore, based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points as a reflection;

1.     Realize that God knows everything

We all know that God knows and he is aware of everything that happens in the entire universe. We read in the gospels that God knows how many hairs are  on our head; God can grant to birds of the air and fish of the see whatever they needed. Yes, if God could care for the little creatures on earth so minutely well, just imagine we who are the reflections of his  image on earth how much more he would know and grant us for the good and benefit of us all.

In the first reading from the book of Job, something similar idea we find, where Job fails to realize that God knows everything. The 38th chapter of Job we see that Yahweh answers Jobfrom the storm clouds that we humans know nothing and here we see God exceeding our ability to understand and to judge. So God is wisdom and his wisdom cannot be at times understood or grasped. So it is an invitation for us to surrender everything to God and realize that God knows us and our situation.

Today we all need to realise that what may look foolish for humans can be wisdom in the sight of God, because God knows what is best for us and its better to leave into the hands of God than holding back to oneself with limited knowledge and possibilities. For What God knows is bestand what grants to us is far better than any human persons could think of. Most of us are not able to progress in life, because we think that we know everything and we could handle everything by ourselves. We think at times that we are far smarter than God himself. Such an attitude is our downfall and defeat towards overall growth towards goodness. Today let’s pray that we would be open to God’s wisdom, so that we may be able accommodate ourselves in the wise plans of God.

2.     Realize that you are a new creation in Christ

To become a new creation in Christ would mean that we renew ourselves in the likeness of Christ through his words, deeds and kingdom values.Perhaps, since the time of creation we are all part of God’s creation but how have we lost our original nature. it’s because of our sins, lapses, weaknesses. So it is time to get back to our original nature, which we have lost. Indeed, St. Paul had lost is original nature because he did not understand who God was or Christ, but having learnt that God is everything, he now says, in the first reading from his letter to Second Corinthians “if anyone is Christ he or she is a new creation, the old has passed and the new has come.”

Further, St. Paul very clearly states that love of Christ controls us, because he died for us all for love of us. Therefore, we no more belong to the fleshly nature rather to divine nature. It’s for this reason Christ came into the world.  This understanding that Christ’s love has complete control has gone deeper into the heart of St. Paul and so he is certain that he can’t think of living his life without Jesus and his command over his life. Having experienced such a powerful blessings from God through Christ, St. Paul now exhorts us through the Corinthian community that we no more belong to freshly nature of human persons with unhealthy desires rather God has opened us a new way for all of us to enter into the heavenly realm by becoming a new creation, giving up sins and living saintly lives on earth.

That’s what Pope Francis would say,” Change your life now, by letting Jesus change you, and become a new creature as St. Paul did.” Yes, St. Paul allowed Christ to change himself to change others. Although, he was very stubborn and felt strong to wipe away Christians from the face of the earth, but everything changed, when he encountered Christ. Today we pray for such encounter in our lives to change ourselves and to change others. Let’s remember that once we realise that we are made for union with God in Christ, our life will automatically turn towards God. As we have become more worldly because of various deviating and demotivating factors of the world, we have submerged in sin and slackening of faith. Let us pray that our heart changes and be directed to God our creator.

3.     Realize the presence of God:

We quite often hear from people saying or we might have even uttered the same,“God is everything and is everywhere.” It reminds us of God’s Omni presence. Yes , God is present everywhere, because we are all part of his creation and the world is because God had created. But what harms us is our tendency to consider that God doesn’t exist when we undergo some problems or pressures in life or when we feel that God is absent. Such realisation could come about in life, when we don’t think of God at all or when we don’t believe or trust in His almighty power and wisdom.  The lack of realisation about God’s presence create vaccum and emptiness in life, thus we go away from God and engage in sin leading to destruction and death. One such incident is what we have in the gospel reading of the day from the Gospel of Mark.

The gospel reading presents to us Jesus calming down the stormy sea. The disciples in boat were terrified and were in fear as there was a storm, but they never realised that Jesus was with them and that he would safeguard them from peril and danger. The words of the disciples, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing,” indicate their total helplessness and lack of faith in Jesus. The disciples have not still understood or believed in the power and authority of Jesus. Jesus now realising their helpless situation calms down the stormy sea, with an indication to disciples, “why are you afraid and have you still no faith”?  These words of Jesus indicate that the disciples have not yet understood the power and authority of Jesus and invite them to trust in Jesus and have no fear of storms in life.  Once Jesus calms down the storm that they realize the power and authority of Jesus, which is seen in the utterernce of disciples words, “Who then is this even wind and sea obey him”?

Yes, the panic among disciples when storm arose in the sea was their failure to realize the presence of God and place trust in him. Soon they realised that Jesus has power over everything on earth. The disciples perhaps thought that Jesus was a mere teacher but they have not yet realised that Jesus a teacher who has authority over everything. Jesus now makes them understand that he has power over the natural elements like that of God who had power over the water in the Old Testament (God separating the water at the time of creation; God commanding the people of Israel to walk through the red sea). So, Jesus is not only a mere teacher who teaches but also has the power to touch, heal and protect. This is the gradual revelation of Jesus’ power and authority to disciples and people.

Today, many of us are caught up in life with various storms of life like lack of faith and trust in God’s power and authority; lack of vision and purpose in life; unhealthy addiction in life ; undue attachment to people, place and things; it’s a time to realise the power and authority of God over us. If we rely on the power and authority of God, we would surely be saved from any stormy seas of life. For such a healing, we need to give up unhealthy addiction and attachments in life. Just as Jesus in the gospel reading of the day we hear that Jesus leaving the multitude of people and went on the other side, so also we need to leave behind all our unhealthy addictions and undue attachments and walk towards God to live life better and be happy. We may have fear of unhealthy addiction and attachments in life, if we learn to surrender unto God, God will grant us the strength and grace to face any unavoidable fears and come out of the fear and tragedy successfully.

As Pope Francis very beautifully says, “The boat of our life is often storn-tossed by winds. Even when the waters are calm, they quickly grow agitated. When we are caught up in those storms, they seem to be our only problem. But the issue is not the momentary storm, but how we are navigating through life. The secret of navigating well is to invite Jesus on board. The rudder of life must be surrendered to him, so that he can steer the route.” So let’s allow Jesus to board in the boat of life and find happiness.

Let me conclude with ashort story: a father and child were crossing over a busy road, there was this bystander who was observing...  He was surprised to see that the child was so happy, free, fearlessly crossing the busy road with his father, after they reached the other side of the road, this bystander asked the child, “dear child were you not afraid or confused of the vehicle that were speeding up on the road… the child innocently yet confidently said, “no,” because my dad was with me. I know he will take care of me and I am sure he will not let me down. Yes! This is what God expects from us realizing the presence of God, realizing that God knows everything that we are in and we undergo and realizing that we become a new creation when we are in Christ or when Christ becomes part of us. So let us have no fear, For God is near.

RESPOND:

Do we realize that God knows everything and submit ourselves into his hands and care?

Do we realize that we are God’s special images and allow ourselves to be special images of his reflection always?

Do we realize the presence of God in and around us in time of fear and hope, Joy and sadness?

Let us realize that God is and knows everything, that we are special images of his reflection and thus be assured of his presence always. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968