Fr. Mike Schmitz
12th Sunday of Year B
Deacon Peter McCulloch
Surviving the Storm
[Job 38:1, 8-11; 2Cor.5:14-17; Mk.4:35-41]
Many people love the sea; they’re fascinated by its colour, its power and its life, while others fear it. They’re scared of its sharks, shipwrecks and unstable nature.
In Biblical times, people found the sea frightening. They thought it was dangerous and believed that only God can tame it. Indeed, God does tame it in Genesis 1:6-10.
HOMILY TWO
On Rembrandt’s Storm – Tossed Sea
[Job 38:1, 8-11; 2Cor.5:14-17; Mk.4:35-41]
‘The bad time comes,’ wrote Doris Lessing, ‘and we don’t know why.’
On the Sea of Galilee, the bad time comes when the cool air from the mountains rushes down towards the warm sea air, creating violent storms.
Fr. Andrew Ricci
God guides us through the storm
As Jesus calms the storm (and the fears of the disciples!) we recognize the Lords power to help us face the storms that surface in our lives. May we call upon Christ for the hope, wisdom and courage we need each and every day.
Fr. Austin Fleming
Squalls and storms come up when we realize that things are changing:
- changing from health to sickness;
- changing from employment to unemployment;
- changing from surety to confusion;
- changing from marriage to divorce;
- changing from at-home to away-from-home;
- changing from a full nest to an empty nest;
- changing from security to fear…
Homiletic Pastoral Review
The Book of Job
Today, our reflections turn to the profound wisdom contained in the book of Job, a literary masterpiece that stands unique within the sacred canon of Scripture. Job’s narrative takes a dramatic approach to the fundamental questions of our existence, unraveling the mysteries of the relationship between God and humanity, good and evil, reward and punishment.
Basilica of the National Shrine
Dominican Blackfriars
Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) | Fr John O’Connor preaches on the calming of the storm.
Bishop Robert Barron
Suffering is part of God’s complex and interconnected plan, and trusting in His providence, even when we don’t understand it, can ultimately lead to victory.
Featured Podcasts
Trust in Jesus During Life’s Storms
We are called to trust in Jesus during life’s storms, have faith that he is with us always, and live a habitual life of grace, challenging cultural standards and embracing our vocation.
Fr. Charles E. Irvin
Peace and Security in Life’s Storms
Out there in that storm tossed boat we just heard about in today’s Gospel Jesus was teaching His disciples about where to find peace and security. They would have it so long as Jesus was at their side.
That is the lesson we need to learn; that is the truth that we need to see. God Himself comes to us in His Son Jesus Christ. God, with all of His powers, is with us when the forces of chaos descend upon us. He knows what we face because in Jesus Christ He, too, faced them and continues to face them in us.
Fr. Joe Jagodensky, SDS
Jesus & the Storm
Storms are not a God testing us as He did to Job. That’s a story for our spiritual formation. God doesn’t give cancer any more than He causes divorce, a lost job or alcoholism, or any storm storming over our heads. God gave us Jesus Christ. St. Paul affirms it for us today, “whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away;” [storms can be faithfully handled] “behold, new things have come.” Storms make us stronger when calmed by our faith.
Fr. George Smiga
Speaking to God
Jesus and the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee and a huge storm comes up. The boat is tossed from one wave to another, and the waves are breaking over the side. It has become apparent to the apostles that this boat is going down with everyone in it. Jesus, however, is asleep in the stern on a cushion. What do the apostles do? Do they quietly walk to the back and tap Jesus on the shoulder and say, “Lord I know you’re sleeping, but we have a problem?” Do they gently shake him and say, “Master sorry to disturb you but the waves are getting a little rough?” No. They cry out with accusation. “Master, do you not care we’re going to die?” Now Jesus gets up and stills the storm of course. But I do not intend today to reflect on Jesus’ actions but rather the apostles’ prayer, because this prayer can be a model for us.
RELATED HOMILIES:
God in the Foxhole (2015)
Where Jesus Sleeps (2021)
Fr. Anthony Ekpunobi, C.M.
Msgr. Joseph Pellegrino
Conqueror of Chaos
There is no chaos when the Lord is on the ship. There are challenges, many, many challenges, difficult challenges, horrible challenges, but chaos, forces that will destroy who we are, no, there is no chaos with the Lord. All that matters, as Lauren Daigel says in the song “You Say”, is that we find our identity, our self worth in the Lord.
Msgr. Charles Pope
My Soul Looks Back and Wonders How I Got Over
I. It begins with the CALL of Jesus: Let us go across to the other side.
II. Then comes the COMMENCEMENT: And leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was.
III. For indeed, next comes the CONCERN: And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
IV. But note the CALM of Jesus that brings peace to the others: But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
V. Finally, note the CHARGE: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
Bishop John Louis
Fr. Michael Chua
Life Issues
FRANK PAVONE
LIFE ISSUES WEBSITE
The Things We Carry
Proclaim Sermons
Mark’s version of this story has the disciples carrying Jesus with them into the boat, almost as if he were a piece of luggage. As we face life’s transitions, Jesus is all we need to carry with us. What are we carrying that is dragging us back?
SOURCE: LifeIssues.net Homily Archive
Jesus is with us in the boat – Trust Him
There are storms in our readings today. In the first reading, God speaks to Job out of the storm (Job 38:1), and in the Gospel, a sudden storm sweeps down on the Sea of Galilee as Jesus and the disciples are crossing the lake in a boat (Mark 4:35-41). The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake 705 feet below sea level. Nazareth is 1138 feet above sea level. In the short 30km journey from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee there is a significant rise in temperature due to the difference in elevation as you go down to the Sea of Galilee. As temperatures build up around the Sea of Galilee during the day, the hot air rises and is replaced by cooler air coming down from the surrounding hills, and when these different air masses meet, there are sudden and violent storms.
Fr. John Kavanaugh, S.J.
Incomprehensible Death
Our faith is not a guarantee that we will not go under. But it is a promise that, even if we nearly drown, Jesus will be with us. Not every storm of ours is miraculously silenced before his command, but all can be transformed by the abiding presence of love that disarms all fear.
Fr. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Bishop Frank Schuster
Tohu Wa Bohu
The readings this weekend are exquisite and revolve around one of the Church’s favorite symbols, water. I have shared with you on occasion an old Jewish take on the opening line of Genesis. You remember, the spirit of the Lord hovers over the primordial chaos of creation symbolized by stormy water. The Hebrew words, you may recall, are the wonderful words tohu wa bohu. Remember this? Tohu wa bohu, welter and waster, primordial chaos, it is the disorganized paint on the creator’s palate if you will. You probably have seen a painter’s palate before with bunches of globs of paint, in many places mixed together to make new colors etc. The tohu wa bohu symbolized by the stormy waters of creation are like the chaos of the divine
painters palate, who makes miraculous order of this goop as He paints a masterpiece on His canvas.
