Today's readings offer us a powerful reminder of the majesty and wonder of God's power. In the Book of Job, God speaks from the whirlwind, reminding Job of the vastness and complexity of creation. God asks Job a series of rhetorical questions, challenging his limited understanding of the universe and his own place within it. Standing at the shore of a vast sea, or at the base of some magnificent mountain, how many times are we led to acknowledge the awesome power of God’s creative genius? How many times are we filled with a calm, knowing that the One who brought all that into being has called us to be his own children, his own precious treasure?
In our own lives, we often find ourselves in the midst of storms, whether literal or metaphorical. We may feel overwhelmed by the challenges and difficulties that come our way. But today's readings remind us that we are not alone. We are part of a much larger story, one that is beyond our comprehension. We are accompanied by the Lord who made it all.
In the second reading from 2 Corinthians, Paul writes about the sacrifice that Christ has made for us. He gives up his life so that we might have eternal life. This is a staggering gift, one that we can hardly begin to understand. But Paul says that this sacrifice has given us new life, a life that is not bound by the limitations of this world. Again, Christ shows us, with marvellous clarity, how much he has loved us.
The Gospel reading from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming a storm on the lake. The disciples are terrified, but Jesus speaks to the storm, saying "Peace! Be still!" And suddenly, the wind dies down and the sea becomes calm.
This is not just a miraculous event, but a powerful reminder of Jesus' authority over all creation, but it is reminiscent of the question God asks job in today’s first reading: “Who pent up the sea behind closed doors when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb, when I wrapped it in a robe of mist and made black clouds its swaddling bands; when I marked the bounds it was not to cross and made it fast with a bolted gate? Come thus far, I said, and no farther: here your proud waves shall break.” The same God who spoke to Job, stood in the stern of the boat that day, with the apostles, on the sea of Galilee and had to remind the sea who its Lord was, and stretching out his hand he commanded it, “Quiet now, be calm.” The apostles then ask, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” You would think that at this point it would be obvious who he is, yet even in our own day, various cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Christadelphians and then non-Christians like our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters, still deny the divinity of Christ. And all the while, what we were being shown through his presence with us, here on earth, was that he is the Emmanuel, the “God who is with us.”
As we face our own storms and challenges, let us remember that we are not alone. We are part of a larger story, one that is written by God himself. Let us trust in his power and wisdom, even when we don't understand what is happening around us. Let us remember that Jesus is with us, always speaking words of peace and calm into our lives, revealing that the way to heaven, to eternal life, is through Him, and he helps us as the Church, both on an individual and a collective level, to get there, like he helped the Apostles get to the other side of the stormy sea.
And let us also remember that our own lives are not just about personal gain or success. As Paul says in today's reading, our
lives are about one thing: knowing Christ and making him known. He has asked the entire Church to participate in the work of evangelization. This is the greatest adventure we can embark on, and it is one that will lead us to a life of peace, joy, and wonder.
May God bless us with a deeper understanding of his power and love, and may we strive to live lives that reflect his glory and honor him in all we do. Amen.
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