TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

Job 38:1-4,8-11 Ps 107 2Cor 5: 14-17 Mk 4:35-41

1. I should begin by thanking Mgr. Brad Massman for inviting me to celebrate Mass today. Exactly 50 years ago, this was my first morning in the Jesuit Seminary. It is the feast of the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga.   I got up feeling very much like the Apostles in today’s Gospel, before they got into the boat.  They had just witnessed Jesus teaching the crowds on the shores of Lake Galilee. The crowds were so large – they listened eagerly. Later, after the Ascension, they would be told by Jesus.

“When the Holy Spirit comes down, you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and Samaria to the ends of the world.”  This command would be for every Christian. I took it very personally. I dreamt about going to the different parts of the world, and preaching the good news, and there would be instant conversions like instant coffee.

2. Little does one expect that these dreams would come true and that I would be blessed to work in India and Guyana, in Canada and in parts of Europe, States and even as far as the Philippines. But through the years I have realized  as in the Gospel today, Jesus would do all the work.  There was a mighty storm

• The Apostles must have been sea sick with the tossing of the waves
• The Apostles must have thrown up everything they had eaten
• The Apostles must have wondered to themselves why did we follow this man into the boat –

he is not a fisherman! And now he is soundly asleep. How could he do this to us?

3. Job asks the same question in the first reading. The book of Job, is actually two books telescoped into one. Ch 1-2 and 38-42, form the original story of Job, - the large bulk in the middle: the conversation and discussion of Job and his three friends is a theology on suffering and human disappointment.  Job has suffered huge losses:

• The loss of his fortune: cattle and property robbed by enemies
• The loss of his family destroyed by earthly calamities
• The loss of physical health and peace of mind as a result of the=2 0above.

• It is not surprising that he complains.  We do the same when faced with disasters at our work place, in our family, in sickness. One thing I find strange however, when things go well, we do not blame God for things.

When things go well for me, I do not ask why did God do these things to me

• When I have a happy and healthy family,
• When I have success and promotion in my job
• When my children and grandchildren do well in school or university.

I take that for granted. God must provide. I have done nothing to merit this, but since God created me, God will see that things fall in place. But let calamity strike us: GOD IS RESPONSIBLE!

4. The author of this book of Job paints God in very human terms. God is as we say “sick and tired” of all this complaining. God created the wonders of the world. Only two are mentioned in the first reading.  But if we read the rest of the chapter: It speaks of the heavens an d earth, the land and the sea and all that live: birds, animals and fish. You, Job were not there when I did all these wonders. And now I DO NOT HAVE to give an explanation for the small things you are suffering, no matter how big YOU think they are.  It is not exactly a satisfying answer. But
 

if we think less of ourselves,

if we do not think we are the centre around whom the whole universe revolves,

if we think more of others,

if we think of our suffering in context of other suffering. Then it will be easier to handle.

5. We come back to our Disciples in the boat caught in the storm.  Once as I was travelling in a beautiful modern day yacht: there was a sign: “A ship is always safe in the harbour. But a ship was not built to stay in the harbour.”

Our lives like the Disciples in the boat will constantly be out on a journey to the heavenly kingdom. There will be times when the boat seems to be capsizing. We will think, “I should not have left the shore.” I should have stayed right there. But then we would20not get anywhere would we? Jesus has told us: “Those who try to save their lives will loose it.”

As Christians we have to go out and spread the Good News. At times, the sailing will be just beautiful like a cruise, at times there will be no wind, and we will be stalled in one place – with apparently no progress, and at times we will be like the Apostles tossed and thrown up, and throwing up. But remember Jesus will always be with us: Let us not be People of little faith. With him, we can do all things.