Sunday Reflection: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

1^st Reading: Job 38:1, 8-11
2^nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:14-17
Gospel: Mk 4:35-41

We have so many fears in life and sometimes these fears make us paralyzed. We often overthink things when we don’t understand what is happening around us. Life may seem to be very hard for us and we resort to depressive thoughts or anxiety about the future. The storms of life that are new to us make us paranoid or unreasonable.

The things, mentioned above, are real human reactions to the different difficult situations. We often wallow for the past and we make wrong assumptions for the future, but we forget that the most important thing about life is the present where we can change the future and where the past is finished.

In our 1^st Reading this Sunday, God asks Job to answer Him about the created world, most specially about the sea, who put limits to it. This is in connection with the Gospel that we have this Sunday, the disciples were afraid of the storm while Jesus was there sleeping soundly at the stern of the boat. The boat tossed by the waves, but Jesus was asleep. He knows very well that nothing will happen to them because He was with them, and He has power over everything in nature. The disciples, human as they are, were afraid of the forces of nature that was about them. They were afraid because they cannot do anything, and forgot that Jesus, the God-man, was there with them. This is our basic instinct. When we have no control over the things that happen to us, we cower and become frustrated. We often forget that there is God who is always with us.

So, St. Paul challenges our faith now. We are reborn in Christ. We have heard the miracles and the power that Christ has, but have we put our faith in Him. In the storms of life, to whom do we turn to? In the difficult moments of our life, to who do we entrust ourselves? St. Paul says, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation, the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” What new things are there for us? Jesus tells us, to have faith in Him, to hold on to that new relationship that we have with the Father through Him. Thus, St. Paul exhorts us, “the love of Christ impels us…” We have to hold on to that love that urges us to move, no matter what storms may come our way, the love of God is always there for us. We should not be afraid of what’s in the future and wallow about the past. He is the God of the present, past and future. Everything happens according to His good pleasure.