12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
As Catholic Christians, today’s gospel reading speaks directly to us, as it has a very powerful and important message for us. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus teaches us how to face challenges in our lives and what attitude we need to have, if we want to overcome the challenges we face in life. It is a well known fact that challenges, trials, tribulations, disappointments, discrimination, difficulties, persecution and suffering will always come our way as we navigate the sea called “life” in order to arrive to the shores of eternal life in heaven to be with God. This sea called “life” that we are navigating is always plagued by various kinds of storms like dealing with our personal demons and our weaknesses; dealing with professional challenges and shortcomings, health issues, family problems, financial difficulties etc. When we find ourselves in such situations, we feel like God has abandoned us and is not around or is heedless of our fate. Jesus in today’s gospel reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Mark chapter 4, verse 40, asks us today “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” With this question and Jesus’s actions of rebuking the wind, and quieting the sea, when the violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, He teaches us not to be terrified when we face challenges and obstacles in life, but to have faith in God knowing that He is with us and will never abandon us.
Jesus is asking you today, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” Jesus is asking you today, if I am with you always till the end of time - Emmanuel, why are you terrified by the challenges or obstacles that come your way? If you call yourself a Children of God who is made in God’s image and likeness, why are you terrified of your fellow human beings and their actions? If you are my disciples indeed, why then are you terrified and worried about the trials, tribulations, disappointments, discrimination, difficulties, persecution and suffering you face when you live out and proclaim my gospel to the world? How do you deal with the challenges, obstacles and difficulties that come your way in life? How do you overcome these challenges, obstacles and difficulties? Who or where do you go to get help or find solutions to these problems? Do you come to Me, Your Lord and Savior for help in times of turmoil and turbulence in your life as the disciples did in today’s gospel reading? Are you ready to be less terrified of the world and deepen your faith in Me today?
When we are faced with challenges, trials, tribulations, disappointments, discrimination, difficulties, persecution, pain, worries and suffering, we can only find solutions to them by going to God in those troubling times in prayer like the disciples did in today’s gospel reading saying, “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing?” God hears our prayers and God is always with us and will never abandon us, so, go to Him for help always!
When we face challenges, trials, tribulations, disappointments, discrimination, difficulties, persecution, pain, worries and suffering in life as Christians, we are taught by Jesus today to totally trust and have faith and confidence in Him whose love impels us to live no longer for ourselves but for Him who loves us, who for our sake died and was raised from the dead, as Saint Paul reminded us in today’s second reading, from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 14 to 17.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do not be terrified, but have faith in God always when you face challenges, obstacles and difficulties in life as a child of God. Go to Christ in prayer like the disciples did in today’s gospel story and totally trust and have confidence in Him whose love impels us to live no longer for ourselves, but for Him, our Savior and Redeemer.
