Reflection for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 20, 2021
Reflection for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time…June 20, 2021
by Ann O’Connor, Notre Dame Associate
Mark 4:35-41
The story of Jesus calming the storms shows us God is with us even when we do not realize it. Jesus is in control. He is with us in the storms.
- As Mark tells the story, the disciples were terrified that the boat was going to break up and everyone would die. But Jesus was asleep apparently oblivious to their pending doom. They wake him and cry, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus quiets the storm with a word, but then he chides the disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
- Jesus is with us throughout the storms of our life, and can bring a great calm. But he understands our fears and allows us to express them to him, like the disciples who cried out “do you not care?”
- In the storms of our own life, we too can cry out “Lord, do you not care?” He will hear us, reassure us and say “why are you afraid? I am here with you.”
- Jesus has power over the storms of life, experiences them alongside us, loves us, saves us from them, and wants us to trust him more than we do.
The message of the Gospel is that Jesus came so that we can be saved from our sin and reconciled to God. We should be quick to recognize His power and majesty and also quick to trust Him. He hasn’t promised to calm every storm, but He has promised that He will never leave us and never forsake those who trust in Him.
Who do we believe God to be? How does our understanding of who God is impact the way we respond to difficult seasons in life?
