Today's Gospel narrates the storm on the sea.

In our journey sometimes storms gather and batter us. We are buffeted on all sides.

Jesus appeared to expose the weak faith of his disciples.

Jesus says to the disciples:"Why are you afraid, little faith ones?"

we turn and call to God for help.

In Jesus, creation is once again renewed because He will restore order to the world brought in chaos by sin.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Job 38:1, 8-11

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the storm:

Who shut the sea behind closed doors 

when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment 

and thick darkness its swaddling clothes; 

 

when I set its limits with doors and bars in place, 

when I said, "You will not go beyond these bounds; 

here is where your proud waves must halt?"

 

Ps 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31 Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realize that if he died for all, all have died. He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them. And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard him in another way. For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Mark 4:35-41

In that same day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." So they left the crowd, and took him along in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat, so that it was soon filled with water. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.

 

They woke him up, and said, "Master, don't you care if we drown?" "Why are you so frightened? And rising up, Jesus rebuked the wind, and ordered the sea, "Quiet now! Be still!" The wind dropped, and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, "Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?"

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Quiet now! Be still!"

 

Lectio Divina

 

READ: When the evening came, Jesus invited his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. They left the crowd and went. While they were in the boat, there came a storm. The waves spilled over and the boat was filled with water. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Jesus up, asking him if he did not care if they drowned.

 

Jesus commanded the wind and the sea to be quiet and still. There was a great calm. Jesus asked his disciples if they still have faith. The disciples were terrified. They also wondered about Jesus' identity since even the wind and the sea obeyed him.

 

REFLECT: Faith can calm even the most violent storm. As we continue our journey, we can only ask Jesus to strengthen our faith. There are times in our life's journey when we can be bombarded by seemingly insurmountable problems. When faced with life's trials and difficulties, we can easily falter and lose faith. Moreover, there would also be times when we would be entertaining the thought that God does not care at all.

 

The truth is God cares for us. Jesus cares for us. Jesus cares not only to save us from danger but also to make our faith stronger so that we may face our everyday struggles calmly and with serenity.

 

PRAY: We pray that Jesus may increase our faith.

 

ACT: Let us practice being calm and serene today and for the rest of the week.