The Powerful God

12th sunday in ordinary time, Job 38:1,8-11; Psalm 107; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-4.

For the Israelites of the time of Jesus, the sea represented the greatest threat to human beings. It was the expression of evil powers because it contained all the terrible creatures. The sea has uncontrollable forces. This Sunday, the storm comes in as an addition to the scary and threatening environment surrounding the sea concept. But Jesus will silence everything with a word:

“Be silent”.

We find ourselves in the sea of the world with all kinds of threats and dangers. There is no place in life that guarantees us of a storm-less sail on the sea of life. Yet meeting with storms does not mean that we made wrong decisions or that we are necessarily in the wrong direction. No. Storms are part of our lives. Every sector of life has its storms: the storms in our hearts, storms of anxiety, storms of depression, storms of hardship, storms of temptations, storms of inequality, storms of corruption, storms in marriage, storms in family life, storms in community life… All we need is to always remember that there is a powerful God, who is the source of energy. St. Augustine said that:

“The storms of life waken up the sleeping Christ inside us”

The storm awakens our trust in God who reaffirms his mighty handiwork to Job in the first reading (Job 38). We must renew our trust in God’s power.

"I am the Lord All-Powerful, the first and the last, the one and only God" (Isaiah 44:6)

Our God is in control of this world.

Finding Peace in Christ

When faced with the storm, the disciples remember to turn to Jesus in prayer. Lord save us, we are perishing, they said. When faced with the storms in our own lives, we should remember Jesus’ power over all things. Just as He calmed the sea for the disciples, He can bring peace to our troubled hearts, our troubled families, our troubled churches and our troubled societies. We only need to trust Him and have faith. St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians tells us that, since we live by Christ, Christ’s love changes us. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Him. In Christ, we become new creations, leaving our old ways behind. This new life in Christ is full of hope and promise. When we trust in His love, we can face any storm of life with courage. We know that He is with us, guiding and protecting us.

Father in heaven, thank you for your word on this 12th Sunday. You know all the storms we are facing on the sea of this world. Help us to trust you even when everything seems messy, lost and uncontrollable. Silence the storms and give us your strength and your guidance.

Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC

Living the Gospel this week: Turning to God in Prayer

The book of Job says:

“Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer…” (Job 11:13-19)

In our daily lives, we might feel afraid or lost, despair, threatened by the storms of life. Let’s turn to God in prayer. When the disciples felt threatened by the outrage of the sea and the heavy storm, they cried to Jesus. Just as they did, we can cry out to Him too. He hears us and will help us. With the letter to the Hebrews,

"So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

(Hebrews 13:6)

Let us remember that Jesus is always with us, even in the most difficult moments of our lives. He is our peace and our strength. By trusting in Him, we find the courage to face any challenge. (Psalm 119:71)

Prayer: The Holy Mother of God helps me to trust in the power and love the love of God as you did. Dear Mother, when we face the storms of life, teach us and help us to know that you are with us. Holy Spirit our Comforter, help us to deal with our fears, and give us your peace. Help us to live as new creations in Christ

(2 Corinthians 5:17) showing your love to others. Amen.

Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC