"He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm." (Mk 4:39)
READING OF THE DAY
First reading from the Book of Job
Jb 38:1, 8-11
The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said:
Who shut within doors the sea,
when it burst forth from the womb;
when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it
and fastened the bar of its door,
and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stilled!
Second reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
2 Cor 5:14-17
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Mk 4:35-41
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In God's Word today, God the Father only teaches human children that: God the Father is the only one who created this universe, so He is the master of all things. All are under His power.
In today's first reading, the author of the book of Job announces to humanity this: God can do all things, God has power over storms and over the ocean. He has power over all creatures. He allows whatever happens to humanity to be fulfilled, both good and bad He can see.
What God wants people in today's world to know is: without God the Father creating the entire universe, then humanity would not exist, and would not be present in this world. Therefore, people must learn to fear God the Father, the Lord of all beings and all things. People must not exclude God the Father from this world, do not exclude Him from ourselves and our lives. Without the loving God the Father, the God the Father who bestows all blessings, would humans still exist in this world? Or have people fallen into Satan's temptations of death, darkness, and sin?
This is why God the Father calls humans to always rely on and trust in God the Father, the Almighty. He commands evil to stop, and it will stop. He orders good to spread and it will spread. He commands heavy rain and storms to be silent and they are silent. He orders it to arise, and it will arise.
Indeed, today's Gospel recounts how Jesus Christ, under the power and strength of the Most High God, ordered the mighty waves and winds to be quiet. So the sea was as calm as a sheet of paper. He asked the storm to listen to His powerful Word, and the storm obeyed. Humans have seen that on this earth, the power and strength of God the Father has been demonstrated to them and will never be lost or changed. God the Father wants people today to know that:
+ He always exercises His authority over us. When we have absolute trust in Him, fear, love and worship Him, then He will listen and accept our prayers.
+ Hence, to overcome Satan's temptation, always know how to be loyal and obedient to the will of God the Father, always know how to worship Him alone. Outside of God, there is no other god who has power over all creatures! Even Satan is under the mighty hand of God the Father, they cannot overcome the mighty power of the Supreme God the Father.
Thus, we need to wake up, abandon Satan, and return to worshiping God the Father. Know how to fear His power and strength, live in love to follow God the Father's calling:
+Absolutely trust in His power and strength.
+Always run to Him with hope, and trust in Him, so He will give all blessings to our body and soul. He will give eternal life for us.
It is the love and power of God the Father in which has conquered death and defeated Satan. Then now, He also calls mankind to live in love through fear of God the Father above all things and submission to His will in all things; the evil that Satan brings will be subdued under the heart of love and respect for God the Father of mankind.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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