Jesus Calms The Storm

June 20, 2021, Sunday
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 95

Reading I
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!

Responsorial Psalm
107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31

R. (1b) Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.

They who sailed the sea in ships,
    trading on the deep waters,
These saw the works of the LORD
    and his wonders in the abyss.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.

His command raised up a storm wind
    which tossed its waves on high.
They mounted up to heaven; they sank to the depths;
    their hearts melted away in their plight.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.

They cried to the LORD in their distress;
    from their straits he rescued them,
He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze,
    and the billows of the sea were stilled.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.

They rejoiced that they were calmed,
    and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his kindness
    and his wondrous deeds to the children of men.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading II
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.

Alleluia
Lk 7:16

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

A great prophet has risen in our midst 
God has visited his people.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
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?”

REFLECTION:

Today’s Gospel story highlights the stormy journey our faith has to make today. How easily our sense of Jesus’ love and presence is drowned out by a multiplicity of voices. As a result, this lessening or loss of faith gives way to fear. At such times he may be asleep in the boat but his love never leaves us.

For your prayer talk to Jesus about how he may appear to be asleep but is awake and active in the way you accept, appreciate, and care for those who people your day.

PRAYER:

Lord, there are times when I need to hear your voice ordering: ‘Peace! Be still!’ There is no basis for my fear. You are with me and I trust you. I need to turn away from the howling of the wind and disturbing noises and wait for your comforting presence.