Saturday, June 24, 2006
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 25, 2006
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
JOB 38:1, 8-11
Then the Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said: And 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!
2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-17
For 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.
MARK 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the
other side." Leaving the crowd, they took him 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
Sometimes a storm arises around us or within us. And it seems that our
frail craft cannot take any more. At times we have the impression that
God is heedless of our fate. The waves are breaking over us: personal
weakness, professional or financial difficulties that are beyond our
management, illness, problems with children or parents, the menace of
calumny, a hostile environment, slander, etc. But if you live in the
presence of God, peace and calm will reign in your soul. God will never
abandon us. We must go to him, using all the means we need to employ.
At all times, tell Jesus with the confidence of one who has taken him
as his Master, and wants to follow him unconditionally, "Lord, do not
leave me." And together with him, we will be able to face up to those
trials and overcome them. They will no longer be bitter, and we will
not be dismayed by the storms that blow. This miracle of the calming of
the sea made an unforgettable impression on the apostles. It confirmed
their faith and prepared them for the harder, more testing battles that
lay ahead. The sight of a perfectly calm sea, obedient to the voice of
Christ, was engraved on their hearts.
Jesus wanted to convince those first disciples and us too, that there
is no compromise possible between him and his doctrine on the one hand,
and the world as a kingdom of sin on the other. He reminds them not be
surprised to be treated in this way. If the world hates you, know that
it has hated me before it hated you. The hostility of the wicked echoes
like praise for our way of life, because it shows that insofar as we
annoy those who do not love God, there is some uprightness in us.
Nobody can please God and the enemies of God at the same time. So if we
are faithful to God, there will be winds and storms in life.
But Jesus will say once more to the stormy sea, "Peace, be still!" At
the very beginning of the Church, the Apostles gathered abundant
fruits. But at the same time they suffered threats, insults and
persecution. They were not concerned whether opinion was favorable or
hostile towards them. They were concerned to make Christ known to all,
to take the fruits of our redemption to the furtherest corner of the
earth. They preached the doctrine of Christ, which in purely human
terms constituted a scandal for some and seemed sheer madness to
others. This doctrine entered all environments, transforming people and
customs.
Many of the circumstances within which the Apostles had to work have
changed today but others remain as they were or have become even worse.
Materialism, the excessive love of comfort and well-being, sensuality
and ignorance represent once again in many places furious winds and
stormy seas. And we can add to this the temptation of many people to
adapt the doctrine of Christ to the times, seriously deforming the
essential message of the Gospel. If we want to be apostles in the midst
of the world, we must realize that some people - at times your husband
or wife, your parents or an old friends - will not understand us. We
will have to take heart, because it is not easy to row against the
stream. We will have to work calmly and firmly. We cannot allow
ourselves to be turned aside by the attitude of those who have
compromised themselves with the new paganism of the world.
Our intimacy with God will give us calmness and strength, and we will
be a firm rock for many. We can never forget that, particularly
nowadays, the Lord needs string and courageous people who refuse to
come to terms with mediocrity, but will be able to enter all kinds of
environments with a sure step.
In parent-teacher associations, in professional bodies, in schools and
colleges, in trade unions, in informal conversation before or after
meetings. As a specific example, the influence of families is
particularly important in social and public life. They should be the
first to take steps to see that the laws not only do not transgress
against, but actually support and positively defend the rights and
duties of the family. We cannot remain inactive while the enemies of
God strive to eliminate all trace of the eternal destiny of man.
Today's Gospel gives us the opportunity to purify our intentions, to be
more attentive to the Master, to strengthen our faith. Our attitude
must always be one of calmness, because God is with us.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the continued recovery of Aida.
- for the speedy recovery of Cadio.
- for the personal intentions of Mary
- for the continued and complete recovery of Ding Vidanes.
- for the speedy recovery of John Eugenio & Louie Donato.
- for the speedy recovery of Tito Cale
- for the personal intentions of PDM and family.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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� 2006 Daily-Homily
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