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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

June 23, 2024

Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

Introit

Kyrie

Gloria

Collect

Grant, O Lord,
that we may always revere and love your holy name,
for you never deprive of your guidance
those you set firm on the foundation of your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading Jb 38:1,8-11

The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 I will question you, and you shall declare to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. 8 “Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?— 9 when I made the clouds its garment, 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, 11 and said, `Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?”

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

Second Reading 2 Cor 5:14-17

The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view. Even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Alleluia

Gospel Mk 4:35-41

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Catena Nova

The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it. I have only contempt for the world’s threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence (St. John Chrysostom).

This sleep of Christ has a symbolic meaning. The boat's crew are human souls sailing across the sea of this world in a wooden vessel. That vessel, of course, also represents the Church; but as each one of us is a temple of God, each one's heart is a sailing boat, nor can it be wrecked so long as we fill our minds only with what is good. When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind; when your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you…. Words, actions, schemes, what are all these but a constant buffing and puffing, a refusal to be still at Christ's command? When your heart is in this troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters, and at last reach our heavenly homeland (St. Augustine of Hippo).

O great and wondrous thing! Does he who never sleeps now sleep? Does he now sleep that rules both Heaven and Earth? Is it he who never wearies, or falls asleep, that here is said to fall asleep? Yes, in his human body he sleeps, but in his Godhead he keeps watch. He sleeps in this body of flesh, yet he causes the storm to arise on the sea, and the waves to mount up, and fear to come upon the disciples, so that he may reveal to them his power…. In this body he slept; in his Godhead he troubled the sea, and again restored it to tranquility. He thus slept in his body that he might awaken his disciples, and make them keep vigil; and we likewise, so that we too sleep not in our souls, nor in our understanding, nor in wisdom; but that at all times we keep watch, and give praise to the Lord, and eagerly seek from him our salvation (Origen of Alexandria)

Anyone who has waded

Through Love’s turbulent waters,

Now feeling hunger and now satiety,

Is untouched by the season

Of withering or blooming,

For in the deepest

And most dangerous waters,

On the highest peaks,

Love is always the same. (Hadewijch Of Antwerp)

We shall steer safely through every storm so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God (St. Francis de Sales).

Steer your ship with steady arm, Trust Me and rest your soul. Your little boat I’ll keep from harm, I’ll guide it toward its goal. … Be therefore, steadfast, calm and true, Your God is at your side. Through storm and night He’ll see you through With conscience as your guide (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross/Edith Stein).

Dear Lord, Today I thought of the words of Vincent van Gogh: “It is true there is an ebb and flow, but the sea remains the sea.” You are the sea. Although I experience many ups and downs in my emotions and often feel great shifts and changes in my inner life, you remain the same. Your sameness is not the sameness of a rock, but the sameness of a faithful lover. Out of your love I came to life; by your love I am sustained, and to your love I am always called back. There are days of sadness and days of joy; there are feelings of guilt and feelings of gratitude; there are moments of failure and moments of success; but all of them are embraced by your unwavering love. My only real temptation is to doubt in your love, to think of myself as beyond the reach of your love, to remove myself from the healing radiance of your love. To do these things is to move into the darkness of despair. O Lord, sea of love and goodness,
let me not fear too much the storms and winds of my daily life, and let me know that there is ebb and flow, but that the sea remains the sea. Amen. (Henri Nouwen)

Homily

"Weather chaos." So the headlines screamed this past week. From a heat dome with temperatures in the triple digits in parts of the country to unseasonable cold in others. Add to that, heavy rains, flooding, and wildfires. The United States has had 11 major weather disasters through last month causing $25 billions in damages, especially from tornados. And from all accounts, this hurricane season will be one for the record books. Makes a squall on the Sea of Galilee seem like a tempest in a teapot by comparison!

Still, it was scary enough. Those poor apostles in that boat about to sink into the sea. Can’t you see the captain, Peter, dumping water? And the bunch of them thinking what a fine way for Jesus’ followers to end their career. Here they’d given their all in the Lord’s service. No time even to eat or sleep because of the crowds and, just when they needed him most, where was he? In the stern, asleep on a cushion (G).

Strange, isn’t it? How often God seems to be napping while our ship is sinking. Remember poor Job? Now there was a decent guy, a servant of God, a real success story. He thought his good fortune a reward for right living. Then one day his luck changed. Just like that, he lost health and wealth, family and friends -- everything he ever worked for.

He lost his proverbial patience too. But just as Job was about to curse God and die, the Lord spoke to him. How? Out of the storm (I). And what did the Lord say to Job? Something like this: “You know, Job, I’ve been around a long time. See all this stuff? The heavens and the earth, the sea and the sky, and all they contain? I made them. And I made them without you, or your advice. So don’t tell me how to run the world. ‘Cause I’m pretty good at making plans, and having them work out, in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”

You see, Job got a little too confident about his life. He thought he had life all figured out. He got into a frame of mind that says: “What a life! I’m sitting pretty. I might still have a chance at the American dream. Why, I even go to church. So what could go wrong?”

It’s easy to think we’re untouchable, isn’t it? Our technology and prosperity, our national security and military prowess, all make us think we’ve got the world by the tail. Many of us have even forgotten the major storms of the Great Recession and the Covid Pandemic which caused many to drown. Speaking of the latter, Pope Francis noted at the time:

The storm exposes our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits and priorities. It shows us how we have allowed to become dull and feeble the very things that nourish, sustain and strengthen our lives and our communities. The tempest lays bare all our prepackaged ideas and forgetfulness of what nourishes our people’s souls; all those attempts that anesthetize us with ways of thinking and acting that supposedly “save” us, but instead prove incapable of putting us in touch with our roots and keeping alive the memory of those who have gone before us. We deprive ourselves of the antibodies we need to confront adversity. In this storm, the façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos, always worrying about our image, has fallen away.

Oh yes, a microscopic virus brought the world to a standstill. While a virulent strain know as the "war bug" afflicts the people of Ukraine and the Gaza strip. At home gun violence on the Father's Day weekend left at least 73 people dead and 308 injured (USA Today; June 17). Despite the celebration of Juneteenth on Wednesday, craven politicians across the United States are working hard to make voting more difficult, especially for people of color. While our confidence in democracy and its institutions is daily shaken by threats of a looming dictatorship. And of course our personal storms — physical, emotional, relational, spiritual — add to the sense we are sinking.

It’s in moments like these, when storms arise when we least expect, we need reminding who really saves us. As the apostles did the night a violent squall (G) swept the Sea of Galilee. When God seems asleep at the stern and, even should God awake, it may only be to speak from the center of the storm.

Not that such storms are meant to punish us. That’s what Job’s friends thought they were meant to do. They were convinced Job had sinned, and that’s why misfortune befell him. But they had it all wrong. Rather, such storms are meant to remind us how fragile and weak, how needy and reliant, we truly are-- despite our pretensions to the contrary. And they are meant, above all, to increase our faith in him whom even wind and sea obey (G).

For God speaks a truth from such storms we often don’t hear when the weather is calm. A truth even we, who no longer know Christ according to the flesh (II), sometimes forget. And that truth is this: In God alone lies our salvation; God alone rescues us from all our straits, and brings us to our desired haven. For such storms convince us to live no longer for [ourselves] but for him who for our sake died and was raised (II): the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.

Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)

For the Church: that by God’s grace, we may live as new creations, no longer living for ourselves but for Christ.

For a calming of the storms in our lives: that God will sustain us through the challenges of each day, give us the courage to make decisions, and enduring hope when we cannot foresee tomorrow.

For freedom from fear: that Jesus will lead us from fear and worry to the trust of discipleship through the words of scripture.

For all who work in science and medical technology: that respect and love for human life may always guide their research and use of knowledge.

For all travelers: that God will smooth and quiet the way before them and guide them safely to their destination.

For an end to violence: that God will turn hearts from violence, protect all innocent people from injury, and restore confidence in people seeking to live their daily lives.

For all who are recovering from storms and floods or enduring drought: that God will curb the extremes of nature, ease the suffering of those impacted, and fill their hearts with hope.

For peace: that God will open communication between people of diverse cultures and ethnic groups so that new avenues may be found to build trust and promote justice for everyone.

In the beginning, O God, your Word subdued the chaos; in the fullness of time you sent Jesus, your Son, to rebuke the forces of evil and bring forth a new creation. By that same power, transform all our fear into faith and awe in your saving presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (ICEL; 1998),

Offertory Hymn

The Lord, who made the mighty waves

And gave the sea its bounds

Permitting it to come “so far”

While stilling wind’s fierce sounds—

This Lord, our Christ, was with His friends

When waves o’ertook their ship;

He woke and told the sea, “Be still!”

Which loosed the storm’s fierce grip.

The love of Christ impels us on

To live, not for ourself,

But for the sake of Him who died:

This newness is our wealth.

Communion Antiphon

Closing Hymn (Robert Wadsworth Lowry)

My life goes on in endless song
Above earth's lamentations.
I hear the real, though far off hymn
That hails the new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear the music ringing;
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?

What though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
And friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?

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