12th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B
Job 38:1, 8–11
Psalm 107:23–24, 25–26, 28–29, 30–31
2 Corinthians 5:14–17
Mark 4:35–41
Once, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land several years ago, I was in one of the many shops just down the street from the Holy Sepulcher, the site of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, admiring the beautiful olive wood items that were for sale. These works of art are crafts hand-made by members of Christian families who have chosen to face the challenges of their society with courage and creativity, staying as a remnant in the culturally diverse territory sacred to three faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim).
Many parishes support these brave souls by hosting family-run businesses that export such goods to cover losses sustained due to the current state of war. Fewer pilgrims mean fewer sales in their homeland. This is one positive way to be in solidarity with those whose livelihood is affected by the situation.
One of the sculptures that I noticed was a carving of a boat that represents this Sunday’s Scripture. There was a small gold plaque affixed to the sculpture lest its reference was missed by whoever would purchase it. Here is what it said: “Jesus Clams the Storm.” (Editor, please do not correct this text! Reader, do not think this is a typo! I put down exactly what was written!) Of course, the artist meant to say, “Jesus Calms the Storm.”
I wandered around the shop, but I kept coming back to this piece. It was beautiful. But I felt bad for the shopkeeper because I thought that such a spelling mistake would mean that no one would ever buy it. Eventually, I decided to point out the error to the owner of the shop and explained that the word should be “Calms” rather than “Clams.” I am sorry now that I did not buy the boat myself. I often wonder whether the mistake was corrected or whether someone who was not an English major happened to buy it.
Jesus promises to calm the storms of our lives. But sometimes He really does seem to “clam up” instead. The Gospel account tells us that their situation was perilous, and the boat was in great danger of sinking. “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.” In our lives, we can be overwhelmed by troubles and by the turbulent emotions that fill us. Social media and news can stir up greater worries by retelling the stories of what happens in ways that make things seem ever more scandalous and perilous. Gossip shared with us will grab at our hearts and twist us into knots that paralyze us. God allows all that we trusted to keep us safe to seem ready to capsize.
The disciples woke Jesus, who was resting peacefully in the midst of the storm. With a simple word, He calmed the wind and the sea. He was with them even when He was sleeping. Jesus then spoke to His disciples, asking, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”
Seeing what Jesus did, they are filled with awe and wonder. They begin to have faith, acknowledging that Jesus is more than He appears to be, a tired man seeking rest while they are in danger of drowning. “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
The Gospel reveals Jesus to possess the power of the Creator that Job encounters in the storm that assails him. God says to the waters of the sea, “Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!” This is the same God encountered by those who sail in ships that inspires them to sing out in the Responsorial Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.”
God’s power and love are always available to us. When we experience the storms and troubles of life, we are invited to respond with faith. The Lord is with us. He knows our plight. What is washed away in the storm gives way to something new. “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”
