First Reading: Job 38:1,8-11
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
I remember many years ago when a beloved aunt was dying, my mom asking, “Why God does she have to suffer like this?” Perhaps we ask God questions that begin with…why God…? The list of “why God” questions can be endless. Why God did I lose my job? Why God didn’t I get that promotion” Why God do I have cancer? Why God did my son/daughter leave the Catholic faith? Why God me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Why God don’t you let me win the lottery?
How does God answer these questions? Do you think God answers in the same way as in today’s first reading to Job? Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands!… We get a sense of God’s tone of voice to Job…like how dare you? God asks Job where were you when I created the earth? God reminds Job of His omnipotence.
Or do you think God answers in the same way that Jesus answered the disciples in the storm-tossed boat…that is with a question: Do you not yet have faith? For the Jewish people, the sea was filled with forces hostile to God. St. Mark’s audience would have identified this story with the Church, being tossed about by persecution…even though God appeared to them to be asleep, the power of God was still in their midst. Does this sound familiar? How about us? Take a moment and think about the “worst storm in your life”… was it a death of a loved one, a near-death experience, a car accident, a sickness, rejection in a relationship or something else? How did you react?… were you paralyzed with fear?…or did you believe in the power of Jesus Christ over that storm in your midst? Did the storm bring you closer to Jesus or further away?
Do we recognize the power of the risen Christ in our midst? Do we realize that Jesus gives us the sacraments to share his divine power with us? The sacraments become a lifeline in the storms of life…Confession and frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist. Do we see Jesus working through other people to help us during the storms?
The Scripture readings invite us to a deeper level of trust in Jesus Christ. When the storms of life come, we do not say: “Why God”, but: “Lord show me the way through this storm! You are at my side.”
On this Father’s Day, we thank God for the gift of our father and the ways our father manifested his love for his children. We also thank God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit for their infinite love for each created person, whom He guides by Divine Providence!
May God bless us all always!
Deacon Mike