Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Posté par diaconos le 16 juin 2021
Who is it that even the wind and the sea obey him ?
# The storm calmed is a miracle attributed to Jesus Christ. It is mentioned in all three synoptic gospels. It is a symbol that Christ came to bring peace to a humanity caught up in the tumultuous waves of life. This episode is said to take place on Lake Genezareth or Lake Tiberias, or on the Sea of Galilee or Lake Kinneret.

It is a freshwater lake with an area of 160 km2 located in north-eastern Israel between the Golan Heights and Galilee Christ Sleeps in the Storm, is an oil on canvas, 51 × 61 cm, by Eugene Delacroix circa 1853, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Delacroix painted at least six versions of this New Testament passage: awakened by his terrified disciples, Christ rebukes them for their lack of trust in Providence.
This episode is called the Miracle of the Calmed Storm. Lake Genezareth or Lake Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee, Lake Kinneret, is a freshwater lake with an area of 160 square kilometres located in north-eastern Israel between the Golan Heights and Galilee. In the early works, the seascape is more important; in later works, as here, Christ’s boat is more important.
Another work from the same period, of similar composition, oil on canvas, 46 × 54 cm, is in the Portland Art Museum. Another view, further away, is in the Walters Art Museum. This is also an oil on canvas, 60 × 73 cm, produced in 1854.
# Calming the storm is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels, reported in Matthew8 :23–27, Mark4 :35–41, and Luke8 :22–25 (the Synoptic Gospels). This episode is distinct from Jesus’ walk on water, which also involves a boat on the lake and appears later in the narrative. According to the Gospels, one evening Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat.
Suddenly a furious storm came up, with the waves breaking over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the stern, and the disciples woke him and asked, « Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? » The Gospel of Mark then states that : 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. He said to them, « Why are you afraid ? Have you still no faith ? » 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 ? » Author Michael Keene commented that the Sea of Galilee was known for its sudden and fierce storms and that the Jews were people of the land who were generally uncomfortable at sea, especially since they believed the sea to be full of frightening creatures. The Pulpit Commentary attributes these sudden storms to winds arising on the summits of Mount Hermon, in the Anti-Lebanon mountains to the north.
The Anglican clergyman John Clowes commented that by asking the question « Why are you so afraid? », Jesus was asking his disciples to explore in their own minds the cause and origin of fear, so they would realize that all fear has its roots in natural affection and thought, separate from spiritual affection and thought. And by asking « Do you still have no faith ? » Jesus was manifestly pointing to a defect in their spiritual principles. Clowes further commented that by that last question Jesus was manifestly instructing his disciples, and through them all future generations of mankind, that fear is the constant result of the want of Heavenly principles in the human mind.
From the Gospel according to Mark
35 When evening came that day, he said to his disciples, « Let us go to the other side. » 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus, as he was, into the boat, and other boats accompanied him. 37 A violent storm arose. The waves were crashing against the boat, so that it was already filling up. 38 He was sleeping on the cushion in the back. The disciples woke him up and said, « Master, we are lost; do you not care? «
39 When he awoke, he threatened the wind and said to the sea, « Shut up! » The wind died down and there was a great calm. 40 Jesus said to them, « Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? « 41 They were greatly afraid and said to one another, « Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him ? « (Mk 4:35-41)
We must not be afraid !
That day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples : « Let us go over to the other side » (Mk 4, 35). That day was not an ordinary day ; Peter remembered it all his life. Evening came, not only the sweetness of evening falling, but also the hour of all dangers, the hour of trials (Mk 14, 17). The other shore, not only the opposite shore of the lake, but also that great passage to the other shore, which is the destiny of every person, the evening of his life, and which is his great day, the day of God, for which all other days prepare him.
You invite me, Lord, to cross over to the other side, to overcome my timidity in order to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, to commit myself to the service of my brothers, to break with my bad habits.
While crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus fell asleep in the back of the boat. The wind rose and the force of the wind increased so strongly that their boat was in danger of sinking : « A violent storm came, with waves crashing over the boat, so that it was already filled with water. « (Mk 4, 37)
The Lake of Tiberias is famous for its unexpected and violent storms that come down from the Golan Heights. But you don’t have to be at sea to experience the storms. All the languages of the world use this word to designate the sudden trial that befalls someone : mockery, accident, failure and relapse, fear of losing one’s job, a serious illness that is diagnosed….
His companions woke him up and shouted : « We are lost; do you not care? « (Mk 4, 38b) This is a beautiful prayer that we could pray in our times of trial. What are my storms? Will God calm them ? You seem to be sleeping Lord, I am struggling alone, does that not worry you ?
« Carried up to heaven, falling into the abyss, they were sick to their stomachs. In their distress they cried out to the Lord, and he brought them out of their distress, silencing the storm, silencing the waves » (Ps 107:26-29) It was in the midst of the storm that the Lord reminded Job that he is the master, able to set limits and stop the pride of his waves. Then Job bowed in faith.
The disciples of Jesus, experienced fishermen, were terrified of getting lost. In fact, all they lacked was faith, that is, the confidence of love, having undoubtedly understood Christ in our own way. (2nd reading) It is not just any faith that calms our inner storms, it is faith in Jesus Christ, dead and risen. Jesus is close to us, invisible. Of course, he does not take away our difficulties, but he gives us the inner strength to endure them: « Where evil abounds, my grace overflows ».
Throughout his life, Jesus has shown us that our condition does not leave him indifferent. He promises us happiness. Our time is short, let us not forget that. Let us trust that Jesus will help us to dock at the port of eternity, where love celebrates with joy. The great message of this Gospel is that in the midst of the storm Jesus is there with us, with his Church. He never abandons us, even when he seems asleep and indifferent to what is happening.
To help us understand this, here is a commentary by St Augustine : « When we say that God sleeps, it is we who sleep ; and when we say that God rises, it is we who wake up. In fact, the Lord was sleeping in the boat, and if it was shaken, it was because Jesus was sleeping. Your boat is your heart. And Jesus, in the boat, is the faith in your heart. If you remember your faith, your heart is not troubled, but if you forget your faith, Christ falls asleep and you risk being shipwrecked… «
We do not hesitate to call out Christ forcefully in the heart of our storms. The disciples did so. Let us never doubt the presence of the Lord even when everything goes wrong. Let us trust! Let us not be afraid! Let us give thanks to the risen Lord who is always present at the heart of our lives and our storms.
Deacon Michel Houyoux
Links to other Christian websites
◊ Ignatius Pew Missal : click here to read the paper → Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time in year B
◊ Sunday prep.org : click here to read the paper → Homilies for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
♥ Deacon Roy’s homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Publié dans Catéchèse, comportements, La messe du dimanche, Religion, Temps ordinaire | Pas de Commentaire »











