Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk. 4:35-41) “Am I Ready to Cross Over?”

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk. 4:35-41) “Am I Ready to Cross Over?”

        We have two ways to interpret scripture.  We can examine it in a historical context. We can also look at it metaphorically. We can do that with the Gospel passage we just read.  Historically, we might consider what boats were like in 1st century Palestine.  We might reflect on how sudden squalls blew up on the Sea of Galilee at night.  All that would be interesting, but this story is meant to enlighten us spiritually.  For that reason, it is more fruitful to look at this text metaphorically.

        We are told that the Apostles are crossing over the sea of Galilee, going from one shore to another.  The “crossing over” is just as much about moving from unbelief to belief in Jesus as it is about a voyage on the sea.  The Apostles had just heard Jesus preaching from the boat to the crowds.  His was a reassuring message. He spoke about the reign of God.  We remember the little parables Jesus told in last Sunday’s Gospel as he bobbed on the water. We especially remember the image of the mustard plant.  A mustard plant was a weed. It grew in the fields.  You couldn’t stop the growth of these annoying weeds. 

        Jesus proclaims the fact the reign of God will grow everywhere.  The growth of Jesus’ influence is like the dandelions that spring up all over our yards in spring.  We kill a few of them but we will never eradicate all of them.  The growth of the Kingdom of God is like that. The Kingdom is an unstoppable force in our world.  The words of Jesus must have buoyed the spirits of the disciples.  We can imagine the confidence they had as they shoved off to cross the sea. What could possibly stop them?

        But then the storm comes.  In scripture storms represent chaos.  We hear how God speaks to Job out of a storm in the first reading. We all can relate to the whole idea of chaos in our life. Don’t we feel that right now?

        We have arguments about various issues.  People don’t trust institutions.  People are suspicious of the rule of law.  Families that were once faithful Christians now distrust the church.  When we can’t rely on institutions, the legal system or religious truth what will we feel? We will sense we are living in chaos.  And it is easy to fall into fear, to dread what is going to happen.

        The Apostles felt great fear when the storm blew up.  The confidence they had when they left for the crossing disappeared quickly.  The faith they had was skin deep.

        Two concepts are used to describe how people react to Jesus’ words and deeds.  One word is amazement.  The other way people react to religious experience with Jesus is they ponder it.  What is the difference?  If we are amazed when something happens it is like water going through a hose on a hot day.  The water pours out and we react with relief and gratitude.  When the water evaporates, we forget what has happened.

        If we ponder something, on the other hand, it is like putting water through a filter.  We get rid of the impurities.  We strain out the unhealthy elements like lead and plastic. All this takes effort.  We then store the water in container to be used when we need a drink. 

        The apostles are amazed that Jesus stills the storm.  We get the sense they are relieved in that moment.  We also hear how they ask who Jesus is at the end of the story.  But they don’t ask who they are.  We know that the disciples falter again when the next crisis comes. The apostles need to unpack what has happened on the sea.

        Stand-up comedians do commentary on the things of life. Usually, it is cynical.  But we laugh because often what they say has an element of truth.  One of the favorite topics of comedians is religion.  One comic made this observation.  He said, “I have heard people speak of profound religious experiences. And they are so excited.  When I was born, I didn’t speak for two years because entering this world was so overwhelming. If religious people wouldn’t speak for two years after they have a mystical experience, I would be more prone to put credence in what they say?”

        We can cross over from uncertainty to faith when we take time to ponder how God is acting in our life.  We need to take time to pray and to ponder.  After that painstaking process, perhaps our fears can turn to confidence in Jesus.

Reflection Questions:

1.  Have I ever been amazed by something?  What was it?

2.  Did a deeper understanding emerge over time?  What did I learn?

Dear Parishioners,

        We have two events coming up that everyone should take note of.  The first is our outdoor Mass which will happen at 9:15 on July 7th.  This will take place in the green space by Culemans Hall.  Please bring a lawn chair that day.  If it rains, we will move into the church. 

        The second activity of note is our Vacation Bible School which will take place from July 8th through the 12th.  This is always a good way for boys and girls to be introduced to Jesus.  If you have young children who are interested, please call our office and we will register them.

        I would like to thank those who helped with the Sacred Heart Parish reunion.  This was the first time we attempted an event like this.  Several new volunteers were involved, which is always good to see. Hopefully, we have planted the seed of something that will grow. Community events are vitally important to the health of the parish.

        May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,

        Fr. Mark