12th Sunday in 2015

In our Gospel which is taken from Mark 4: 35-41, it is said that Jesus invited His followers to go across to the other side of the sea. In so doing, we could observe two acts which interplay in the scene i.e., the acts of the disciples and the acts of nature. In the first instance, we could imagine the action of the disciples as they took Jesus in the boat. They were secured and confident to take Jesus in the said boat because they had fishermen with them who were expected to be familiar with the course of the sea. We know that Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen, so they knew if it was safe for them to sail on that day. But the acts of nature entered into the scene. It is said that a great storm of wind arose and the waves beat into the boat. At this point, the security and confidence of the disciples were somehow failing and fading. Here we may say, in relation to the boat, the acts of the disciples were constructive but the acts of nature were destructive. It was at this point too that they awakened Jesus and said "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" My dear friends, if we reflect on these words, was it appropriate to utter those words to someone who was awakened from a deep sleep? Was it not inappropriate that someone who was expected to be familiarized with such kind of situation being fishermen themselves uttered those words to a son of the carpenter? Anyway, the acts of the disciples here towards Jesus were somehow destructive in the sense that they would seem to question Jesus whether He cared about them or not. They were restless and unsteady even in the presence of Jesus. Then Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Here the acts of nature were somehow constructive that in the sense nature became at peace and steady in the presence of Jesus.   

From these two acts i.e. of the disciples and nature, we could also reflect on our own acts in relation to things and to Jesus. In our Gospel, the boat was the thing which became the object of the acts of the disciples and of nature. Just like the disciples, we too feel secure and confident with things which we are familiar with. Some of us have our cars, cellphones, iphone, etc. and we use them for our purpose. We take care of them because we know it is important for our life. However, if the acts of nature have to take its course, we cannot expect that nature would spare the things we love and destroy only those things of which we would care less. Our Gospel made a statement on this, the boat was already filling because of the acts of nature. It also happened in our parish, at San Lorenzo Ruiz de Mla in Aklan, our native-style convention hall which was built in May and finished in September but was only destroyed by Yolanda (in November). Hence, in relation to things especially those which are beneficial for man and woman, we try to protect and preserve them. We even cry to God for help.

How about the acts of nature and our acts in relation to God? Well, in our Gospel, nature obeyed Jesus. The wind and the sea could not therefore go against God. Nature could never destroy the will of God. But like the disciples in the Gospel, we sometimes fail to see that we little by little severe our relationship with God just because of the things we love. The disciples experienced that the damage done to their boat was also a threat to their lives, such is sometimes what we feel when we are about to lose the things we love or when we actually lose them. I for one lost my newly-bought cellphone, and I could neither eat nor sleep thinking of it. And just like the disciples, we say some words which show our desperation, “Lord, do you not care if we perish?” We have not realized that we make “things” more important than God in saying those words. We have not realized who we are before God. We have not realized that if we protect the things we consider important, then how much more for God to protect us as we are important to Him.

My dear friends, today we are called to evaluate our own actions in relation to things and to God. When all things are eventually destroyed by nature (Don’t get me wrong. I am not praying for the Big One to happen), let us ask ourselves with the question Jesus asked His disciples -"Why are you afraid? And if our life is in danger due to the course of nature, then we ask ourselves with the question Jesus asked His disciples –“Have you no faith?" My dear friends, in God alone we can find our rest. Amen.