Job 38.1,8-11/ Ps. 107.23+24,28a+29+30, 31+32/ 2 Corinthians 5.14-17/ Mark 4.35-41
We may find the invitation of our readings today 「to trust in God`s power and at the same time to let Christ`s love transform our lives」 too general as a theme for our reflection today. However, we are always called to dig deeper, for us to realize as to up to where, really, we we will be led by the daily Word of God through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
{We will know, 「only if we will truly create silence in our hearts」 (confer Ps. 46.10).｝
While in our first reading today God may be imparting words of encouragement to Job who experiences a lot of pain/suffering by telling him of His (God`s) control over the sea and its waves, Jesus in our gospel reading today summons the disciples to increase their faith on Him by showing them how He calms the storm – the disciples realized that even the wind and sea obey Him. Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians however may give us more specific theme for our reflection. Jesus who suffered and died on the Cross leads us to live like Him and for Him. His Resurrection empowers us to leave the old behind and become new creations. This salvific mission of Jesus tells us about Christ`s love that transforms our lives. We are called to live differently because of Christ. Our old ways are gone, and we are made new.
For Job, intense pain and suffering can be transformed into joy and thanksgiving through patience, sacrifice, and trust in God`s power. For the disciples, in a similar way, [faith increased] can bring peace.
Indeed, faith, even if it`s just a little faith, brings us to Christ and to His Church. We always carry in us the greatest hope of increasing our faith. 「Increased faith」brings us peace and make us strong enough in facing 「this life`s」challenges such as disagreements, loneliness, emotional and physical pains (variety of sickness), and many others. We find Christ`s love through Sacraments we receive, and through sharing them with others too. Without any doubt, we find Christ`s love too by meeting people of different walks of life.
Let us continue to widely open our Church, the place we have considered as our safe place to commune with God. Let us continue to make our place safe for all. Sometimes however the once we have considered a safe place is becoming unsafe, and sometimes it becomes necessary to ask why. We put our trust in God`s power, we increase our faith in Jesus who purifies and transforms daily motives of us all, brothers and sisters in Christ. These are for us all of little faith!
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