"Who can this be that the wind and sea obey Him?"

First reading: Job 38:1,8-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 107
Second reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Gospel reading: Mark 4:35-41

"Who can this be that the wind and sea obey Him?"

The gospel presents a miracle story: Jesus stilling the storm. This is how the miracle took place. Jesus and His disciples leave the crowd, and ride in boats further out into the sea. At sea, a bad squall blew up, and the waves were breaking over the boat. The disciples became alarmed and went to Jesus - who was in the stern sound asleep. They woke Jesus up, and expressed their alarm - fearing that they would all perish. Jesus immediately responded, rebuked the wind and stilled the sea with a command from His voice. Suddenly, everything became calm. Jesus then said to His disciples, "Why are you so terrified? Why lack in faith?"  A great awe filled the hearts of the disciples, for they have just witnessed something no ordinary man can do - to command the wind and the sea to obey.

In his book, "The Miracle Stories", bible scholar and author Herman Hendrickx says that the previous verses of this gospel passage writes about Christ withdrawing from the crowd. These people flock to Christ whom they have heard to be a healer. But Christ withdraws from certain persons in the crowd whose unclean spirits wanted to make Him known as the "exorcistic Son of God". Fr. Herman Hendricks teaches that Jesus had to withdraw from the crowds because He did not want to be identified as only a "healer-exorcist". And indeed, the miracle of the calming of the storm has proven that the Lord Jesus was more than just a "healer-exorcist". The calming of the storm leads us to see Him in the context of the divine.

It took time before the apostles got to know who Jesus was. It was only with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that they finally learned the whole truth about their Master. Like the apostles, we too have to make sense of who Jesus is for us. In the journey of faith, we will experience many ills and sins healed by God in the sacraments. These are the miracles of grace that we encounter. These are the everyday miracles of faith, courage, hope and holding on to Christ in prayer and the Sacraments. As we experience these "miracles" that save us from the "storms of life", we grow in a deeper knowledge and love of God. It this knowledge and love of God that impelled the apostles to preach the Kingdom. We too, by our baptismal consecration, are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and His apostles.

2nd Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year B

2nd Sunday of the Year, Year B
"Look! There is the Lamb of God!"

1st Reading: 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
Gospel: John 1:35-42

After the feast of the Lord's Baptism last Sunday, this coming
Sunday, we will hear the gospel account of how St. John the
Baptist was shepherding his own disciples to the direction of
Jesus. And so, when Jesus was seen walking by among them, John
exclaimed, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!" Two of John's
disciples heard this and then followed Jesus. One of the two
of who followed Jesus was Andrew. Andrew then sought out his
brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" (for
John had pointed Him out to Andrew). As the two brothers
approached Jesus, Jesus looked upon Simon, and then gave him a
new name: Cephas (which is rendered as Peter).

For many of us seasoned Catholics, we were baptized during our
infancy and learned about the Catholic faith through our parents,
through Catholic schools, or through catechists. But even if
we were initiated already into the Christian life through our
infant baptism, a majority of us have not been really led to
encounter Christ personally and get to know Him in Word,
Sacrament, and through the living of a devout life. What often
happens is we even stray away from the requirements of our
Catholic faith. But usually, God sends persons, significant
people in our life, who help us convert and live a more devout
life in the Church. (Like what St. Ambrose and St. Monica did
for the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo.)

As we journey on in our Christian life, there will be many
occasions of people (like St. John the Baptist) who will point
out Christ to us and shepherd us to follow Him more devoutly.
These people can be members of our own family, our friends, or
anyone in our social network. When we are given the
opportunity by others to rediscover Christ in our life, we can
then imitate the action done by St. Andrew - who went and
sought out his brother Simon and led him to encounter Jesus
also. We too, like St. Andrew, can shepherd others to Jesus.
And we can do this in many ways - in the very social milieu
in which we live and work. We can shepherd others to Jesus
through: our good example; through charitable advice; through
the giving of moral support; by solving other people's
problems; by visiting the sick; or even by simply radiating
the presence of Christ through random acts of kindness,
goodness, generosity, patience, and peace, wherever we are.