Sunday June 21: Job 3:1, 8-11. 2 Cor 5:14-17. Mk 4:35-41. The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 4:35-41. On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side." 36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. 40 Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" 41 They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" The first reading is this: Job 3:1, 8-11. 1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day… 8 Let them curse it who curse the sea, the appointed disturbers of Leviathan! 9 May the stars of its twilight be darkened; may it look for daylight, but have none, nor gaze on the eyes of the dawn, 10 Because it kept not shut the doors of the womb to shield my eyes from trouble! 11 Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? The second reading is this: 2 Cor 5:14-17. For the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. 15 He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 Consequently, * from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. 17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. MEDITATION: This Sunday Jesus calms the storm on the sea and criticises the apostles for their lack of faith. Getting tossed around in a little boat in a wavy storm doesn't sound like a very pleasant trip, yet Jesus was having a snooze on a cushion in the stern! Of course Jesus had a strong faith, since he is God himself! I think it's calling us all to allow God make our faith firm, so that problems or disappointments don't knock us down. The first reading of Job mentions directly 'the appointed disturbers of Leviathan' (a mythological dragon), but the whole book of Job is relevant because he's a guy who had to go through illness and bad luck. At first he complained about what God had done, but forty chapters later, he gets sense and appreciates that it's not for us to complain to God, since God knows much more than we do. Things then turn out well for Job. Multiple sclerosis is a little example. In the same year that mine was diagnosed (1998), about sixteen people in Leinster (my province) were diagnosed, and of those, six poor souls actually committed suicide. The gift of faith is a really important gift. But as 'storms' come my way in life I won't say “O.K. Lord, I've decided that I'm going to have firm faith in you”, rather I'll humbly ask “Please, Lord, increase my faith in you”! Faith is a gift but also it's up to us to seek it and when we hear his word, to open up to it. It's not always an easy thing to accept at first. It challenges us and gets us to question ourselves, but that's for our good. It's like the way a sports trainer has to push his lads to train well. Our advanced modern world of riches, honours and pleasures will send plenty of temptations, and, in a way, that's like wind and waves on the sea! So let's train well! Also, sometimes living in the world is like waiting for a train in a station. There are many simple things to keep us occupied and entertained like books to read and coffee to drink, and some will enjoy just sitting down and having a rest. But when the right train arrives, one stands up and gets on! The call of Christ is like that. One may have been quite comfortable sitting down, but one doesn't stay there. I think that the incarnation of Christ is like that arrival, so let's get on! Jesus was the Son of God whereas we're just flesh and blood, but he became flesh and blood like us (incarnate) and doesn't ask us to simply praise and applaud him, but to follow him. That is to say to free ourselves of the traps of mundane riches, honours and pleasures. The call is often far from the mundane ambitions that the world has tried to instil in us, so the second reading has Paul asking the Corinthians to open up to a new way of life. The way of Jesus is certainly 'new', but do we really open up to it? Some may fear that being in the Church brings nothing but rules and regulations, but being in the Church involves being in Christ, and it's actually a question of opening up to a real freedom. 'Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."' (Jn 8:31-32). When the caterpillar becomes a butterfly it undergoes what's called metamorphosis - 'change of body' - it leaves it's 'old self' behind. That reflects nicely the call of God to us all. We can 'sprout wings and fly'! The call isn't to mechanically repeat things of the past, rather the life of Jesus, St Paul and the many others in the Bible, are there to instruct and inspire us so that we thereafter allow God to write His Word anew in our own lives. As St Paul put it: we become 'living letters'! 'Poverty, chastity and obedience' are called the 'evangelical councils' for people like me with a vocation. But in a way they're really for everyone. They are a challenge and also a gift. More than a set of 'instructions to follow', I think this is all a question of being in love with Love! People in love gladly do 'crazy' things - and such craziness turns out to be sensible! There are times for making long-term decisions and commitments and faithfulness is great, but we also have to be open to whatever novelties God may want. The one permanent thing is His love and our confident 'trusting' in Him is the thing that need never change! Nearly all Saints had 'storms'… at some stage… but we presume that they ended up in paradise! Christ calls all of us, in some way, to 'cross to the other side'. My religious vocation is one little example among many. Even the wind and sea obey Him this Sunday, and I hope that I am obeying too! The M.S. is just another ‘breeze’ blowing. ...........Dara. En Español: Domingo 12º: Job 3:1, 8-11. 2ºCor 5:14-17. Mc 4:35-41. Este domingo Jesús calma la tormenta en el mar y critica a los apóstoles por su falta de fe. ¡Estar dando vueltas en un pequeño barco en una tormenta ondulada no parece un viaje muy agradable, sin embargo Jesús estaba descansándose sobre un cojín en la parte atrás! ¡No es sorprendente que Jesús tenía una fe fuerte, ya que él era Dios mismo! Creo que nos está llamando a permitirle a Dios afirmar nuestra propia fe, para que problemas o desilusiones no nos derriben. La primera lectura de Job menciona 'los fastidios de Leviatán' (un dragón mitológico), pero el libro entero de Job es pertinente porque él es un tipo que tenía que pasar por enfermedad y mala suerte. Al principio se quejó de lo que Dios le había hecho, pero cuarenta capítulos después, llega a la conclusión que no es para nosotros quejarnos a Dios, ya que Dios sabe mucho más que nosotros. Las cosas después resultan bien para Job. La esclerosis múltiple es un pequeño ejemplo. En el mismo año que la mía fue diagnosticada (1998), se diagnosticó a aproximadamente dieciséis personas en Leinster (mi provincia), y de aquéllos, seis pobrecillos se suicidaron. El regalo de la fe es un regalo muy importante. Pero cuando me pasan ‘tormentas’ en la vida, no voy a decir al Señor "O.K., he decidido que voy a tener la fe firme en ti", más bien voy a pedirle humildemente "Por favor, Señor, aumente mi fe en ti"! La Fe es un regalo pero también depende de nosotros buscarlo y abrirnos a su Palabra cuando la leemos. No es siempre fácil aceptarla al principio. Nos desafía y nos hace cuestionarnos a nosotros mismos, pero eso es para nuestro bien. Es como un entrenador de deportes tiene que empujar a sus muchachos para entrenar bien (“A por ellos!”). ¡Nuestro mundo moderno avanzado, de riquezas, honores y placeres nos presenta tentaciones suficientes, y en cierto modo, eso es como el viento y las olas en el mar! ¡Entonces que entrenemos bien! También, a veces viviendo en el mundo es como esperar por un tren en una estación. Hay muchas cosas simples para mantenernos ocupados y entretenidos, como los libros para leer y el café para beber, y a algunos les gustaría simplemente sentarse y descansar. ¡Pero cuando el tren correcto llega, uno se pone de pie y se monta! La llamada de Cristo es así. Uno puede haber estado sentándose bastante cómodo, pero uno no se queda allí. Creo que la encarnación de Cristo es como esa llegada, ¡entonces montémonos! Jesús era el Hijo de Dios pero nosotros somos sólo carne y sangres, pero él se hizo carne y sangre como nosotros (encarnado) y no nos pide simplemente alabarle y aplaudirle, sino nos llama a seguirle. Es decir a librarse de las trampas de riquezas, honores y placeres mundanas. La llamada muchas veces nos pide alejarnos de las ambiciones mundanas que el mundo ha intentado instilar en nosotros, entonces en la segunda lectura Pablo les pide a los corintios que se abrieran a un nuevo estilo de vida. El estilo de Jesús es ciertamente 'nuevo', pero ¿realmente nos abrimos a él? Algunos pueden temer que estar en la iglesia no nos trae más que reglas y regulaciones, pero estar en la iglesia involucra estar en Cristo, y esto realmente nos lleva a una libertad real. 'Jesús dijo entonces a esos judíos que creyeron en él, "Si permanecéis en mi palabra, seréis de verdad mis discípulos, y sabréis la verdad, y la verdad os hará libres".' (Jn 8:31-32). Cuando el gusano cambia en mariposa, pasa por lo que se llama la metamorfosis - 'el cambio de cuerpo' - 'el ego viejo' sale. Eso refleja bien la llamada de Dios a nosotros todos. ¡Podemos hacer brotar 'las alas y volar'! No estamos llamados a mecánicamente repetir cosas del pasado, más bien las vidas de Jesús, de San Pablo y de los muchos otros en la Biblia, nos instruyen y nos inspiraran a dejarle a Dios escribir su Palabra nuevamente en nuestras propias vidas. ¡Como dice San Pablo: ‘Hemos llegados a ser cartas vivas’! La pobreza, castidad y obediencia son para las personas como mí con una vocación. Pero en cierto modo, son para todos. Son un desafío y también un regalo. Más que ‘instrucciones para obedecer’, creo que se trata de estar enamorado con el Amor! ¡Las personas enamoradas alegremente hacen cosas locas - y tal locura a veces resulta ser muy sensata! A veces hace falta hacer decisiones a largo plazo y con compromisos que son grandes, pero también tenemos que estar abiertos a cualquier novedad que Dios quiere. ¡Lo que sabemos que es permanente es su amor, y nunca habrá falta dejar esta confianza. ¡Casi todos los Santos tenían ‘tormentas’, en alguna fase, pero ellos terminaron en el paraíso! Cristo nos llama a todos, de alguna manera, a 'cruzar al otro lado’. ¡Aún el viento y el mar le obedecen este domingo, y espero que yo también le esté obedeciendo! ........... Dara. Comments are closed.
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