TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B (IN GRATITUDE, WE AWAIT OUR GOD TO CALM THE STORMS OF OUR LIVES)

This Sunday’s psalm says, “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his love endures forever…they cried to the Lord……he stilled the storms to a whisper and all the waves were hushed”. In gratitude, the psalmist recognises signs of God’s goodness and gives thanks.

Recognising God’s blessings in one’s life leads to an appreciation of God’s generosity towards us which is a sign of his faithful love which never abandons us, especially in difficult times. This is one of the things that Job will appreciate more through his sufferings. Job had been through incredible suffering and had lost everything but God. Overwhelmed by the weight of his sufferings, Job questioned unceasingly.

His friends blamed him for his misfortune, and his wife advised him to curse God and die.

Job did not submit to guilt. Neither did he curse God as advised. Consequently, the Lord came through and calmed the storms of his sufferings. Like in today’s Gospel, when the time was right, Jesus calmed the storms and brought his disciples to a place of safety.

May the Lord hear our cries for help and bring us calmness. While we await God’s timing, may we recognise his great generosity towards us, and continue to give thanks like the psalmist