Year B: Catholic homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Theme: DO NOT BE AFRAID, THE STORM WILL SOON BE OVER
By: Fr. Chibuike Uwakwe
Homily for Sunday June 20 2021
(Job 38:1.8-11; 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Mk. 4:35-41)
In the Gospel reading, Jesus was travelling with his disciples when their boat was ravaged by storm. His disciples were experienced fishermen who knew how to navigate the storm but the storm they encountered defiled their experience and expertise, leaving them with no other option but to panic. Interpreting this story in the light of our experiences today, this boat ravaged by storm could represent four things for us:
1. The Church: The boat could represent the Church as the body of Christ tossed about by the storm of persecutions, scandals of hypocrisy, division, immorality, secularism, lack of faith, disobedience, etc. It could also represent smaller units of the Church such as dioceses, congregations, parishes, stations, pious associations and organizations within the Church tossed about by various storms.
2. The Society: The boat could represent the society in which we live tossed about by the storm of corruption, ethnic hatred, insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, bad governance, embezzlement of public funds, bribery, corruption, etc.
3. Various Institutions: The boat could represent various institutions around us such as families, places of work, social clubs, markets, schools, hospitals, governmental and non-governmental offices tossed about by corruption, lack of due process, favouritism, sectionalism, disrespect, etc.
4. The Individual: The boat could represent the individual tossed about by ignorance, poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, identity crises, fear, etc.
The storm which tossed the disciples’ boat could also represent various operational storms we face in our lives today such as:
1. Spiritual Storm: This storm disturbs the individual spiritually and its signs include: fear, running from one prayer house to another, demonic attacks, bad dreams, spiritual merchandise, etc.
2. Marital Storm: This storm disturbs marriages and its signs include: lack of trust, inability to forgive, childlessness, poverty, disputes, etc.
3. Business Storm: This storm disturbs businesses and its signs include: financial indiscipline, too much of credits, non-payment for goods and services by customers, seizure of goods, destruction of property, fire outbreak, set-up, etc.
4. Career Storm: This storm disturbs people in various careers and its signs include: job insecurity, jealousy, conspiracy, lack of promotion, non-payment of salary, missing files, etc.
5. Medical Storm: This storm disturbs people with bad health conditions and its signs include: hereditary diseases, venereal diseases, organ failure, chronic diseases, etc.
6. Educational Storm: This storm disturbs those in school and its signs include: carryover, clearance, non-graduation, missing scripts, conspiracy, revenge, etc.
7. Vocational storm: This storm disturbs those in the priestly or religious life and its signs include: bad report, prejudice, racism/place of origin, misunderstanding, delay in promotion, renewal of vows, profession or ordination, jealousy, expulsion, gossip, unjust punishment, etc.
No matter the kind of storm you are passing through at the moment, the message for you today is: Do not be afraid, the storm will soon be over.
Five things you need to know and do for the storm to be over
1. Know that certain storms cannot be stopped by who you know or what you have but by God alone. Money or connection would not have saved the disciples then. Make necessary human efforts but focus on God to calm your storm.
Mt. 19:26 says: With God all things are possible.
2. God knows our needs but wants us to take action. The disciples took action by calling on Jesus to intervene. The first action is to call God’s attention to the storms threatening us. He might appear asleep until we wake him up in prayer.
Jer. 33:3: Call to me and I will answer you;
James 4:2: You do not have because you do not ask;
Psalm 50:15: Call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you shall glorify me.
3. Do not be afraid. No matter the kind of storm we face, Jesus is always there for us. He tells us, do not be afraid. He loves us and that is why he died for us.
Rm. 8:31: If God be for us, who can be against us?
4. Persevere in Prayer. Prayer is the only solution to our problems. Keep praying until God calms the ravaging storms confronting you.
Lk. 18:1: You ought always to pray and never loose heart.
5. Show your faith. Faith is the only password to unlock the door of what we consider to be impossible. Show
your faith in God like Job through works of righteousness.
Mk. 9:23: All things are possible for one who believes.
Happy Sunday. God loves you.