Overcoming Fear with Faith: Lessons from the Disciples in the Storm

Julie South [00:00:03]:
Peace be with you. Welcome to Your Catholic Corner. I'm your show host, Julie south, and I'm so glad you're able to join me today as we explore the Word of God and how it relates to living in today's world.

Your Catholic Corner helps Catholics spiritually prepare for each Sunday's mass starting mid week. Each week you can listen to Your Catholic Corner  at yourcatholiccorner.com.

In today's episode, we'll be focusing on the readings for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year B. That's Catholic speak for Sunday the 23 June. Here's what we'll be covering. We'll start by looking at the passages from the Book of Job, Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians, and the Gospel of Mark.

Our main focus will be on exploring the typological connection between the Old Testament reading from Job and the gospel passage to help you understand why the Catholic Church chose these specific texts.

If you're not familiar with the term typology, don't worry, I'll explain what that means and how it relates further on.

Then we'll pray together and look at reflect it on what God might be saying to each of us personally through these readings. Remember, whenever two or more are gathered in Jesus name, like we are right here, right now with you and me, he is with us.

The readings for this Sunday are:

Job 38:1, 8-11

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Mark 4:35-41

But before that, a quick word about Your Catholic Corner, just in case this is your first time here. 

Regardless of where you are on your spirit journey, whether you've only just heard of that man called Jesus, you're new to Catholicism or you're a cradle Catholic, my prayer is that Your Catholic Corner will help bring God's word to life in your heart through insights, reflections, and practical applications that help deepen your relationship with God. 

Every Thursday we'll start preparing for mass by uncovering the richness hidden in each Sunday's Bible readings, from Old Testament prophecies to gospel parables. I invite you to join me and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, sponsors of Your Catholic Corner so that together we can hear God's word and echo. Samuel, speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Now let's get back to today's show. 

Let's take a look at the typological link between the Old Testament reading from Job and the gospel passage from Mark and why the Catholic Church paired these two for the 12th Sunday in ordinary time in year b. 

Now, if you're not familiar with the term typology, it refers to the idea that certain people, events, or things in the Old Testament serve as types in air quotes, in types or foreshadowing of someone or something in the New Testament. It's a bit like God dropping hints or leaving clues in the earliest scriptures that point to the fulfilment we find in Christ and the New Testament. In the Book of Job, God showcases his incredible power over creation, particularly the sea. He asks job rhetorically, who else could possibly control the raging waters, setting their boundaries and limits? It's an amazing, a vivid, a striking illustration of God's absolute sovereignty over the forces of nature. Now fast forward to the gospel of Mark, where we find Jesus and his disciples caught in a wild storm on the sea of Galilee. The wind is howling, the waves are crashing over the boat, and the disciples naturally are absolutely terrified.

Julie South [00:04:53]:
But what does Jesus do? He stands up, he rebukes the wind, and he tells the sea, quiet, be still. And just like that, the storm subsides and everything is calm. The typological connection here is pretty obvious. Just as God demonstrates his power over the sea in the book of Job, Jesus reveals his divine authority by calming the storm. In the Gospel of Mark, the Old Testament passage serves as a type or a foreshadowing of Jesus power and identity as the son of God. But there's more to it than that. The story in Mark's gospel also showcases it highlights the importance of faith and trust in Jesus, even in the midst of life's storms. The disciples, faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, cry out to Jesus in desperation, and when he calms the storm, they're left in awe, wondering, who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.

Julie South [00:06:13]:
So the Old Testament passage from job points ahead to Jesus divine power and authority, while the gospel story fulfills and expands on this theme, emphasising the transformative nature of faith. Faith in Christ, in Jesus and in God. As we reflect on these readings, let's be encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and that the transformation power of faith in Jesus, in Christ, in God, especially during the storms and challenges that we face in our own lives. Let's pray together. A reading from the book of Job from the heart of the Tempest, the Lord gave Job his answer. He said, who pent up the sea behind closed doors when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb? When I wrapped it in a robe of mist and made black clouds its swaddling bands. When I marked the bounds, it was not to cross, and made it fast with a bolted gate. Come thus far, I said, and no further.

Julie South [00:07:54]:
Here your proud waves shall break the word of the Lord. A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians. The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead. And the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them. From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.

Julie South [00:09:09]:
The word of the Lord. A reading from the gospel of Mark. With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, let us cross over to the other side. And leaving the crowd behind, they took him just as he was in the boat, and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, master, do you not care? We are going to drown. And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, quiet now.

Julie South [00:10:11]:
Be calm. And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith? They were filled with awe and said to one another, who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him. The gospel of the Lord. So what is God saying to you through these passages? Keep in mind that what God speaks to each of us in different ways. So what resonates with me today might be different from what touches your heart today or tomorrow. The first one for me. How awesome is God really? Think about it.

Julie South [00:11:23]:
The disciples response to Jesus calming the storm was of awe and amazement. They knew they got. They were in the presence of someone truly, absolutely extraordinary. How deep, how strong is your sense of reverence and wonder in God's presence? How deep is my sense? Regardless of where we find God in our prayers, in the sacraments, when we're outside in the beauty of God's creation, how much in awe are we really, and how much more awesomeness can we attribute? Every time that happens, the second thing, that the second word. The second nudge I got from God was even in the midst of absolute chaos. When I'm up to my neck in what feels like alligators to find peace, I can think about remind myself of the image of Jesus sleeping peacefully in the back of that boat when everything around him was raging. How powerful was that? So for me, it's about trusting and learning to trust in God, in Jesus, in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, when I feel like I'm up to my neck in alligators, in everyday life here in the 21st century. The other thing is to remind myself, to open my arms to the life changing power of being loved by God.

Julie South [00:13:24]:
St. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians about the power that gods love to make us into new creations when we allow ourselves when I allow myself to be fully enveloped and overcome by the reality that Jesus loves me, if I allow it, it can fully transform the way I see myself, others, and the world around me. It means that I can see things and people different because I'm looking for Jesus in those events, in those people. Just like I mentioned the first nudge about the awesomeness of God. I can embrace God's love and see more awesomeness in my world when I'm up to my neck in alligators to trust in God even when I don't understand it, because I know that God has my back. And then to be witness to God's power and love. This weekend just gone, Alan and I celebrated mass with Father Nathaniel in Eltham in Taranaki in God's own New Zealand. Father Nathanael asked us all to evangelize a bit louder to my words, not his, to invite more people to discover all that is great about God and the Catholic Church.

Julie South [00:15:10]:
My paraphrasing the disciples encounter with Jesus on the sea left them forever changed. They couldn't help but share with others the incredible things they'd seen. In the same way, as we experience God's love and his power for us in our own lives, we're called to spread that word. We need to share more of all that's great in our lives. Thanks to God. The church needs us right now. It needs you. It needs me.

Julie South [00:15:48]:
We need to step up and invite more people to share all that is great about being catholic and sharing mass each week. What was God saying to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and reflections, so please get in touch with me. You can do that at your catholiccorner.com. i hope you found this episode interesting and helpful, even in just in a teeny tiny, incy wincy little bit way on your spiritual journey. My prayer is that this podcast will deepen your understanding of God's word and the catholic faith. And even if it's only in a tiny bit, it will help grow the catholic church. This is something we have to do together, so please help me and spread God's word by sharing this show. I'd be ever so grateful.

Julie South [00:17:06]:
Just invite your friends and family, somebody who you think might benefit from tuning in. It's completely free and it's a great way to help others grow in their faith. Your catholiccorner.com is the place to go wherever you are in your spiritual journey. I pray that God's love will fill your heart to overflowing and that when the time is right for you, you'll accept God's invitation to join him at the table of the Eucharist in your local catholic parish. And finally, a big shout out to the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand for their support in making this podcast possible. This is Julie south signing off until next week. Peace be with you. God bless.