Two-Minute Homily by Fr Jacob Kalu for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024.
“If we feel that Jesus is sleeping, are we comfortable enough to wake Jesus and present him with our needs?”
- Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Two-Minute Homily Transcript
Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane
Dear friends, our reflection will be on the gospel of the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Like the disciples of Jesus in the boat being tossed around, our faith-life’s journey is faced with many challenges at its different stages. Today’s gospel reading describes how Jesus, who was at first sleeping and untroubled by what was going on around him calmed the storm at sea that frightened his disciples.The disciples’ words to Jesus express disappointment. Their words to him are words of reproach, questioning his care for them. One might wonder what the disciples expected Jesus to do. Are they more troubled by the storm or by Jesus’ inattentiveness to their needs or for not agreeing with them, with their assessment of the severity of the situation? The Gospel went forward to offer evidence of power and authority of Jesus as he calms the storm. Indeed, the disciples are left wondering about the identity of Jesus. They see before them a human being who acts with the authority and power of God.
This Gospel can be seen as a lesson for our lives. We are in the boat, the storms of life are raging around us, and like the disciples, we may believe that Jesus is unconcerned, or sleeping. We hope that we will be as familiar with Jesus as his disciples. If we feel that Jesus is sleeping, are we comfortable enough to wake Jesus and present him with our needs? Jesus does not reprimand his disciples for waking him. Instead, he reprimands them for their lack of faith, for their lack of perspective. When we bring our worries to God in prayer, we might just begin to learn to see things from God’s perspective. May God help us to trust in his power. Amen.