REFLECTION
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 21, 2009
Today is all about the sea:
first the Lord
then the psalmist
then the disciples
talk about the sea
The Lord tells Job
in such a memorable way,
“that the sea
as powerful as it may be
has limits set by me
and when they are reached
I will still it’s proud waves.”
The psalmist said,
as only a psalmists can,
that that the sea
in its boasting
is hushed by the Lord
to a gentle breeze
and frightened sailors
find their haven.
The disciples have
the final words about the sea
the storm they say
broke on
and the demon waves thrashed
their tiny boat
as Jesus slept
appearing not to care.
We’ll touch him
on the shoulder
and hope that he awakes
to save us from the deep.
We are perishing
-perhaps he didn’t hear-
we are perishing
he did awake and steadily stood
and told the wind
to quiet down
and the waves
to be as still as desert sand
And then with words
that frightened us far more than
raging wind or demonic waves
He asked why it was
that we were terrified
and lacking faith.
None spoke
for death has never needed reason
and faith has always looked for proof.
We rowed to shore
in silence thinking
each unto himself
who is this
that stills the wind
and unbends the waves.
Will we learn
if we stay with him
that death is not what we should fear
but not living is?
“Yes!
unimaginably… Yes!