Twelfth Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B]

MAIN MESSAGE
[This is for reference only. Please do not read it at Mass]

The Gospel story of the calming of the storm leads us to think of storms: both storms in the
elements and in the events of our lives. How do we feel at such times, and how do we react?
At difficult times, when things seem to be out of control, we feel helpless and afraid. God wants us
to remember that he is with us and to believe in his love and his power.
A true story of how a family faced a brush fire and high winds will help to bring home the message.

INTRODUCTION:
Celebrant: Have you ever been out in a storm?... How did you feel?... Maybe you felt excited, maybe
frightened… or helpless. Today the Word of God tells us how Jesus’ friends got caught in a storm. We
will see how they felt and what they did.

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

Commentator: Job was a friend of God who had many troubles. One day, he was in the middle of a
storm, a whirlwind, when he heard God speak to him.

First Reading: Job 38:1,8-11.

Psalm: 107:23-24;25&28;29-30.

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41.

Homily:
Where were Jesus’ disciples when the storm started? [In the middle of a big lake]

What kind of storm was it? What happened? [It was a wind storm. The wind was so strong that it made
huge waves. The wind started tossing the boat around and the water started filling the boat, and it began
to sink].
Where was Jesus while all this was happening? What was he doing? [He was sleeping at the back of the
boat, with his head on a pillow.]
What did the disciples do? [They woke him up and said, “Aren’t you bothered about this storm? Don’t
you care that all of us are going to drown?”]
What did Jesus do then? [He got up and ordered the wind and waves to be quiet. Everything became
calm. The danger was over.]
Was Jesus happy or sad with his disciples? [Sad]. He felt that they should have trusted him and not got
upset. If Mother Mary had been in the boat at that time, I think she would have said, “Don’t worry. Jesus
seems to be asleep, but he won’t let anything bad happen. He is God after all! Trust him.”
What would you do if you were caught in a storm?

Just last month, a lady, Janet, and her two daughters had a frightening experience. They were
resting in a holiday house in Panchgani (a hill station) when suddenly they heard a crackling sound and
smelled smoke. They rushed outside and saw that the hill slope was on fire. All the bushes and trees
below the house were burning. And the wind, which was very, very strong, was blowing the fire towards
the house. It was so powerful that the sparks and smoke were rising up to 20-30 feet in the air.
Janet and her daughters collected all the buckets they could find and started filling them with
water and pouring it down the hillside in front of the house. Some neighbours and friends also came to
help. But what were a few buckets of water compared to the huge wall of wind and fire?
When a tree just in front of the house caught fire, Janet got very frightened. Then she remembered
God. She took out her mobile and called a few friends in Pune, asking them to pray. Then she looked up
and said, “Jesus, you are the Lord of the wind and fire. Everything belongs to you. Please tell the wind to
stop and please save our house and all the people here.” Then she stopped feeling frightened and
peacefully kept filling buckets and passing them on to the others.
Two hours later, the danger was over. The family and neighbours stood in front of the house and
looked down the hillside. Everything was burned black. But the fire had stopped 15 feet from the house!
“Wow!” said one boy. “We did it!” “We did work hard ” said Janet, “but God did it!”

Children, there are times when you also feel helpless or frightened. You can’t do anything to help
yourself. Remember that Jesus is always with you. He may seem to be asleep, but he isn’t really.
He wants you to pray to him and trust him. [Draw the children’s attention to the poster]

APPROPRIATE HYMNS PREPARATION REQUIRED:

ENTRANCE: How Great is Our God
OFFERTORY: Father I Place • Make the poster and put up.
COMMUNION: Jesus, You are My Salvation • Prepare children for the readings.
Without Him I Can do Nothing
RECESSIONAL: God is Good All the Time
With Jesus in my Boat
 FIR ST REA DING : A reading from the book of Job:
From the storm the Lord said to Job:
‘After the ocean was born, I enclosed it with a wall. I used the mist for its baby clothes and
covered it with clouds. I marked out its boundaries and locked it behind doors.’
‘Then I said to the ocean, “Your raging waves stop here! This is as far as you go!’
This is the Word of the Lord.

PSALM : Response: Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.

Some of you made a living
by sailing the mighty sea,
and you saw the miracles
the Lord performed there.
At His command a storm arose, He made the storm stop
and waves covered the sea. and the sea be quiet.
You were in serious trouble, You were happy because of this,
but you prayed to the Lord, and he brought you to the port
and he rescued you. where you wanted to go.

ALLELUIA : Alleluia, alleluia. A great prophet has appeared among us;

God has visited his people. Alleluia.

GOSPEL : A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the east side.” So they left the crowd, and his
disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along.

Suddenly a wind-storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was
about to sink.
Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His
disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind
stopped, and everything was calm. Jesus asked his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have
you still no faith?”

The disciples were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who is this, that even
the wind and the waves obey him?”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.

NB. All Readings are taken from the ‘Lectionary for Masses with Children’ canonically approved for use in the USA.