Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

News and Notes:

The Scripture readings this weekend are the Bible’s version of “Storm Stories.”  Job finds himself caught in a storm of bad fortune.  Jesus’ disciples are caught in a bad squall while they are in a boat in the middle of a lake. I am sure everybody has a storm story to tell.

Here is the bottom line from these stories: Out of every storm, God speaks words of comfort; God acts to deliver us from harm; God invites us to turn our hearts and lives over to Christ. Storms can arise in any season of our lives.  All it takes is a serious illness, a layoff from work, a financial shortfall, chronic tension at home, a hurtful incident, and the storm clouds gather.  When we find ourselves embedded in a storm, today’s readings encourage us to put our trust in the Lord, whom the wind and sea obey. Christ can always be found in the eye of a storm, and he is always bringing peace and relief to all who call on his name. May we trust in the power and goodness of Christ to bring us safely through all the storms of our lives! The Eucharist, of course, is our guarantee that we shall always be in communion with the Lord, no matter what storms come our way.