12th Sunday Year B

12th Sunday Ordinary Time – Quiet now! Be Calm!

I wonder how often we are faced with the raging, conflicting noises or voices in our heads caused by stress, upset or confusion? It is more common, much more common than you might think. Where our every decision or choice is doubted and questioned. Where everything that we think we know we should do, we hesitate as we worry over this and that, the coulds, the should and the maybes. We hesitate and then do nothing. Our procrastinating means we have missed the boat, lost the chance to do or to say or to be. Gone.

We are living through times where more and more of this is coming to the fore. Where almost everyone you can speak to is worried about stuff going on or in our world today. The immediate and local stuff like the national elections – who will lead us, who will sort out our country and what will they do about our local issues like poverty, rent-rates, evictions, availability of food and food-support. Then there is the national stuff like energy and its development, national safety and security, food and its growth and provision. And international stuff like wars and conflicts, who to support and who to avoid; where to intervene and when to observe carefully from a concerned distance.

All of this dependant on our one single vote! Yes on me. On you. On each one of us stepping up and casting our vote for the person we believe will look after us, our families and our society the best, the most effectively and efficiently and the with the most care for the people in their charge.

We can turn in on ourselves and others and rant and rave about the unfairness of it all. We can become ill with worry and with anger and frustration. We become much less a picture of ourselves than we could possibly ever have imagined. No? You don’t think so! Or maybe don’t agree!

Well, honestly, think about where you are at or where you have been during this past week or so since the Election Process started or even if you like during the past year or more. Does any of what I have said before ring true? Be honest now. And so it should. Because this is normal. This is natural. We get afraid. We get worried. We get scared and confused. We get frustrated and angry. We get confused and mixed up and unfortunately we get resigned. We feel disconnected to it all and give up any of it ever making any kind of sense.

And maybe we let it get into our hearts and minds and spirits and we become afraid. We become nervous and frightened. We become introverted and feel isolated and alone. Or we become more extrovert with our feelings and become angry and charged and show our feelings in our actions and in our words: our frustrations become alive in what we say and in what we do.

Just as the disciples did in the boat in today’s gospel. Even though they knew that Jesus was with them and that they had amongst them some very experienced fishermen. Even with all of this, they were frightened; they were terrified; they were scared witless. They were cowed by the voices in their heads telling them were going to die; they were going to drown. The storm through which they were sitting, rolling and being thrown about wasn’t just the stormy weather but was also the storm raging in their heads and hearts: the storm of fear and doubt and worry. They didn’t know and couldn’t see what was to come or become of them. They woke Jesus up.

He could see and hear their fear, their terror, their doubt, their insecurity. He could feel their worry immediately and said, “Quiet now! Be calm! And the wind dropped and all was calm.”

“Quiet now! Be calm!” Jesus rebuked the wind and the storm and they obeyed. But we can see that Jesus was also talking to the disciples. “Quiet now! Be calm!” – he was telling them. Stop agitating yourselves into such frenzies of worry and doubt. Let yourselves be calm and think on me. Think on your heavenly Father in heaven. Think and put your trust in your faith. Let your God guide  you. Let Him guard you. Let Him protect you in all areas of worry and concern. Put your trust in Him and in Me and all will be calm and still.

I think that we can all take much from today’s gospel: from just these four little words, “Quiet now! Be calm!” We can take them as our guide into each new day as a directive as to how we should treat each new piece of information that we may receive. Be still and consider it against the love that God our Father in heaven has for each one of us. Take and consider every new piece of news, carefully with consideration and deliberation and then reckon it against what our Father in heaven wants for us. There is nothing in this earth that should cause us to rant and rave with worry and doubt, as the disciples did, because we know that Jesus is with us, every step of our way. That Jesus loves us above all, just as His heavenly Father loves Him. A love that conquers all and everything. A love that guides, guards and protects.

Now, as we progress through this election process; as we reach the lights at the end of what will or has seemed to be a long, dark and demanding tunnel; now is the time to be strong, to be considered, to be watchful and ever-aware of doing too much, too soon, too carelessly. Now is the time to take charge of the raging storm in our heads and hearts and to listen to, and hear Jesus, as he speaks to each one of us, -

“Quiet now! Be Calm!” Be still and know I am with you. Always

Be aware of what is being offered. Be alert to what it is that you need or want for your local community. Be alive to the process and to your important and essential role within it.

Weigh up all that is being said and then check and challenge it when and where you can so that you can gain better or improved understanding. Challenge what you are unsure of but then take charge of your thoughts and feelings and understandings and vote!

Don’t leave it to others to decide your fate. Take charge and vote. When you have weighed up all that there is to hear and to consider. Then, “Quiet now! Be Calm!” Be still and know I am with you. Always.

Let the Lord guide your thoughts and your decisions, and vote as your heart, mind and spirit directs you.

“Quiet now! Be Calm!”

 Bidding Prayers

1.      For when we are afraid and let that fear take over our lives, that we put our faith, trust and hope in the Lord to make all things right. Lord in your mercy

2.      For when we can see no way forward that we seek the guiding light of the Holy Spirit to guide us, guard us and to always protect us. Lord in your mercy

3.      For all peoples who are feeling lost or dejected that they can turn to the Lord for guidance, love and support. Lord in your mercy

4.      For an increase in peace and harmony across our troubled world especially in those countries torn apart by war and terror. Lord in your mercy

5.      For all those who are sick in mind, body, or spirit that they may be comforted and strengthened by our prayers and actions. Lord in your mercy

6.      For all those who have died recently or whose anniversaries occur at this time that they may find eternal rest with the Father. Lord in your mercy

7.      We ask Mary our Mother to intercede for us as we now pray together. Hail Mary