by Fr. Julius C. Lupot

READINGS:   Job 38: 1. 8-11   /   Psalm 107: 23-24. 25-26   /   2 Corinthians 5: 14-17   /    MARK 4: 35-41

HIS WORD… LET US CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE… QUIET! BE STILL!… WHY ARE YOU TERRIFIED? DO YOU NOT YET HAVE FAITH?

my words… The Philippine Archipelago is fondly visited by storms and typhoons yearly; and we recall the recent devastating typhoons with the likes of “Milenyo” in August of 2006, “Ondoy” in September 26, 2009, “Yolanda” in November 8, 2013, and “Glenda” in July of 2014. And there were those more in the past when their names used to be exclusively feminine with the likes of “Nitang”, “Rufing”, “Reming”… and the recent masculine ones like “Sendong”, “Pepeng”, “Santi”, and other weather disturbances that visited and destroyed our nature and the beautiful Philippines. Have we not called on Jesus “to wake up because we are perishing?” (Mk 4:38).

Brothers and Sisters, today’s gospel exhibited Jesus’ power over nature; He rebuked the wind and the sea, and they obey Him! (Mk 4:39). The disciples filled with great awe even said to one another, “Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey? (Mk 4:41). Many of the miracles performed by Jesus in the gospels were either healing or exorcising miracles; but this time it is apparently a nature miracle – a manifestation that Jesus is indeed the Son of the Creator-God who architected the gift and beauty of nature; that is why He has power over them.

Yes, we believe that Jesus has power over nature. That was why in the past, every time PAGASA forecasted for a super typhoon or a devastating storm, people rose up early in the morning and got out of their respective houses and started doing a “Dawn Procession” or “Aurora” praying to Jesus through His Mother Mary to avert the storms and typhoons; and it did happen, there were many strongly forecasted typhoons deviated and changed course because of faith, because of our prayers to Jesus who can command to calm down weather disturbances.

Brothers and Sisters, storms, typhoons, and weather disturbances may not only be with Mother Earth; they can also happen to us. Human problems are storms and typhoons of life, we need Jesus to comfort us and heal us. After all, He is our “Emmanuel” – God with us – and is always with us in the journey of life until the end of time as He promised…

Today, the 3^rd Sunday of June is “Father’s Day”. Let us pray for our respective fathers that like Jesus and the example of St. Joseph, they may always protect our families from the storms and typhoons of life; and pray further that our beloved fathers may not cause such disturbances in our homes. As pillars of our homes, may our fathers be the strongest foundation of domestic love and harmony in the home. May they become the crystallizers and protectors of our Christian families the way St. Joseph protected and cared for the Holy Family of Nazareth.

HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY… AND LET THE POWER OF JESUS HEAL AND SAVE OUR FATHERS AND EVERY FILIPINO CHRISTIAN FAMILY…