Sunday, June 20, 2027 · Year B
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?
God speaks to Job out of the storm and reminds him that He alone set limits to the sea. On the Sea of Galilee a violent squall swamps the disciples’ boat while Jesus sleeps. They wake Him, He rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
Mass Readings
- First Reading Job 38:1, 8-11
- Responsorial Psalm Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
- Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
- Gospel Mark 4:35-41
Open the Mass Readings on USCCB.org →
First Reading Job 38:1, 8-11
The Lord answers Job out of the storm: who shut in the sea when it burst forth and said, “Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled”?
Psalm Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord, His love is everlasting.
Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
The love of Christ impels us, because one died for all. Whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away, and new things have come.
Gospel Mark 4:35-41
Jesus and His disciples cross the sea at evening. A violent storm comes up and waves break over the boat while Jesus sleeps on a cushion. They wake Him: “Do you not care that we are perishing?” He calms the sea and asks, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”
Step Into the Story
God finally answers Job out of a storm, and He does not explain; He asks questions. Who shut the sea within doors when it burst forth from the womb? Israel’s God simply sets the sea its limits: “Here shall your proud waves stop.”
- 63 B.C.Pompey takes Jerusalem
- 4 B.C.Antipas rules Galilee
- 14 A.D.Tiberius becomes emperor
- c. 20 A.D.Antipas founds Tiberias
- This week’s scene: c. 28 A.D.Jesus calms the storm
Climb into a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee on the evening of a long day of parables, probably in 28 A.D. A boat of this very era, preserved in the lake’s mud, is about twenty-seven feet long. Other boats push off with you. Jesus, worn out, lies down in the stern on the helmsman’s cushion and falls asleep.
Feel the change. The lake lies nearly 700 feet below the sea, ringed by hills, and cool air pouring down from the heights can whip it up without warning. The wind rises and the light goes. Hear the slap become a roar, the timbers groan, the men shout to one another. Water sloshes over your feet; the boat is filling. These are professional fishermen, and they are terrified. Grip the gunwale, look toward the stern, and wait for someone to wake Him.
Encounter the Lord
Grip the side of the boat. The wind is howling, water is pouring in, and the fishermen beside you are bailing in a panic. In the stern, Jesus is asleep on a cushion. You shake Him: “Do you not care?”
Every Christian has prayed that prayer. When storms hit, health, money, family, faith, it can feel as though God is asleep. But He is in the boat. He wakes, and with one word the sea is calm. Then He asks the harder question: “Why are you terrified?” Faith does not mean the storm never comes. It means trusting that the One in the boat is Lord of the wind and the sea. Difficulties are not the same as doubt.
Name the storm you are in right now. Each day this week, hand it to Jesus with a simple prayer: “Lord, You are in the boat. I trust You.”
Know Your Faith
- 77·Jesus, true God and true man
- 21·what faith is
- 22·how one goes about believing
True God and True Man
Jesus is inseparably true God and true man; He became truly man while remaining truly God (CCC 464, 469). His power over the wind and the sea reveals His divinity.
Faith, a Gift and a Response
Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by Him (CCC 153). It is also a human act by which man freely commits his entire self to God (CCC 154, 1814).
Faith in Time of Trial
Faith is certain, more certain than all human knowledge, because it rests on the word of God who cannot lie (CCC 157). Before Christ’s return the Church will pass through trials that will shake the faith of many (CCC 671-672).
A New Creation
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Through Baptism and grace the Christian is renewed and becomes a new creature (CCC 1265, 1999).
Key Takeaways
- Scripture
- Doctrine
- Sacraments
- Christian Life
- Doctrine: Jesus has power over creation because He is God.
- Christian Life: Faith means trusting Jesus even in the middle of trials.
- Doctrine: Difficulties in understanding the faith are not the same as doubt.
- Doctrine: In Christ we become a new creation.
Test Your Knowledge
True or false? Tap your answer.
God answered Job out of the storm.
True.
Jesus was awake and steering the boat during the storm.
False: He was asleep on a cushion in the stern.
The disciples asked, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
True.
In the Old Testament, power over the sea belongs to God.
True.
The Catechism teaches that faith is purely a human achievement.
False: it is a gift of God and also a free human act, CCC 153-154.
St. John Henry Newman wrote, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.”
True.
Jesus is partly God and partly man.
False: He is truly God and truly man, CCC 464.
Paul writes that whoever is in Christ is a new creation.
True.
The Sea of Galilee is known for sudden storms.
True.
Jesus praised the disciples for their great faith during the storm.
False: He asked, “Do you not yet have faith?”.
Answers: 1 T · 2 F (He was asleep on a cushion in the stern) · 3 T · 4 T · 5 F (it is a gift of God and also a free human act, CCC 153-154) · 6 T · 7 F (He is truly God and truly man, CCC 464) · 8 T · 9 T · 10 F (He asked, “Do you not yet have faith?”)
Journal Prompts
What storm am I facing right now?
When have I felt that Jesus was asleep in my life? How did He answer?
What is the difference for me between a difficulty and a doubt?
What would it look like to trust Jesus more this week?
Talk to God
Lord Jesus, You are in the boat with me, and even wind and sea obey You. When storms rise and I am afraid, calm my heart. Strengthen my faith, and teach me to trust You in every trial. Amen.