Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Job 38: 1, 8-11; 2 Cor 5: 14-17; Mark 4: 35-41
Deacon Larry Brockman
“Let Us Cross to the other side”. That really struck me when I first read the Gospel this week, especially since I had just attended two funerals for friends. It struck me because that’s what happens to us when we die, isn’t it. We cross over to the other side. We pass from this life to another, unknown life; and there is no return.
And the emotions we hold about such a crossing are exactly those that were expressed by the Apostles. The Apostles felt they were losing all control; they felt alone and abandoned; and they thought that they would perish. And so, they were afraid, I mean really afraid.
In his book on Jesus, Jesuit James Martin visits this scene in the Gospel. He describes the actual location and the culture of the time as well. Then he relives the scene in much vivid detail. And after reading that, l can tell you, you feel the fear.
Yet Jesus was asleep and unafraid through it all. So the Apostles woke him, and after calming the wind, Jesus says: “Why are you afraid; do you not yet have faith?” And this seems to me to be the perfect question for all of us when we are facing death. Why are we afraid, don’t we have faith?
But the facts are, that all of us are afraid. We are afraid of losing control; we sense that we are being abandoned; and that we are about to perish, separated from all that we know. We say that we have faith, but if you are realistic; almost all of us really do have some sense of fear, despite our Faith. How can we have the kind of Faith Jesus is talking about?
Well, you know what? God has is preparing us for such a transition our entire life, it’s just that we may not realize it. You see, death is not the only irreversible transition we experience in life. Birth, childhood, adulthood, marriage, and parenthood are also transitions that most of us experience in the course of our lifetimes before we reach the transition to the Kingdom of God.
And at each one of these transitions, we find ourselves deep down experiencing some of the same things- lack of control; a feeling of losing the comfort of our old life, and apprehension of the new life’s unknowns.
A newborn cries heartily as he experiences the shock of the light, the environment, and everything else at birth. And there is no return to the warm, all-encompassing comfort of the womb. A child goes off to school for the first time, separated from the wonderful fantasy and carefree experience of the life they led just for themselves, where Mom was there for them at their every whim. And eventually they see there is no return! A young adult leaves home for that first job, eager for new life, but still, with a sense of apprehension at being responsible for themselves in the wide, wide world. And ultimately, there is no return.
And then there are of the most significant of all transitions for most of us: the transitions to marriage and parenthood. When you get married, all of a sudden, it’s not about you anymore; it’s about us. That certainly came to mind for me yesterday- my 45th Anniversary because I remembered fondly all the things that led to that transition- meeting and dating my wonderful wife; and the joy that filled me whenever I was with her. I was in love.
But still, most men, and I was certainly no exception, don’t jump into marriage without some hesitation. I was always taught that marriage was permanent. If this was going to be it, just how would I know? And what about the idea of sacrificing my own self for my wife, for us? Was I ready for that?
When you come right down to it- you cannot know for sure. After love, it’s a matter of faith and trust. Now in our secular world of today, there is a common misunderstanding of the meaning of faith and trust as I have just used it. You see, society would tell us it is faith in each other; and trust in each other that we need in order to commit to marriage. But that isn’t what I mean. That is certainly a requirement for a good marriage. But it just won’t happen without faith in God and trust in God above all things first.
And in fact, the love part won’t be there either without love of God because without love of God first, our first love is love of self. And if that is our primary love, eventually it will surface in a marriage. Perhaps that’s why there are so many divorces- divorces over affairs, alcoholism, money, you name it. So, love of God and neighbor, and Faith and Trust in God- these are needed to counter selfishness. These are needed to make each transition in life.
Paul speaks of the Love of God impelling us. That’s what I am trying to say. We need to accept the love of God- it will impel us to do the rest. And don’t you just love our first reading and what it tells us about faith and trust in God? For God is ultimately in control. He sets all the limits of nature; he made the earth and all in it; and it was designed for our well-being. Scientists have yet to detect a single other place in the universe like it. So, God is the person who we can ultimately believe in and trust. He has given us life, the right environment, and He even sent his son to save all of us and show us the way.
And so, if we have faith in God, and trust Him, then he will be there for us when we choose our mate. And we will be familiar with what it means to love another, the kind of love that is self-sacrificing.
And then there is the transition to parenthood; something for which we have a joyful expectation, and yet, there is the fear of the unknown going into it. It is another situation in which there is no return. Children and Grandchildren are the greatest gift of all. But as we accept the responsibility of caring for children we are permanently transitioning to another new level.
Today is Father’s Day, and I know the Dad’s and Granddad’s out there can relate to what I am talking about. It’s not about you anymore; and it’s not just about you and your wife either. When you become a Dad, you learn to love all your children, equally; yet each like nobody else; and yet, still love your wife like no-one else.
And we want to relate and do what’s best for them- that’s why we make funny sounds and faces with the babies; play on the floor despite our diminishing mobility with toddlers; read them night time stories; sign then up for T ball or Soccer or Indian Guides or Scouts- the list of activities is endless. It’s why we turn the TV off and help them with homework; it’s why we labor over a barbeque for many family cookouts. It’s why we take them on camping trips and fishing trips and take them on vacations with us. It’s why we work long hours to be able to give them things in life we never had; it’s why we are there for them when they need help as they grow older, teaching them to drive; taking them away to school; and reassuring them when they come of age. And when they establish families of their own, we are there with the wealth of our own experience; babysitting and filling in when needed. It is because we love them, and in some cases more than we love ourselves.
Yes, life is full of transitions. We face each of them with an element of fear and uncertainty; and there is no return. But if we have faith in God and Love and Trust him, He will give us the graces to make each transition successfully. And when the final transition in this life comes, we will be unafraid and ready to cross to the other side.
Tags: Crossing to the Other Side; Faith and Trust in God; Be Not Afraid