Quiet - Be Still
-
June 22, 2024In our Gospel this weekend, St. Mark leaves us with an open -ended question: “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” It is a question about the identity of Jesus; a question Mark doesn’t answer; a question he leaves the readers to ask for themselves and… seek for an answer.
Where does the answer lie? We look into our Responsorial Psalm this weekend, see the parallels with the Calming of the Storm story in the Gospel, and allow the psalmist to answer the question for us.
First, the Psalmist speaks of people “who sailed the sea in ships, trading on the deep waters.” He speaks of sailors who do business on the waters, who may likely be fishermen. Likewise, when Jesus calmed the storm, Jesus was with his disciples, many of whom were fishermen and they were in a boat in the middle of the sea of Galilee.
Second, the Psalmist speaks of “a storm wind which tossed its waves high,” making the boat mounted up to heaven or sinking it to the depths.” Likewise, the Gospel speaks of a “violent squall [coming] up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.”
Third, the Psalmist speaks of the sailors whose “hearts melted away in their plight.” Sailors are known for being courageous. They brave dangers and death every time they go out on the water. But this time, when a storm came up, their hearts melted away. It must be a very strong storm. Likewise, in the Gospel, Jesus describes the feelings of his disciples in the face of the storm through a question: “Why are you terrified?”
Fourth, the Psalmist tells us that the sailors “cried to the LORD in their distress.” Likewise, the disciples turned to Jesus whom they found “in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
Fifth, the Psalmist tells us that the LORD “rescued them… hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled.” Likewise, in the Gospel, it was Jesus who “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm.”
In the Bible, whenever we see the name LORD (in all capital letters), it is the translation of the Holy Name of God “YHWH”. It is the English translation of the Hebrew name for the God of Israel. It has no vowels, only consonants hence it is called a Tetragrammaton.
The works of the God of Israel in the Old Testament are the same works that Jesus does in the New Testament. So, to the question of Mark, “Who then is this [Jesus] whom even wind and sea obey?”, he is God. He is one with the God of Israel. He is God who became flesh and dwelt among men.
