First Reading: Job 38:1-11

At the end of the book of Job, after Job and his companions have argued about the cause of the great suffering Job endures, God finally speaks. These verses begin that speech, which is a grand vision of creation, describing God’s ordering of the cosmos and inviting Job to marvel at its beauty.

¹The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
 ²“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
 ³Gird up your loins like a man,
  I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
 ⁴“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
  Tell me, if you have understanding.
 ⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
  Or who stretched the line upon it?
 ⁶On what were its bases sunk,
  or who laid its cornerstone
 ⁷when the morning stars sang together
  and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
 ⁸“Or who shut in the sea with doors
  when it burst out from the womb?—
 ⁹when I made the clouds its garment,
  and thick darkness its swaddling band,
 ¹⁰and prescribed bounds for it,
  and set bars and doors,
 ¹¹and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
  and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?”

Psalm: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

 ¹Give thanks to the Lord, for the ^| Lord is good,
  for God’s mercy en- ^| dures forever.
 ²Let the redeemed of the ^| Lord proclaim
  that God redeemed them from the hand ^| of the foe,
 ³gathering them in ^| from the lands;
  from the east and from the west, from the north and ^| from the south.
 ²³Some went down to the ^| sea in ships,
  plying their trade ^| in deep waters. 
 ²⁴They beheld the works ^| of the Lord,
  God’s wonderful works ^| in the deep.
 ²⁵Then God spoke, and a stormy ^| wind arose,
  which tossed high the waves ^| of the sea.
 ²⁶They mounted up to the heavens and descended ^| to the depths;
  their souls melted away ^| in their peril.
 ²⁷They staggered and ^| reeled like drunkards,
  and all their skill was of ^| no avail.
 ²⁸Then in their trouble they cried ^| to the Lord,
  and you delivered them from ^| their distress.
 ²⁹You stilled the storm ^| to a whisper
  and silenced the waves ^| of the sea. 
 ³⁰Then were they glad when ^| it grew calm,
  when you guided them to the harbor ^| they desired.
 ³¹Let them give thanks to you, Lord, for your ^| steadfast love
  and your wonderful works ^| for all people.
 ³²Let them exalt you in the assembly ^| of the people;
  in the council of the elders, let them sing ^| hallelujah!

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Paul and his fellow workers experience great hardships and even rejection while carrying out their missionary work. Nevertheless, Paul continuously proclaims that God has not rejected us but is graciously working for our salvation.

¹As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. ²For he says,
 “At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
  and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! ³We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
  ¹¹We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. ¹²There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. ¹³In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Jesus’ calming of the storm on the sea reveals his power over evil, since the sea represents evil and chaos. The boat on the sea is a symbol of the church and invites us to trust God amid life’s turbulence.

³⁵When evening had come, [Jesus said to the disciples,] “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”