NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2023)
Readings:
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
Psalms 85:9-14
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:22-33
In the midst of murderous threats, numerous moments of despair, deadly punishments being doled out, fleeing from the woman whose name continues to provoke negative feelings, Jezebel, the first reading today provides us with one of the most beautiful passages in the Old Testament. It happens near the end of 1 Kings, just before Elijah, at God’s bidding, chooses his successor, Elisha. Elijah has walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments, Mount Horeb, and there he hid in a cave to escape the clutches of Jezebel. In the cave Elijah hears God questioning him about “why he is hiding in the cave,” and God tells him that He is going to pass by the entrance of the cave.
From the entrance of the cave Elijah could sense “a strong and violent wind,” capable of even “rending the rocks” (hurricane?). The Lord, however, was not in the powerful wind. Next there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the mighty earthquake. After the earthquake, there was fire. Surely, given the experience of Moses, God would appear in the fire. But God was not in the fire. Finally, there was a “whispering breeze,” what Pope Francis has called a “thread of melodious silence,” and it is here that God made Himself known. God doesn’t demand our attention with the cacophony of loud thunder, or the brilliance of burning fire. God, as God did last week, just asks us to listen, to keep our hearts tuned to God, to His gentle love, to His fatherly tenderness, and God asks us to do this amid the storms of life.
Today’s gospel story centers around another storm, a storm at sea. Jesus has just fed five thousand people with very few resources, and endured the horrible passing of John the Baptist. Once again, like Moses, Jesus ascends a mountain to pray alone, sending His disciples to the other side of the lake ahead of him. Not far into their voyage, the disciples’ boat was “tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.” Somewhere between 3 and 6am, Jesus “came toward them walking on the sea.” Not recognizing that it was Jesus, they thought they were seeing a ghost, and they were frightened. With characteristic concern, Jesus tells them to “take courage,” and “do not be afraid,” for “it is I” [the characteristic ascription for God]. The bold and boisterous Peter wants to meet Jesus on the water (how cool would that be?), and Jesus summons Peter to “come.” After getting out of the boat Peter was initially surprised by how well this was going, but when Peter felt the full force of the wind, he became frightened, and began to lose his footing and sink. It is then that Peter cries out “Lord, save me,” and “immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter,” saying as He did so: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat the winds died down, and, stunned as they surely were, they did Jesus homage, saying “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The storm is the vehicle for a further strengthening of the disciples’ belief in Jesus as the Son of God. The strength of this belief would surely fade (as we stated last week) when Jesus is nailed to a cross, for no genuine God (Messiah) would allow such a thing to happen. Peter’s bravado reminds us of the seed sown among the weeds or the rocks – his “little” faith is not enough to keep him afloat with Jesus. This chief among the disciples will reach the height of his idiosyncrasies when he denies knowing the Son of God, the same God whose outstretched hand was quick to save him and raise him up from drowning. “Jesus is the Father’s hand who never abandons us, the strong and faithful hand of the Father, who always and only wants what is good for us …. In dark moments, in sad moments, Jesus is well aware that our faith is weak – all of us are people of little faith (Pope Francis).”
We won’t find Jesus in the loud and thunderous moments of life. Jesus beckons us to join Him in heaven with the simple whisper of what He spoke to Peter, “come.” On the way there we may sink below the waves of life which can tend to overwhelm us, cause us to even lose our way, but the God who at times seems distant, is standing here alongside us, with an outstretched hand to lift us up when we stumble and fall. On our part, may we pray the prayer of Peter – “Lord, save me.” May we pray it often, and with intensity. “Lord, save me” from my own tendencies to sin, “Lord, save me” from the desire to put myself first, “Lord, save me” from the opportunities to speak ill of others, “Lord, save me” from that which is not true and just, “Lord, save me” from all that is not good or in keeping with your teaching. No matter how far I sink below the level of the water, I know your tender hand is there to raise me up. What an inestimable blessing!
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