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"Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid"
Matthew 14: 22-28
The Sunday Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080926.cfm
Almighty ever-living God,
whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father,
bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts
the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters,
that we may merit to enter into the inheritance
which you have promised.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
(Sunday Collect)
This Sunday, our
readings seem to be a combination of both turmoil and peace; kind of like our
lives at times. On the one hand, we see the prophet Elijah standing on the
mountain, hiding from those who have threatened his life, listening for God
during violent natural forces: strong
and heavy rock crushing wind, an earthquake, a roaring fire – but God is not in
any of those. He whispers in Elijah’s ear
a soft sound and the prophet covers his face in reverence. The message is that
God is not always where you would expect to find him nor does he prefer to be a
frightening force. Wherever there is fear, God is there.
On the other hand,
Peter and the disciples are caught in a fishing boat, a familiar place for most
of them, amid a violent storm, terrified for their lives. They did not go out
to fish but rather followed the urging of Jesus to get in the boat after the
multiplication of the loaves event and head out to sea.
Jesus dismissed the
crowd, sent the disciples off in the boat to the other side of the lake, then
went off to pray without them. Obviously, he wanted to be alone in prayer for
some time, but more was on his mind as well.
A sudden storm on the
sea of Galilee was not all that unusual but coming on in the middle of an
especially dark night, it was an unsettling experience for these men who always
felt vulnerable if Jesus was not present. Although they well knew the waters of
Galilee it likely seemed odd that Jesus would not accompany them and had dismissed
them so insistently. Now they feared for their lives.
In the darkness of
the night, around 3 a.m., their fears were confirmed as wind and wave began to
push back and Jesus came walking silently and calmly on the turbulent waters toward
them! From a distance, he created a
ghostly appearance that would have frightened anyone.
They were
understandably worried at the vision they saw on the water. It must be a
spirit! Sailors in this time tended to be somewhat superstitious. Then Jesus calls out to the distraught disciples:
“Take courage, it is I . . . “
Once identified, Peter
boldly requests to defy the force of nature and walk on the water as well.
Jesus simply invites him
to leave the boat with one word: "Come.” With all good intention despite Peter’s short
lived then failed attempt, Jesus finally joins his terrified group in the boat
as the wind and sea turn calm. “It is I,
do not be afraid,” he reassures them. Having grown up in the mid-west we were
very familiar with summertime thunderstorms and tornados that would bring you
to run for cover. Yet, a safe and secure
basement is more reassuring than a fishing boat on the open sea.
It strikes me these
are powerful images which test both our faith and our preconceptions of
God. I think the real miracle here from
our perspective is not so much that Jesus walked on the rolling waves. We know who he is and what he can do as God
by simply willing it. He walks on water in the open sea defying gravity, a law
he himself created.
The real astonishing
miracle is Peter’s bold request, as weak as it was. The ever sincere but
impulsive Peter cries out to Jesus, as we at times cry out to God for relief
from our suffering or complaining. While
the boat symbolizes the Church and the future turbulent times it will
experience, Peter is a sign of all of us.
Today the powers of
nature are not particularly mysterious anymore as scientists can determine what,
when and how many things will happen. But the "why" question is not
answered by science. We can see certain
conditions that bring an expected result, but why God permits such things may
be answered only by faith which gives deeper meaning and purpose to our lives.
What does this mean for us?
I feel we live now in
a culture of fear, but we're called to be a people of faith. The state of fear
and division of our day, which seems to be increasingly threatening to peace,
we still hear the call of Jesus to “come” and to keep our eyes on him.
So, while it seems
from our first reading, that Elijah and the Gospel scene of frightened
disciples in the boat were helpless victims of natural forces, these stories
hold a deeper reminder for us. Wind and fire, waves tossing into boats as the
fishermen try to bail out the water before they sink is not really the main
point of the story. Turbulence, yes, but
how do we respond in those rough time?
Do we give in to fear and hopelessness? Are we angry at God as to why he
would allow such a thing in our lives? Do we take our eyes, mind and heart off
the One who can calm the seas as he invites us to walk above the waves and to
trust that with him, all will ultimately be well?
The tiny whispering
sound in Elijah’s ear and Jesus’ own calm and silent unexpected display of
divine power over his own creation is the key. That Peter walked on water
toward Jesus, even for a short time, shows what faith can produce in us when we
trust in the Lord's promise, "come." Can you imagine what the
reaction of the disciples would have been if Peter had made it all the way and
never sank? Peter at least understood the power that Jesus had and with a great
act of love and trust, began to walk.
And, later continued to walk mightily in his ways. Is God just a ghostly apparition for us or do
we truly see and hear him in our lives now?
Is it too much to
expect that our Lord really is with us in moments that we may find especially
trying: the sudden loss of a loved one; the separation of divorce, bad news
from the doctor, the loss of a job for no clear reason, a son or daughter who
decides to leave the Church all together, a desperately alcoholic husband or
wife who simply lives in constant denial while the innocent suffer in the
family.
We don’t ever have to
apologize for being Catholic and for following the teachings of our faith no
matter how unpopular they may be. We can
attend Mass despite even our neighbors or family who may consider us excessively
religious. We can see not just the sins
of the Church, but the heroic virtues and good works done in the name of the
Gospel.
We can walk on all
kinds of water, even now, if we only trust and pray even when we doubt. “Keep your eyes on me,” Jesus calls. It’s not
too much to ask. “Come” Jesus says – “Follow
me.” Not fear but faith.
