19th Sunday of OrdinaryTime
In the first reading the prophet Elijah is on the run from the anger of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. He finds refuge in a cave on Mount Horeb where God reveals himself to Elijah not through earthquake, wind or fire, but rather through a gentle breeze – the breath of God. The subtlety of God’s presence is so gentle it could easily be missed by those expecting great signs and wonders.
In the second reading Paul, familiar with the teaching of his former Jewish faith and converted by his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, struggles to understand why his Jewish brethren have not also understood ‘the truth’ that guides him. Perhaps his anguish is heightened because he was accused of turning away from his Jewish faith to preach to the gentiles.
The gospel reading this Sunday is all about Jesus’s walking on water but if you look beyond the walking on water this story is really about trust and faith in God. We have no problem identifying with Peter, he is so like us. He is confident one moment and then, when things get difficult and he realizes that he has bitten off more than he can chew, he falls apart. By then it is too late and he needs help and that is when Jesus offers peter his hand. and he acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Life is like that, we start something like a new job, college, marriage, or a project to help others, but then it gets complex and beyond what we are capable of. We are sinking, we are drowning. Not an uncommon experience in so many situations in life and in the way we deal with them. God doesn’t always give us an immediate cure or a fast solution when we bring ourselves in prayer for others or for ourselves to God. God, through Jesus, is not distant from our problems. Jesus shows us that when he reaches out a hand to Peter and to us, he is companion with us in the storms of life.
At times we may well be floundering, like Peter, but Jesus reaches out to help us, to rescue us. What better analogy could there be of our own lives and relationship with Jesus. We live messy lives, we doubt and we lack faith but nevertheless we are still moving towards the Lord. This Sunday we are reminded that we should listen for God in quiet moments and trust Him in hard times. Elijah found God in a gentle whisper. Peter walked on water but sank when he doubted. Jesus saved him, showing that God does not abandon those who call out for help and that include all of us today.
Fullerton T 