19th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
1 Kings 19:9. 11-13., Psalms 84:9-14. Rv.8, Romans 9:1-5. .
Stand on the mountain before the Lord: there came the sound of a gentle breeze:
I will hear what the Lord has to say to me.
I would willingly be condemned if it would help my brothers.
Peter started walking towards Jesus across the water.
Gospel
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Can Jesus help me now?
How many times you have struggled on the sea of life with the wind and the waves beating against you. You too believe in Jesus. Like Peter you have stepped onto the water and made towards Jesus. Yes, you thought, Jesus will save me. Your problems were great, be they financial or health. ‘Jesus is the answer to every problem.’ You believed this and fixed your eyes on him. Then doubts began to surface. Can Jesus solve my debt problem? Will he heal my sickness? Like Peter you too began to sink and lose heart. Peter’s great faith enabled him to do the impossible but his faith soon failed him. We too are the same. We would like to have complete faith in Jesus. But as we pray and the storm grows stronger rather than weaker, we begin to lose faith and we too begin to sink. Like Peter’s our faith too is weak. Great though he was his faith faltered. But the love of Jesus did not.
We cannot say why things happen in our lives. We can’t say why a beloved relative gets some terminal and debilitating disease, which reduces his body to helplessness. We pray and pray but nothing happens. Like Peter looking at the waves we too are tempted to look at our beloved one and say ‘why’? We may begin to think that Jesus isn’t there or worse that he isn’t bothered, that he has left us alone on this storm tossed sea. If we take our eyes off Jesus then we will sink. We like to be master of our life but in fact we are not. We are tossed, helpless, on the waves of life like the boat of the apostles. Jesus is the only one who can save us. We also do not know how and when. Even though the night is dark and the wind is strong, we must not lose faith in him. We must trust he will not abandon us. “Let us look to Jesus, the Founder of our faith, who will bring it to completion. For the sake of the joy reserved for him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat at the right of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
Our faith will not take away the bitter trials of human life. The tragedies of sickness and death afflict believers and unbelievers alike. If we do not abandon Jesus but stay with eyes fixed on him, then in some mysterious way he gives us strength to bear the impossible. Can you remember times when Jesus prevented you from being submerged in the pain of life? With trust in his presence are you able to praise Jesus at all times and in all circumstances? Will your faith trust against all odds?
Father, though I am storm tossed, you are my Creator and Father. May I always trust in your help through Jesus our Lord.
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