19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading: Matthew 14: 22-33

22 After feeding the crowds, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go to on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away.

23 After sending the crowds away, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came he was there alone,

24 while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind.

25 In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake,

26 and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But at once Jesus called out to them saying, "Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid."

28 It was Peter who answered. "Lord," he said, "if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water."

29 "Come, " said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water,

30 but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. "Lord! Save me!" he cried.

31 Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. "Man of little faith," he said "why did you doubt?"

32 And as they got into the boat the wind dropped.

33 The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, "Truly you are the son of God."

Meditation

At first reading, today's passage looks like one story, but in fact several stories are woven into it, and we cannot meditate on them all at the same time. We therefore separate the various strands and focus on one at a time. We might eventually find a link between them (the early Church did hand down the passage as a unity) but if we do find the link, it must happen spontaneously and in its own time.

In our meditation we choose our perspective. We can focus on Jesus, the ideal leader, parent, friend, spiritual guide; he is also the model of the Church in the world, and indeed of any alternative community which brings hope to the rest of humanity. On the other hand we can focus on those Jesus ministers to - the disciples, the crowd, St Peter. They are ourselves when we have a deep experience of grace and salvation.

Verses 22-23. Jesus sends away both the disciples and the crowds so that he can go up on the hills by himself and pray. This is the moment when those of us who have authority over others feel the need to get in touch with our deepest selves. We are able to distance ourselves from those we have responsibility for. By doing this we also give them the space to find themselves - an essential aspect of exercising authority. Even though, like Jesus, we end up having to go and rescue them, it is still a moment of growth - for them and for us.

2. Verses 24-25. Jesus becomes aware (because he was at prayer?) that the disciples are in crisis; their boat is far out on the lake and and they are battling against a high wind, he walks on the water to meet them, This is a deeply symbolical act in the bible, since the Jews saw the sea as evil, the dwelling place of terrifying monsters. Jesus walking on the water then, especially in a storm, is a deeply moving picture of the good person walking boldly and confidently into an evil environment. Here again we can make the link with verses 22-23 - it was because he was faithful to his times of solitary prayer that he had the power to walk on the water.

3. Verse 26. The focus shifts to the disciples. When they see Jesus, they are terrified, thinking "it is a ghost" but he encourages them. We too when we panic, become suspicious and fearful even of goodness, only gradually we recognise that is a moment of grace.

4. Verses 28 to 32. The incident with St Peter is clearly a later addition to the main story. It has touched the imagination of Christians over the centuries, has been painted many times and has been the subject of countless sermons. Here again we can focus either on Jesus or on Peter:

Jesus is the ideal leader and guide. The story reminds us that great leaders have the capacity to bring out the best in people - make them feel that they can step out and go beyond their usual limitations to do great things. A striking picture of the role of the Church in society.

Peter represents us when we take a bold step and then once we have stepped out become afraid. Jesus the true friend challenges but does not reject - he continues to offer Peter his support.

5. Verse 33. The climax of the story. Jesus finishes the task he set himself - he gets into the boat and the wind drops. We must avoid an escapist interpretation. Jesus does not always calm storms, what he always does is convey the message that he has power over the forces of evil.

The disciples experience the victory of goodness over evil, grace over sin, life over death. It is a moment of rest, of "blessed assurance" - "the wind drops" - and of security - "Jesus gets in the boat". They know they are in the presence of God, so they "bow down before him".

Prayer 

" The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will be able to hear what is sounding outside. " Dag Hammarskjold.

Lord, teach us to be more like Jesus, to know when the time has come for us to be alone; we insist that even our closest companions leave and send away the crowds we have nourished, so that we can go up to the hills by ourselves to pray.

In that place of inner silence we become aware of our brothers and sisters far out on the lake and battling with a heavy sea and a headwind.

"Religion is often rejected as reactionary. Yet the Christian faith properly understood
and wholeheartedly followed is a force for radical change and renewal." Cardinal Hume.
Lord, our civilization is going through a great crisis.
We are like the apostles on a boat far from any shore, battling with a heavy sea and facing a headwind.

There are people who want to take risks, to try new ways of doing things,
and to create alternative institutions.
They will know that the Church is really the presence of Jesus
if they hear us calling them to leave the safety of the boat and step out
even though it means walking on the water.

"I am disarmed of the will to overcome, to justify myself at the expense of others, I am no longer on the alert, jealously guarding my riches". Patriarch Athengoras.

Lord, we pray that your Church may be present to the world, like Jesus walking on the water, free of all desire to conquer or even to impress, trusting only in your love and your truth.

"You know when you have met a saint; instead of feeling inferior, you feel enormously affirmed." Journalist Margaret Hebblethwaite, after interviewing Cardinal Arns for the English Catholic paper, the Tablet.

Lord, we thank you for the great people you send us on our life's journey.

They bring out the best in us so that like Peter with Jesus, we cry out, tell me to come to you across the water.

Lord, there are times when we feel so disillusioned
that even when you come to us with power
- a friend whom we can trust,
- an invitation to a retreat,

- an opportunity for relaxation,
we think it is a ghost and cry out in fear.

But then we hear the comforting word,

" Courage, it is I, do not be afraid.

Thank you Lord.

"The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another,
the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." James Baldwin
Lord, we thank you for faithful friends,
the kind that when we feel the force of the wind and take fright,
we only have to say "Save me!"
and at once they put out their hands and hold us.

Lord, prayer is experiencing that it is really you who are there with us,
feeling the urge to go beyond our limitations
and to hear you say that we can do it,
then when we suddenly become aware of the risk we have taken and feel afraid,
to experience that you have put out your hand and held us.
Thank you, Lord.