Martin Jumbam
Mother Church invites us to celebrate Sunday, August 10, 2014, as the 19th Sunday of ordinary time, year A. In the entrance antiphon we pray: “Lord, be true to your covenant, forget not the lives of your poor ones for ever. Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; do not ignore the shouts of your enemies. Amen.” Today’s first reading, from the first Book of Kings, shows the prophet Elijah, the fearless champion of God’s word, standing on the mountain before the Lord and hearing God’s voice, not in storms, earthquakes or fires, but in a gentle breeze, an indication that God appears to us, not in spectacular events, but in the ‘gentle breeze’ of our life. In the second reading, from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Paul is distressed at the fact that the Jews have not accepted Christ as Messiah. He discusses the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ. God gave the Israelites the Law through Moses and eternal covenant through his Son Jesus Christ. In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus walks on water and calms the raging sea, showing that under his control the wind and the sea bow to his unspoken power. Under his feet, the greatest monster of nature is tamed. Let us pray for the grace to keep our gaze permanently fixed on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who is always there to increase our faith and rescue us from sinking into our own doubts like Peter.
First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 9. 11-13.
When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord”. Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
V/:The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
There are two books of Kings in the Bible, commonly known as First and Second Kings. The African Bible tells me that the two Books of Kings cover about four centuries of Israel’s history, marked by three main events: the first is the united monarchy (during which time Israel and Judah remained united under Solomon as they had been under Saul and David); the second event is the divided monarchy (from the rebellion of Israel against the rule of the Judean kings until Israel was carried off into captivity by the Assyrians); and the third is the period of the surviving kingdom, which record Judah’s history from the deportation of Israel to Judah’s own defeat and exile by the Babylonians.
Both Books of Kings serve, therefore, as a record of the kings of both Israel and Judah, showing the decline of the northern and southern kingdoms and pointing out the reasons for this decline and the fate of each king. The author seems to have intended to teach the people of Israel in exile in Babylon the reasons for their plight so that they could learn from the errors of the past. He instructs the exiles by demonstrating to them that through their kings they have been unfaithful to God’s covenant but that God, far from abandoning Israel, has remained loyal and patient with them.
In this day’s passage, we see the prophet Elijah making a forty-day trek across desert terrain to flee from Queen Jezebel’s anger. The contest between the prophet Elijah and the queen’s false prophets ended with victory to Elijah and death to the false prophets of Baal. The queen vows vengeance against Elijah, who has to flee for his life across the desert to Mount Sinai, where Moses had first received the Law from God.
Elijah is depressed and wants to die but he knows that his salvation lies in God’s hands. Then he makes an extraordinary encounter with God. There is a great storm involving wind and earthquake and fire, but God is not in any of these elements. When the storm ceases, a gentle breeze starts to blow and God then comes to Elijah in it as a still small voice. From now on God will not communicate through spectacular events of nature but rather through the word given to his chosen ones in a gentle, quiet manner.
What lesson do we take home from this reading? We learn that it is not necessarily in the spectacular events of life that we hear God’s voice. Rather, our God is with us in the ordinary events of everyday life. This is good news because some people now try to convince the rest of us that it is in too much shouting in Church, in screaming "Alleluia, Amen!” that God hears us. The God we honour is one of compassion and love; he works with the gentleness of a breeze and manifests himself in a quiet calm.
Both Elijah, in the first reading, and Jesus Christ, in the Gospel passage, set an example for us to follow, that is, the necessity to withdraw from time to time from the frenzied life we live to speak with God in silence. It may not always be possible for us to withdraw into a desert or mountain side, as they did, but we can always find a quiet corner to listen to God talk in Sacred Scripture and, in turn, talk to him in prayer. The noise that daily assaults our ears in the city of Douala is like the storm that Elijah encounters in the mountain. God’s voice is not in such noise. But it is in silence that we can hear God’s gentle voice reassuring us that he is with us always, even to the end of time. Let us always take the time to find God in quiet and gentleness. Amen.
Second Reading: Romans 9: 1-5.
What I want to say is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
V/ The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
Chapters 9 to 11 of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans deal with God‘s plan for the chosen people. In them, he explains that Israel, as a people, has failed to accept the Gospel message despite the fact that God’s promises of salvation were made to the Jews in the first instance.
The Israelites are the descendants of Jacob, to whom God gave the name Israel (Gen 32:29). The fact that they are children of Israel is the basis of the privileges which God bestows on them in the course of salvation history.
Much of the Letter to the Romans is taken up with the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ. God gave the people of old the Law through Moses as his Word. That Word became incarnate in his only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. These are issues which Saint Paul discusses with much emotion in the passage of this day. He is never ashamed of his Jewish status. He reminds the pagans of the many blessings possessed by Israel: the sonship of Christ the Saviour, his divine presence among them, and the physical brotherhood with Christ, who is one with the Father they praise and honour.
The remarkable honour bestowed on the chosen people is to be seen most clearly in the fact that God himself chose to assume a human nature. Jesus Christ, as true man, is an Israelite “according to the flesh”, and he is true God because he is “God above all, blessed for ever”.
What does this passage tell me? It reminds me of the necessity of praising God unceasingly; he who sent his only Begotten Son to die for us. Left on our own devices, we may not always be able to find the words to praise God; but with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are assured of a place by God’s side. Let us therefore call on the Holy Spirit, the Father’s Advocate, to carry our petition to him in heaven, where he lives and reigns with the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-33.
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head‑wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. “It is a ghost” they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” It was Peter who answered. “Lord,” he said “if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.” “Come” said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. “Lord! Save me!” he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. “Man of little faith,” he said “why did you doubt?” And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
V/ The Gospel of the Lord.
R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Comment
Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus multiplying the bread and feeding well over five thousand men, not including women and children. After feeding his people and curing many of them of their illnesses, Jesus takes time off to go up the mountain to pray, to ask for more strength from his Father to be able to continue his mission on earth. This is a remarkable example for us to follow. We need to take time off our often busy schedule to be alone with our Maker, to tell him how grateful we are for all that he has given us.
As Christ is praying alone in the mountain, he does not forget his disciples who are in the boat fighting the forces of nature. He keeps a watchful eye on them to make sure that they are safe. As soon as the situation starts to degenerate for them, he steps in and calms the seas with a command. The Gospel tells us that the boat is near capsizing when Jesus appears, walking on the turbulent waters. Taking him for a ghost, his disciples are filled with fear. Saint Mark, who has also recounted this episode in his Gospel, writes that Jesus walked past them as if to continue on his way. They all begin to shout and Jesus then comes closer and says: Have confidence, it is I, do not fear (Mk 6: 50). These are consoling words we too have often heard in the intimacy of our hearts when faced with a difficult situation and in trying times.
This episode has applications in our Christian life. The boat battling the forces of nature represents the Church, while the storm represents the opposition the Church is facing. The Church gets into difficulties from time to time and Jesus, who watches over her, always comes to her rescue. He may allow his Church to face obstacles because he wants those difficulties to strengthen his Church. Then he steps in and gives us encouragement, as he does to the Apostles: You of little faith. “Take heart, it is I; have no fear” (Mt 14:27).
For our part, when we feel crushed and helpless, when we are invaded by feelings of doubt and helplessness, we should call out, like Saint Peter: “Lord, save me!” We will then feel his firm hand holding us and lifting us out of our predicament, as he does to Saint Peter. He rebukes us for our lack of faith, and then, as always, stretches out a hand to rescue us. And when that happens, we should then confess our faith, like the Apostles do: “Lord, truly you are the Son of God”. Because when we, like Peter, feel the force of the wind, we too take fright and begin to sink. But Matthew tells his struggling community that even if our faith falters and we panic when we see the surrounding danger, Jesus always comes to save us.
Even though neither Elijah, in the first reading, nor Peter in the Gospel, had the faith to support their zeal, God still supported them in their dangerous tasks. That promise is extended to all who put their faith in God and in his Son, Jesus Christ. Often when we battle against all odds, we wonder why Jesus always seems to be off somewhere else. The truth, though, is that he never abandons us. When we, like Peter, begin to be afraid and to doubt, we start to sink, until again, full of faith, we call out for help from our Lord and immediately he stretches out a hand of rescue.
So what is today’s Gospel telling us? It reminds us that even when we find ourselves in the stormy seas of life, we have only one person to cling to for salvation: Christ Jesus. The tendency has always been that when things go wrong or out of control, that is, when sickness, accident or death threaten us, we are inclined to give up, out of doubt and confusion. We start to sink into our own problems like Peter into the sea.
The awareness of the presence of Jesus, who never abandons us, should give us joy and peace and hope even in the midst of the daily difficulties of our lives. God is mightier than everything, and if we are attentive we would hear him say: “Have no fear, I am with you.”
Let us never forget that in the midst of all our difficulties, Jesus is ever with us. When we are helpless and looked down upon, Jesus is there at our side. If only we turn our hearts to him, we will hear him say: “Fear not, I am with you”. As Saint John Chrysostom writes: “Christ is with me. What shall I fear? Let the waves of the sea and the fury of the powerful come upon me. That will not weigh me down any more than a spider’s web.”
We pray with the Psalmist (Ps 91) for the wisdom to always call on our Lord for protection whenever we falter. God says, “I will save those who love me and will protect those who know me as Lord. When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them. I will reward them with long life, I will save them. Amen.”
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