Mother Church invites us to celebrate Sunday, August 13, 2023, 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. In the second reading, from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Paul 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.
First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 9. 11-13.
At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the Lord said to him, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord, the Lord will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord - but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake— but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire— but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Comment
A few Sundays ago, we had a reading from the Books of Kings. We heard that 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 of Baal ended with victory to Elijah and death to the false prophets. 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 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!” and beating loud drums, 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.
This passage calls our attention to the example both Elijah, in this reading, and Jesus, in the Gospel of this day, set 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 Elijah and Jesus did, but we can always find a quiet corner to talk to God in prayer and to let him talk to us in Sacred Scripture. 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; rather, 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. It is when we take a retreat from the noise of everyday life that we hear God talking to us. Let us always take the time to find God in quiet and gentleness. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Second Reading: Romans 9: 1-5.
Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Comment
Chapters 9 to 11 of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans deal with God’s plan for his chosen people, the Israelites. He tells them that, as a people, they have failed to accept his message even though it was to them that he had made his promises of salvation 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.
Paul dedicates a good part of his Letter to the Romans to 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, among which are 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 human nature which had all the characteristics of what the Israelite were craving for. Jesus Christ, as true man, is an Israelite “according to the flesh”, but he is also 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 acclamation: “Alleluia, alleluia. I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for his word. Alleluia.”
Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-33.
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."
Comment
Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus multiplied the bread and fed well over five thousand men, not including women and children. After feeding his people and curing many of them of their illnesses, he 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 in prayer, 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 difficult situations and in times of trials and tribulations.
Why, we may wonder, does Jesus send his disciples to row across the lake, knowing that they would meet a strong storm that would put their lives in danger? He does this to strengthen their faith and trust in Him. He intends to come to them at the right moment, working two miracles; first of all, walking on the water and then calming the storm. This he does and the result is just as he intended — their faith in him is strengthened, and they declare him the Messiah, the Chosen One of God.
Peter, who is already recognized as the leader of the team, shows himself ready to take the risk of drowning to prove his trust and confidence in Christ. While he trusts in Christ, all goes well, but when his faith weakens he starts to sink and it is only the outstretched helping hand of his master that saves him. This is also a good lesson Peter and his companions receive as they prepare to take over their master’s ministry when he finally goes up to his Father.
This episode has applications for our Christian faith as well. The boat battling the forces of nature represents the Church, while the storm represents the opposition the Church is facing everyday and everywhere. Even though the Church faces persecution throughout the world, 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 in this Gospel. 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, and through them all of us listening to this program, that even if our faith falters and we panic when danger surrounds us, Jesus always comes to save us.
Even though neither Elijah, in the first reading, nor Peter in the Gospel, has the faith to support their zeal, God still supports 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.
Today’s Gospel 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.” Lord, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. Amen.
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