Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The weather we’ve been experiencing this summer can certainly put us in a good frame of mind to understand and appreciate the weather-related Scripture stories that we’ve been given today. While we had a taste of August in April with those few 85-degree days that confused our gardens, we’re now getting our April showers in August further confusing those same gardens… and gardeners. Wondering just how much more rain can be up in those clouds, one can call to mind a quote from Victor Hugo: “The clouds in the sky are the only birds that never sleep.”

All this being said, beyond our complaints and remarks, the Scripture passages assigned to us today speak of weather events that reveal divine interaction:

+ Elijah meets God the Father in the post-storm “whispering sound…”  -and —
+ Saint Peter meets God the Son in the midst of a tempest at sea.

While there is a contrast between the Father’s and the Son’s manifestations, the two stories are not contradictory: The God whom we meet, like Elijah, in the silence of prayer is the same God (albeit the Second Person) who is with us in the middle of life’s storms.

It was because both Elijah and Saint Peter were familiar with either God the Father or God the Son, that they were able to survive their storms, and their aftermaths, and then continue on with their individual ministries.

Our knowledge of God becomes the basis for moving beyond fear of sinking and, then of stepping out of the boat of our “comfort zone” to follow the Lord, in trust that He will support us. If, in the spiritual life, we don’t know, or perhaps have forgotten, the basics of prayer, faith or trust in God, our spiritual vessel could capsize in the stormy waters of contemporary life.

Further, if in our spiritual lives, our hearts begin to sink, Saint Paul in his Letter to the Romans, gives us a handy list of Life Preservers to fall back on in order to remain afloat:

+ God’s Covenant
+ His Promises
+ the giving of the Law
+ our worship of God
+ the Teaching of the Patriarchs
+ our graced knowledge of Christ…

… a veritable wealth of gifts for our spiritual benefit and well-being. 

In presenting to us the collectivity of the Faith, Saint Paul is teaching us that although we are called to Christ individually, we don’t have to “go it alone…” nor is it a good idea to attempt to re-invent Christianity from a singular perspective. Saying “Yes” to Christ  is saying “yes” to Christianity, bringing us companionship with Christ and His Church, because one cannot be a Christian without other Christians — that is — without the Church.

What our Gospel story relates, however, is that discipleship does not make us exempt from faltering when tested. So, then, what happens when our trust in God falters, or when our faith is shaken? To answer these questions, let’s look at the interaction between the Lord and Saint Peter.

To begin, the Lord is manifesting His supernatural power when He walks across the water, which frightens the Apostles.  We know that whenever there is a manifestation of divinity such as the Annunciation or the Transfiguration the introductory message is “do not be afraid.” The Lord adds a bit here, saying: “Take courage, it is I.”

Saint Peter’s response is courageous, but somewhat wobbly as he says, “Lord if it is you…” Note that Christ does not ask Saint Peter to step out of the boat, that is Peter’s idea… which means that the Lord doesn’t ask Peter, nor us, to do the impossible,

But, by saying, “Come…” the Lord does expect us to trust Him, once we’ve made the initial move. Then, stepping out of the boat, Saint Peter becomes more focused on the wind and the waves than on Christ, which is when he falters.

Look now at what the Lord does: a mild chastisement: “O ye of little faith…” but not until first rescuing the Saint. This means that, while we might fear the chastisement of the First Judgment, which will eventually come, always first in the heart and mind of Christ is our rescue, our salvation.

So, when we find ourselves tossed about by the storms of life, we, too, can “take courage,” because the basics of our faith remind us that God is with us whether we falter or triumph, whether in the storms or in the quiet moments.

When we remain focused on Christ, we will not sink, though we might get a little wet. Whether we stay in the boat, or venture forward, with faith, our cries of “Lord, save me!” can evolve into a prayer far more serene, such as: “Truly, you are the Son of God.”