“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Daily Reflections
Sunday, 13th August 2017.
Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 19: 9, 11-13;
Ps 84:9-14;
Rom 9:1-5;
Mt 14:22-33
CALM AMIDST THE STORM
Tensions, conflicts and misunderstandings have always accompanied us in our faith and relationships. Dictated by suspicions and fears, our response is not immediately serene. Something similar already happened in the days of the prophet Elijah, and in the lives of the disciples. Today’s liturgy invites us to project the sight, minds and hearts beyond the narrow horizons to an unconstrained faith in the Lord: “Even if I cross through a dark valley, I fear not, because you, Lord, are with me.”
The first Reading from the Book of Kings, speaks about Prophet Elijah, and his encounter with the Lord. Elijah was fed by an angel, and sent on a journey (1Kg 19:7-8). The fiery prophet whose words were like a burning torch (Sir 48:1), takes the way of the wilderness and goes to the mountain of God, Horeb, the Sinai, where four hundred years before, Moses spoke to the Lord. Reaching there, he enters a cave to spend the night. And behold, the Lord invites him to go out and to wait for a manifestation. A great and strong a wind broke out, this was followed by an earthquake and a fire. Elijah mistook these unmistakable signs of the passage of the Lord. But the God who presented himself to Moses in the fire, thunder and lightning (Ex 19:16-19); came in a murmur of gentle breeze. Elijah covered his face with his cloak. He understood that it was the moment in which the Lord passed. God revealed himself in a whole new way. It was in silence that Elijah captured the revelation of the Lord. In the “voice of gentle silence” he had come to discover the true face of his God. The spiritual experience of Elijah can be repeated by anyone who knows how to keep silence within oneself, by silencing the misleading voices that have inculcated a false image of God. In a calm reflection of the Bible and the Gospel, he lets himself be flooded by the true light, the light that shines on the face of Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples not through a miracle, but by a theology of images. The disciples, nourished with the bread (Mt 14:13-20), now receive the order to get moving, to get into the boat to the other side. Jesus after having fed them with his BREAD, wants them to leave, to undertake the dangerous journey alone. The food he gave them is his word and his own person present in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Nourished by this dual bread, they have the necessary strength to accomplish the difficult crossing. But since Jesus was not visibly present on the boat, the darkness was thick. DARKNESS is the image of disorientation, doubt that captures even the most convinced believer. At times, even one who is driven by a strong faith feels alone. He undergoes the harrowing experience of God’s silence and wonders if his choices, his sacrifices, his commitment to the good have a sense.
The WIND, whips up the waves, shakes ships like drunkards, in spite of all their seamanship (Ps 107:26-27). The Israelites were always afraid of waters. Only the Lord is not afraid of whirlwinds and storms. He alone can hush the billows to silent waves (Ps 107:25-30); and he is the only one who “treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). The boat was TOSSEDabout by the waves. The original Greek word used ‘verbbasanizo’ means to put to the TEST. The waves torment, almost torture the disciples, but they are the necessary tests they had to undergo if they want to get out of it mature. Towards the end of the night there appears Jesus, walking on the waves of the sea, as only God was capable of doing (Job 9:8). The disciples do not recognize him.
Matthew with biblical language, strengthens the Christian communities of his time. They were “tormented” by many trials, distressed by doubts and above all disoriented by the fact of not having the Master visibly with them. The evangelist wants to enlighten them. Jesus is always close to his disciples, even the end of the world, as he has promised (Mt 28:20), but not physically. He is present in a different way, the Risen Lord. Peter, the first of the disciples, beholds the Master—The Risen One—who crossed the waters of death, now walking on the sea, is in God’s world. Peter knows he is called to follow him in the gift of life, but death scares him. He fears of not succeeding and asks the Lord to give him strength. As long as he keeps his eyes fixed on the Master, he is able to go to him. When his faith diminishes, when he begins to doubt the choice he made, he sinks and is afraid of being overwhelmed, of losing his life. Matthew challenges the community not to be afraid of losing life. If one hesitates, death will make us afraid. If we trust God, the waters of death will not scare us, and we will cross over and catch up with me in the resurrection.”
We discover, at times to our relief and at times to our disappointment that we are not the heroes. We also discover that our doubts and fears, do not take us outside of God’s care and concern. For even when we are back inside the boat of the Church, when the waters about us appear to be calm, we find that we are still in the midst of a storm. We have to cast aside any fear that there might be limits to the abundance of God’s grace, and that with his grace given freely we cannot achieve the impossible, or that we can’t change the world. Faith is not merely being able to walk on the water but daring to believe in spite of everything that God is with us in the boat, this community of faith as it makes its way through the storm, battered by the waves. The Jesus who multiplied the loaves and fish and who appeared to the disciples walking on the water and who saved Peter from sinking, this same Jesus is the Lord of the Church. He has brought salvation and stands similarly prepared to save his people, even when they may doubt, from the evils that beset them. This Jesus who rules over nature and even the realm of evil is rightly worshipped as “truly the Son of God.”
Reflect, upon your faith in the Lord. The Lord feeds you daily with his word (scriptures), with himself (Eucharist). Does his presence visible to your eyes of faith? Do you really encounter God in silence and serenity? Do you find him in the midst of your worries and troubles? If not seek from Him the grace to have a real encounter in silence, amidst the storms of your life.
Prayer: Lord, may Your will be done in my life in all things. I pray that I may always welcome You into the darkest challenges of my life and that I will keep my eyes fixed upon You and Your perfect plan. May I never give in to fear but allow You to dispel that fear with Your grace. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.