by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB
This 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time ‘A’ brings Moses and Elijah together again. Last week at the Transfiguration they stood side by side with Jesus as he revealed his divinity. Now, by wondrous signs, Elijah had arrived at Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God, and we are reminded that through all sorts of distress, the merciful Lord ever awaits our call. Prayer and trust in him bring his presence to us. As he was for Elijah so may he be for us, a gentle whisper drawing us from turmoil and darkness to the Light.
St. Paul, in various readings, teaches that we are sons and daughters of God. To preserve our relationship with the Lord, to be saved, we must not permit ourselves in difficult times to sink into the gloom and darkness of sin. “Bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you along with all malice” (see Ephesians 4:31). It is so easy to take out our troubles on our neighbors. Truly, we need God’s presence in our lives to help us cool this ugly spirit.
The Gospel this Sunday follows the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Jesus, human yet infused with divinity, had shown both his human compassion for people and his Godly authority over creation. Then he wanted to be alone in prayer. He sent his Twelve by boat toward the far shore of the Lake when They sailed into trouble, an emblem of any who journey without Jesus. They were stunned and frightened as he walked through wind and waves to meet them.
Boldly Peter cried, “If it is you, bid me come to you.” It was, of course, Jesus, offering his Apostles yet another sign of who he was; offering Peter of faltering faith his hand of comfort and the touch of more than human strength. He and Peter climbed into the boat among the amazed disciples, and for their sakes the sea was still. No wonder that “Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’. ”
The boat of Peter and the other Fishers of Men can be for us an image of the Church. We too may be tested by the roughness and threat of the world in which we live. Jesus has the power to still the sea. We and our Church are safe with him.