Sunday, August 10, 2014

Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A - August 4, 2014

Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint John Vianney
August 4, 2014    6:30AM


I came across what I find to be an interesting insight about today’s gospel.
It is a different way of looking at something that happens here.

As we heard, Jesus rebukes Peter for his lack of faith.
One Scriptural commentator says that Jesus’ rebuke may not be directed at Peter because he fails to walk on the water.
Instead, Jesus rebukes Peter because he abandons the boat.
Peter thinks that he cannot find Jesus on the boat as it is being tossed about and so he gets out of the boat.
Jesus rebukes him for his weak faith because he wants Peter and wants us to find him and his closeness right where we are, right in the boat as we deal with the stormy waters.
We do not have to jump ship and leave or run away from whatever it is that is upsetting.
Jesus is there or is here for us right in the storms of life, as difficult it may be to see and feel this.
So, whatever it is – a family division, a doctor’s report, the death of a loved one – there will be these storms, and Jesus wants us to look for God right there.

Also, three of the four gospels record this episode on the stormy sea, and in all three of them, this is preceded by the story of the feeding of the 5000.
We heard that at Mass this weekend.
Perhaps there is a deliberate linkage here between Jesus’ feeding the people and coming to their rescue.
The Eucharist is where we are fed.
It is where we experience the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, “I am with you always.”
If we regularly come to the Eucharist, then we may still feel afraid, but our fears will be calmed.

We will be able to deal with the storms of life without jumping ship, because Jesus will be close to us and we will experience him close to us.