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Truly,
You Are
The Son of God
August
10, 2008
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Philip D. Ropp
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The fourteenth
chapter of Matthew, from which today’s gospel reading is taken, begins
with
Herod expressing his fear that Jesus is John the Baptist, risen from
the
dead. “That is why miraculous powers
are at work in him!” the king exclaims. Matthew
is in the midst of recounting for us what a
controversial figure
Jesus has become. At the end of chapter
13, Jesus has been denounced by the inhabitants of his own town, and
leaves
after telling them that, “Only in his hometown and in his own
house is a
prophet without honor.” And we’re told
that, “…he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of
faith.” Now Herod, racked with guilt at
his murder
of the Baptist, fears that Jesus has appeared as some sort of divine
retribution.
Matthew then goes on
to tell us
the details of how
and why John was beheaded by Herod at the whim of the daughter of his
brother’s
wife, which was a direct result of John’s preaching against the
somewhat soap
opera like life of the Herod family. After
removing his headless corpse, the disciples of John
tell Jesus the
news.
Understandably, Jesus
just wants
to get a way for a
little quiet time and prayer, and goes off in a boat to a solitary
place. But the crowds follow him on foot
to this
lonely place, and the Lord takes pity on them and joins the crowd to
heal the
sick that have been brought out to him. The
time of day grows late, and when the disciples suggest
that the
crowds should be dispersed to find food, Jesus disagrees and the
feeding of the
five thousand takes place.
Finally, Jesus is
determined to
get the time for
prayer that he seeks, so he sends the disciples out across the Sea of
Galilee
in a boat, dismisses the crowds, and goes up the mountainside by
himself to
pray, which he is finally able to do. Now
the stage is set for the dramatic miracle that is the
subject of
today’s reading.
Matthew tells us that
the boat
bearing the Twelve
is well offshore and is being tossed about by a stormy sea that has
resulted
from a strong wind. During the fourth
watch of the night, that time between three a.m. and dawn, the
disciples are
terrified to see none other than Jesus himself walking towards them
across the
water. Believing he is a ghost, they
cry out in fear and it is Jesus who comforts them when he answers,
“Take
courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter is emboldened
enough by this
that when he
recognizes that it truly is the Master who speaks, he accepts Jesus
invitation
to come, and begins to walk out towards him on the water.
But as Peter sees how fearsome the sea is,
his faith wavers and he begins to sink, calling out to Jesus, “Lord
save me!”
as he starts to go down into the water. And
Jesus, while chastising Peter for his lack of faith,
reaches out and
catches him. And as they enter the boat
together, the wind dies down, the sea is calmed, and the disciples as
one
confess to Jesus that, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Today, Jesus has been
denounced by
too many of the
inhabitants of our own hometown, and the miracles that he is able to do
in our
midst are limited by the sins of a selfish human nature that results
from a
lack of faith: Ours. That is the message of the gospel today: Faith saves us. This
we know. But the
lack of faith leads to destruction, and so we must learn that faith is
a coin
with two distinct sides. Those on these
streets that teach a faith based on one’s own ability to bully and to
take,
teach no faith at all. Instead they
convince too many to follow those ways of the devil that lead to
destruction. “The streets” is merely a
tough and cool sounding name for the hell of drugs and crime that lure
too many
into the trap that opens into the bondage of these walls.
And so the streets don’t lead anywhere. They
are a dead end that opens into another avenue that is all too familiar
to us:
the rocks. But take heart!
If it is a lack of faith that leads one
here, then it is accepting faith – the true faith found in Jesus Christ
– that leads one out.
Today, we sail the
boat of our
life across this
stormy sea of incarceration. Today, we
are blown by winds of doubt and tossed by waves of sin, as we seek to
find the
homeport of freedom on the coast of a land we have heard of where true
happiness prevails. Now, in the fourth
watch of the night, in the darkest time of life, we look up and see
none other
than Jesus, walking toward us across this sea. We
listen and he calls out over the howl of the ill winds
that blow in
here to those who would be his disciples. In
this time and in this place, he speaks the same
comforting words that
he said to his disciples of old, “Take courage, it is I!
Do not be afraid!” And
to
those who hear his voice and trust in him like Peter, he
calls out, “Come!”
Today, Jesus beckons
to us to
boldly step from the
foundering boat of false pride and human misery that our lives have
become, and
walk to him on the sea of these modern times: A
sea that is raked with the winds of injustice, and wild
with the
frenzy of sin that is the storm the devil has wrought.
And we are assured that when we, like Peter,
call out to him in terror at all that goes on around us, “Lord save
me!” that
we too will feel the strong arm of our Savior uphold us and guide us to
the
safety we have found in him. And when
we fail in our walk with him, and our Lord chastises us for our own
lack of
faith, we should take heart and know that we have claimed the courage
of Peter,
for of the Twelve it was he alone who was so brave as to leave the boat
in the
first place.
Today the invitation
is made. Have faith, do not doubt! For Jesus is here with us.
Take
courage! Do not be afraid.
Recognize, as even Herod did, that,
“…miraculous powers
are at work in
him!” Cry out to him as Peter did, “Lord
save me!” and feel the winds of doubt die down as the sea of sin is
calmed. Feel his strong yet gentle
touch uplift you and sustain you, for his love is great and he longs so
much
for your freedom and salvation. Take
this love today, for it is yours. And
return this love today, for it is his. Let
him know that in our hometown and our house he is
greatly honored, for
he has performed many miracles among us. Join
with all of his disciples across the ages and with
the Twelve
within the boat that day and do him homage, saying, “Truly you are the
Son of
God.”
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August 10, 2008
1
Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
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.
Ps
85:9, 10, 11-12,
13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant
us your
salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us
your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us
your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us
your salvation.
Rom
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.
Mt
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.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use
in the
Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright ©
2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm
refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in
the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part
of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any
medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing
from the copyright owner.
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