Reading 1
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.
Gospel
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.”
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, we can regard Peter’s exchange with Christ amidst the crashing waves as a portrait of our own relationship with the Lord. Like Peter, many of us have been journeying with Jesus, experiencing His blessings and spending time with Him. But, when we face trials, we may find ourselves seeking a sign before we trust. Similarly, Peter knew Jesus well, and yet, in his moment of uncertainty, he still demanded proof. “Lord, if it is you,” he said, “command me to come to you on the water.”
Jesus heeds Peter’s request, allowing him to partake in the miracle of walking on water. The Gospel attests that Peter did indeed begin to walk on the water, and yet, despite this amazing feat, he still fears the strong winds and starts to sink. We too can find ourselves starting to “sink.” Even though we know the miraculous power of Jesus Christ, we still have crises of faith.
Jesus asks Peter — and all of us — “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Our answers are likely all the same. Fear. Peter feared the wind. The wind may represent a host of fears for us, such as failure or the unknown. We should all keep this question of Christ’s in our hearts and learn to remember His other powerful words: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Yet, God in His mercy will not abandon us when we experience doubt and fear. As we feel ourselves sinking with Peter, we can cry out with him: “Lord, save me!” and be confident that Jesus will pluck us from the depths.
Jesus calmly strolling the restless waters is an apt representation of Our Lord as the bearer of peace. Having received Jesus’ peaceful presence into their boat, the winds now dying down, Peter and the disciples respond with praise, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God. Today’s first reading also reveals God as a bringer of peace. Elijah does not hear the Lord in wind, earthquake, or fire, but rather in a small whispering sound.
Through regular prayer, responding to Jesus with praise and thanksgiving, we can attune ourselves to hear this whisper no matter what is happening in our lives. No, the whisper won’t be literally audible, but it will steady us amidst fear and direct our hearts to draw ever closer to Christ.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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