Help Hesed and Holy

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to be aware of the signs of the participation of God in guiding the events, especially when we experience unknown outcomes, that may initially generate doubt and fear.

Care and Calm Waters

The Reading from the Prophet Amos declares his First Summons and Sentence.

* [3:2] You alone I have known: precisely because Israel enjoyed a special status among the nations of the world in the eyes of the Lord (but see 9:7) it was called to a high degree of fidelity to God. Because Israel has failed in this expectation, it must experience God’s punishment.

* [3:3–8] The metaphors in these sayings illustrate the principle of cause and effect, and lead up to the conclusion in v. 8. (Amos, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [4:12] Therefore thus I will do to you: this climax of vv. 6–12, announcing the sentence the Lord intends to pass on Israel, is open-ended. (Amos, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.) 

Psalm 5 contrasts the security of the house of God with the danger of the company of evildoers. 

* [Psalm 5] A lament contrasting the security of the house of God (Ps 5:8–9, 12–13) with the danger of the company of evildoers (Ps 5:5–7, 10–11). The psalmist therefore prays that God will hear (Ps 5:2–4) and grant the protection and joy of the Temple.

* [5:8] Mercy: used to translate the Hebrew word, hesed. This term speaks to a relationship between persons. It is manifested in concrete actions to persons with some need or desire. The one who offers hesed has the ability to respond to that need of the other person. Other possible ways to translate hesed include “steadfast love” and “loving kindness.” (Psalms, PSALM 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus Calming of the Storm at Sea.

* [8:23] His disciples followed him: the first miracle in the second group (Mt 8:23–9:8) is introduced by a verse that links it with the preceding sayings by the catchword “follow.” In Mark the initiative in entering the boat is taken by the disciples (Mk 4:35–41); here, Jesus enters first and the disciples follow.

* [8:24] Storm: literally, “earthquake,” a word commonly used in apocalyptic literature for the shaking of the old world when God brings in his kingdom. All the synoptics use it in depicting the events preceding the parousia of the Son of Man (Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11). Matthew has introduced it here and in his account of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Mt 27:51–54; 28:2).

* [8:25] The reverent plea of the disciples contrasts sharply with their reproach of Jesus in Mk 4:38.

* [8:26] You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Great calm: Jesus’ calming the sea may be meant to recall the Old Testament theme of God’s control over the chaotic waters (Ps 65:8; 89:10; 93:3–4; 107:29). (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that sometimes it takes something out of the ordinary, and often frightening, to get our attention and cause us to look a little deeper at who God really is and what role Jesus plays in our lives.

In my own life recently, I had two grandchildren face serious illness within weeks of each other. Having a baby and a teenager suddenly experience severe health issues was a frightening storm that shook our whole family.

While I didn’t think God had been “sleeping,” I was devastated to my core. My perspective shifted and I began to rely on God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – at a deeper level.

Other people – healthcare providers, friends, family, and strangers – offered expertise, compassion, concern, support, and most of all, prayers; our whole family felt uplifted and supported throughout the storm. (Murphy McMahon, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Training in courage and endurance”, by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"He took the disciples with him, not for nothing and not merely to face an absurd hazard but in order to permit them to witness the miracle that was to take place on the sea. For like a superb trainer, he was gradually coaching and fitting them for endurance. He had two objectives in mind. He wanted to teach them to remain undismayed amid dangers and modest in honors. So, to prevent them from thinking too much of themselves, having sent away the multitude, he kept them near him but permitted them to be tossed with a tempest. By doing so he disciplined them to bear trials patiently. His former miracles were indeed great, but this one contained a unique kind of discipline of exceptional importance. For it was a sign akin to that of old [referring to Moses parting the Red Sea]. To do this, he took his disciples with him by himself. He permitted others to see his other miracles, but when trials and terrors were rising, he took with him none but those he was training to be champions of the gospel. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 28.1.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27 comments that whether it’s danger, tragedy, or an unexpected and immediate threat, terrible things happen that trigger our fight-or-flight reaction. Situations like these can do more than just test our faith; they can draw us closer to the Lord and help forge our character.

Just because Jesus seems distant doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep praying. The disciples cried out, “Lord, save us!” even when it seemed that he might not (Matthew 8:25). They might have been men “of little faith,” but they exercised the faith that they did have, and Jesus saved them (8:26). Even when we feel unworthy, Jesus still loves us. He still cares for us. And he still wants to save us—again, according to his wisdom and his timing.

So don’t let fear overwhelm you. Find your voice again. And find the courage and faith you need to cry out to the Lord.

“Jesus, I know my faith is weak—but so do you. Lord, I still trust that you will save me!” (Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Amos is one of the first prophets. He was a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees, considered a low occupation, and he goes to tell Israel about seven punishments He has been chosen to be a prophet and he could do nothing but that. It is obvious he has received the Word and he has to share it, particularly in the turmoil, instability, and diversity of the Northern “banana” Kingdom. Amos compares Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah. Violent storms on the Seas of Galilee were due to a geography surrounded by mountains that intensify the winds. Jesus demonstrates power over nature and more. The sea was thought to be the home of demonic creatures and the forces of Satan. Friar Jude comments that power over the Sea was a sign of Jesus' power over demonic forces.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Barbara BrownTaylor who describes a critical moment for the early Christian movement. Peter meets a gentile named Cornelius and shares what he has learned from the Spirit in his vision.

As gently as he could, Peter told them what had happened to him, how God had taken that one thing [the Jewish dietary law] away from him, but had given him something else instead—a vision that included all creatures, all people, whom God alone had the right to call clean or unclean. He had not sold out….

“If God gave them the same gift that [God] gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Peter said, “who was I that I could hinder God?” When he said that, everyone got very quiet. Then they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

How often, in the church, do we try to say where the Spirit may or may not blow, when the only thing God has asked us to do is to try to keep up with it wherever it goes? (Rohr, n.d.)

We have the Presence of the Spirit to assure us of the steadfast love, or “hesed” of God as we journey in stormy situations in union with Christ.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/3? 

Amos, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/4 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8? 

Meditation on Matthew 8:23-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/29/1602551/ 

Murphy McMahon, C. (2026, June 30). Daily Reflection June 30, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-30-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/5?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/god-shows-no-partiality/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Why Are You Afraid, O Men of Little Faith? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Saved from Sinking

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to confront the jealousy, sense of separation, and turbulence in our lives that inhibit our acceptance of Jesus' invitation to escape drowning in our sea of distractions.

Sailing not Sinking

The Reading from the Book of Numbers reveals the Jealousy of Aaron and Miriam.

* [12:1] Cushite woman: apparently Zipporah, the Midianite, is meant; cf. Ex 2:21.

* [12:2] The apparent reason for Miriam’s and Aaron’s quarrel with their brother Moses was jealousy of his authority; his Cushite wife served only as an occasion for the dispute.

* [12:7] Worthy of trust: the text is open to a variety of interpretations. Thus, the word of Moses may be relied upon by Israel because God speaks to him directly; or, Moses alone is worthy of God’s trust in God’s household (heavenly or earthly). An alternative translation, however, is: “with all my house he is entrusted.”

* [12:10] Stricken with a scaly infection, white as snow: see note on Lv 13:1–14:47. The point of the simile lies either in the flakiness or the whiteness of snow. (Numbers, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 is a lament over sin.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus rescues Peter Walking on the Water.

* [14:22–33] The disciples, laboring against the turbulent sea, are saved by Jesus. For his power over the waters, see note on Mt 8:26. Here that power is expressed also by his walking on the sea (Mt 14:25; cf. Ps 77:20; Jb 9:8). Matthew has inserted into the Marcan story (Mk 6:45–52) material that belongs to his special traditions on Peter (Mt 14:28–31).

* [14:25] The fourth watch of the night: between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The Romans divided the twelve hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. into four equal parts called “watches.”

* [14:27] It is I: see note on Mk 6:50.

* [14:31] You of little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Why did you doubt?: the verb is peculiar to Matthew and occurs elsewhere only in Mt 28:17.

* [14:33] This confession is in striking contrast to the Marcan parallel (Mk 6:51) where the disciples are “completely astounded.” (Matthew, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Becky Nickerson would like to think that if Jesus commanded her to walk out on the water to Him that she would jump out of that boat and run across the water and jump into His arms. But would she? Or, like Peter, would she allow a bit of doubt to sink in and cause her to hesitate?

Even when our belief is strong, our faith sometimes falters. Perhaps our past experiences, discomfort with the unknown, or our mere brokenness as humans can lead to a sense of hesitancy in our connection with Christ. A hesitancy that could even possibly be perceived as a sense of distrust.

The Gospel goes on to paint a beautifully reassuring picture: Peter called out to the Lord to be saved, and “immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.”  What a grace! I extend an invitation to pray today with the vision of Christ crouching with arms wide open, ready to wrap us up in unconditional love. And as we run to that embrace, hair bouncing, smiling and giggling, even when we hesitate (or even trip), take comfort in knowing that Christ will stretch even further and catch us. (Nickerson, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"While human praise does not tempt the Lord, people are often ruffled and nearly entranced by human praise and honors in the church. Peter was afraid on the sea, terrified by the great force of the storm. Indeed, who does not fear that voice: 'Those who say you are happy place you in error and disturb the path of your feet' (Isaiah 3:12 Vulgate translation)? And since the soul struggles against the desire for human praise, it is good for it to turn to prayer and petition amid such danger, lest one who is charmed by praise be overcome by criticism and reproach. Let Peter, about to sink in the waves, cry out and say, 'Lord, save me!' The Lord reached out his hand. He chided Peter, saying, 'O man of little faith, why did you doubt?' - that is, why did you not, gazing straight at the Lord as you approached, pride yourself only in him? Nevertheless he snatched Peter from the waves and did not allow him who was declaring his weakness and asking the Lord for help to perish." (excerpt from SERMON 75:10) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. In the Book of Numbers, Miriam and Aaron are jealous of Moses' special relationship with God and complain using Moses' marriage to a Cushite as a pretense. They should accept God’s will. Charisms are given and not our property but to serve the building of the Kingdom. Moses intercedes for Miriam after her error. In Matthew’s Gospel, after praying on a mountain, where people meet God, Late in night the disciples are terrified by Jesus walking on the sea. Impetuous Peter gets out to walk on the water but loses faith and he is rebuked a bit for lack of faith. The three types of miracles, nature, exorcism and healing are presented and Friar Jude reminds us that walking on the sea was seen as a form of exorcism of the demonic creatures believed to be in the sea.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers wisdom a path of transformation based on humility and honesty and grounded in reality. 

 

Consider the concrete teaching style of Jesus. He teaches in the temple area several times, but most of his teaching involves walking with people on the streets, out into the desert, and often into nature. His examples come from the things he sees around him: birds, flowers, animals, clouds, landlords and tenants, little children, women baking and sweeping. It’s amazing that we made his teaching into something other than that.  

Jesus teaches with anecdote, parable, and concrete example much more than by creating a systematic theology; it was more the way of “darkness” than the way of light. Yet it was Jesus’s concrete examples that broke people through to the universal light. “Particulars” seem to most open us up to universals, which is what poets have always understood. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit to reveal Jesus' Way of maintaining our faith in times of turmoil and fear on our journey over the sea of our passage in life.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/14?22 

Nickerson, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-5-2025 

Numbers, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/12?1 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/grounded-in-reality/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). It Is I - Have No Fear. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug5