Calming the Storms

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the experiences we have of the silent Presence and the active support of our relationship with Jesus that keeps us afloat in the storms of life.

Calming the Storm

In the reading from the First Book of Kings, Elijah meets God at Horeb.

* [19:11–13] To “stand before the Lord” is a literal translation of a Hebrew idiom meaning “to serve the Lord”; Elijah has used this idiom twice before to describe himself as the Lord’s servant (17:1; 18:15). The Lord’s command, then, means that Elijah is to take up once again the prophetic service to which he has been appointed. The Lord’s question, “Why are you here?” (v. 9, repeated in v. 13), could imply an accusation that he is abandoning his prophetic office. In v. 15, the Lord tells him to go back.

* [19:12] Compare these divine manifestations to Elijah with those to Moses on the same mountain (Ex 19:16–19; 33:18–23; 34:5–6; Dt 4:10–15). Though various phenomena, such as wind, storms, earthquakes, fire, accompany the divine presence, they do not constitute the presence itself which, like the “silent sound,” is mysterious and ultimately ungraspable. Moses and Elijah, the two figures who experienced God’s theophany on this mountain, reappear with Jesus on another mountain at his transfiguration (Mt 17:1–9; Mk 9:2–9; Lk 9:28–36). (1 Kings, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 85 is a prayer for the restoration of God’s Favour.

* [Psalm 85] A national lament reminding God of past favors and forgiveness (Ps 85:2–4) and begging for forgiveness and grace now (Ps 85:5–8). A speaker represents the people who wait humbly with open hearts (Ps 85:9–10): God will be active on their behalf (Ps 85:11–13). The situation suggests the conditions of Judea during the early postexilic period, the fifth century B.C.; the thoughts are similar to those of postexilic prophets (Hg 1:5–11; 2:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 85 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans shares God’s Election of Israel and Paul’s Love for Israel.

* [9:1–5] The apostle speaks in strong terms of the depth of his grief over the unbelief of his own people. He would willingly undergo a curse himself for the sake of their coming to the knowledge of Christ (Rom 9:3; cf. Lv 27:28–29). His love for them derives from God’s continuing choice of them and from the spiritual benefits that God bestows on them and through them on all of humanity (Rom 9:4–5).

* [9:5] Some editors punctuate this verse differently and prefer the translation, “Of whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all.” However, Paul’s point is that God who is over all aimed to use Israel, which had been entrusted with every privilege, in outreach to the entire world through the Messiah. (Romans, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus walks 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.)

Susanne Braddock comments on the fourth watch, the hours from 3-6 a.m., the time of significant encounters with God in many Bible stories. A holy time.

I am often wakened at three a.m. for no rational reason…what a great time to turn to the Lord in prayer. To listen for that tiny whispering sound. To remember all his words in this Gospel. And reach for his hand, outstretched toward mine……

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

“Come.”

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Braddock, 2023)

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.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 14:22-33 comments that doubts are a natural human response to uncertainty, so we shouldn’t berate ourselves for having them. Sometimes they don’t even come from us; the evil one loves to plant doubts in our minds in order to shake up our faith. Whatever the case, they don’t disqualify us from following Jesus. Just look at the apostle Thomas! Even a great saint like Thérèse of Lisieux struggled with doubts as she lay dying.

The key is to deal with our doubts not by focusing on them but by calling out to the Lord as Peter did: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). And just as he did for Peter, Jesus will stretch out his hand to us. He will remind us of who he is: a loving, compassionate, merciful, and mighty God. He will help us recall all he has done for us. He will assure us that he will never leave us and that nothing will ever separate us from his love.

You don’t have to try to battle your doubts on your own. Jesus has come to save you—even from your doubts!

“Lord, help me to turn to you every time I start to question my faith.” (Meditation on Matthew 14:22-33, n.d.)

Fr Jack Mahoney SJ, Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Theology in the University of London, and a former Principal of Heythrop College, comments that there are encounters between Jesus and his disciples that may actually have taken place after the resurrection, even if the context in which they are placed by the evangelists suggests otherwise.

It is interesting to note that all of these references to alarm at the appearance of Jesus on the water are similar to Luke’s comment that, at the sight of the risen Jesus on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, the disciples ‘were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost’ (Luke 24:37). Mark’s observation that, ‘Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid”’ (Mk 6:50) is repeated by Matthew (Mt 14:27) and also by John (Jn 6:20). Interestingly, the reassurance of Jesus to the terrified disciples in the boat is similar to the various ways in which he dispelled the fears of his followers when he first appeared to them after his resurrection – both to the women at the tomb who were encouraged not to be afraid (Mt 28:10), and the comforting greeting of ‘peace be with you’ that Jesus offered to his disciples in Luke (Lk 24:36-38) and several times in John (Jn 20:19, 21, 26).

It is attractive, then, to see the details in the account of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee as clues that point to the passage describing an appearance of the risen Jesus. Meier is not alone in regarding it as ‘plausible’ that Jesus’s walking on the water is a post-resurrection appearance.[1] Raymond Brown cites the great C. H. Dodd as noting that in the three gospel accounts of the walking on the water there are many features appropriate to the literary form of a post-resurrection narrative, suggesting that the passage may have originally concerned an appearance of the risen Jesus.[2] (Mahoney, 2011)

Friar Jude Winkler, reflecting on Elijah at Horeb, discusses the everyday encounters we have with God. Paul, mistakenly thought as anti-Semetic, expresses his deep desire that the gifts of God to the Hebrew people would include acceptance of Christ. Friar Jude notes how the impetuousness of Peter had both positive and negative effects in the life of the disciples. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that prophets do not foretell the future, but they do seem to anticipate futures that are shocking to the rest of us.

The prophets judge the present by the perspective of the future. Perhaps that’s how we began to think that prophets foretold the future—because they forthtold the future. They were the original futurists. The fancy, theological word for this is eschatology. The prophets live out of this futuristic vision of God’s dream for the world, where God is leading history, and where it’s all headed. Prophets become so infatuated with that final ideal goal and vision that they become passionately sad and angry about what we’re doing now. Once we experience the universal being of God, the present becomes so dissatisfying and disappointing. We wonder how people can be satisfied with so little and content with such tawdry lives. [1] (Rohr, 2023)

We implore the Holy Spirit to guide our living out of our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and king.

References

Braddock, S. (2023, August 12). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081323.html 

Mahoney, J. (2011, September 29). Jesus After the Resurrection. Thinking Faith. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20110929_1.htm 

Matthew, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/14?22 

Meditation on Matthew 14:22-33. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/08/13/757508/ 

1 Kings, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/19?9 

Psalms, PSALM 85 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/85?9 

Rohr, R. (2023, August 13). Forthtelling, Not Foretelling — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/forthtelling-not-foretelling-2023-08-13/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/9?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). It Is I - Have No Fear. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 13, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=aug13 

Wise Use of Resources

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate our attitude toward the use of our talents and riches to build respect and care especially in our relationships with those with whom we disagree.

Riches and Respect

 

The reading from the First Letter to Timothy warns about false teaching and the nature of true riches in the good fight of faith.

* [6:2b–10] Timothy is exhorted to maintain steadfastly the position outlined in this letter, not allowing himself to be pressured into any other course. He must realize that false teachers can be discerned by their pride, envy, quarrelsomeness, and greed for material gain. 1 Tm 6:6 is rather obscure and is interpreted, and therefore translated, variously. The suggestion seems to be that the important gain that religion brings is spiritual, but that there is material gain, too, up to the point of what is needed for physical sustenance (cf. 1 Tm 6:17–19).1 

Psalm 49 declares the folly of trust in riches.

* [Psalm 49] The Psalm affirms confidence in God (cf. Ps 23; 27:1–6; 62) in the face of the apparent good fortune of the unjust rich, cf. Ps 37; 73. Reliance on wealth is misplaced (Ps 49:8–10) for it is of no avail in the face of death (Ps 49:18–20). After inviting all to listen to this axiom of faith (Ps 49:2–5), the psalmist depicts the self-delusion of the ungodly (Ps 49:6–13), whose destiny is to die like ignorant beasts (Ps 49:13, 18; cf. Prv 7:21–23). Their wealth should occasion no alarm, for they will come to nought, whereas God will save the just (Ps 49:14–20).2 

The Gospel of Luke names some women who accompany Jesus.

* [8:1–3] Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death (Lk 23:49) and resurrection (Lk 24:9–11, where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned; cf. also Acts 1:14). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in Jn 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public.3 

Barbara Dilly reflecting mainly on yesterday’s texts (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091621.cfm) takes us back to those teachers we know.  The best thing we can do is encourage them with words of God’s love and awesome kindness. If we can help teachers feel that love and kindness, they will all the better be able to pass that along to their students who will in turn pass it along to everyone they meet.

We all know teachers who did that for us.  We can repay them by encouraging other teachers, especially young ones.  I pray for a safe, healthy, and productive new school year of truth and wisdom everywhere!4 

  Don Schwager quotes “Everyone has something to give,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Frankly, even the poor have something they can share with others. Let one lend feet to the lame, another become the eyes of the blind, another visit the sick, and another bury the dead. These are the things that everyone can do. Lastly, bear one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." (excerpt from Sermon 41,9)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:2-12 comments that verbal disputes arise that lead to rivalry and insults. That could describe a lot of what you see in the news or on social media. Even closer to home, we can see friction that comes from suspicion or envy in our neighborhoods and families. It seems that everywhere we go, there are situations that can drag us into negativity.

With your eyes fixed on Christ, you can find the grace to be positive and encouraging, even when you’re talking to people you disagree with. You can show them the loving and merciful heart of God and bring Jesus’ light into a distrustful or emotionally charged situation. It’s not always easy, and it takes some practice, but you might be surprised to see how you can diffuse some of the negative things that St. Paul describes today. You are a child of God, and he rejoices in helping you pursue righteousness. He loves it when you bring the light of his presence wherever you go. “Lord, help me put aside useless argumentation. I want to bring your presence with me wherever I go today.”6 

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the situation of the struggle of Timothy against heretics, some of whom, like the Sophists, earned money from their teaching. The mistaken notion that Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles, was a prostitute dates to the time of Gregory the Great. Friar Jude reminds us of the special attention of Luke to the woman in salvation history.

 

The Franciscan Media web site notes that St. Robert Bellarmine most famous work is his three-volume Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith. Particularly noteworthy are the sections on the temporal power of the pope and the role of the laity. Bellarmine incurred the anger of monarchists in England and France by showing the divine-right-of-kings theory untenable.

The renewal in the Church sought by Vatican II was difficult for many Catholics. In the course of change, many felt a lack of firm guidance from those in authority. They yearned for the stone columns of orthodoxy and an iron command with clearly defined lines of authority. Vatican II assures us in The Church in the Modern World, “There are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever” (#10, quoting Hebrews 13:8). Robert Bellarmine devoted his life to the study of Scripture and Catholic doctrine. His writings help us understand that the real source of our faith is not merely a set of doctrines, but rather the person of Jesus still living in the Church today.7

 

Brian McLaren has long explored what it might mean to be a “new kind of Christian.” Brian once wrote a fictionalized story about a pastor asking questions at the edges of his faith.

Imagine that you have just died and passed through the doorway of death. And you enter heaven. And it is a place of intense brightness, a place fragrant with goodness, a place alive with love. The presence of God seems to pervade everyone and every thing. . . . In this place, people are humble and genuinely interested in others. . . . It is a place of true freedom, trust, and intimacy. And even though it is a place of great diversity, with people of all cultures and languages and times retaining all their uniqueness, it is a place where no one argues, no one fights, no one hates, and no one complains… Now I want you to imagine that someone has walked beside you through that doorway of death. And that person has lived his life cramped in hatred and fear, tight in guilt and greed, ingrown in lust and selfishness. He has spent every day of his life complaining and being bitter and blaming others and being ungrateful. He has been suspicious of those different from himself, and he has become an expert at lying and cheating and using others. He is proud, arrogant, unwilling to admit he is wrong. . . . Now, how would that person feel?8 

Our growth in faith opens our understanding of conflicts and disagreements. It challenges us to patience, compassion, and love for those with whom we disagree.

 

References

1 (n.d.). 1 Timothy, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/6  2 (n.d.). Psalm 49 - USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/49  3 (n.d.). Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8  4 (n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/091721.html  5 (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2021&date=sep17  6 (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://wau.org/meditations/2021/09/17/200371/  7 (n.d.). Saint Robert Bellarmine | Franciscan Media. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-robert-bellarmine  8 (n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2021 - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://cac.org/who-we-are-is-who-we-will-be-2021-09-17/