Faith Flight and Fear

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our desire to run away from the situations in our life where our faith invites us to go and receive transformative grace to combat our fear.

Faith and Skyline

The Reading from the First Book of Kings presents Elijah’s Flight to 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. (1 Kings, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 85 proclaims the people who wait humbly with open hearts.

* [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 to the Romans declares 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, while Walking on the Water, assists Peter.

* [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.)

Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that we begin with confidence, but somewhere along the journey, we become preoccupied with the “winds” around us—the uncertainties, disappointments, criticism, financial burdens, fragile health, or fears about the future. Slowly, we begin to sink under the weight of what once seemed manageable.

Yet today’s Gospel is not ultimately about Peter’s failure. It is about Jesus’ immediacy. The most comforting word in the passage may be “immediately.” Peter cries, “Lord, save me!” and immediately Jesus stretches out his hand. There is no lecture before the rescue. No delay. No test to determine whether Peter deserves help. Grace always precedes correction. Jesus first saves him; only then does he gently ask, “Why did you doubt?” Perhaps, for this reason, the greatest miracle in today’s gospel is not that Jesus walked on water or that Peter briefly did the same. The greater miracle is that God’s hand is always closer than our fear. Even when our faith falters, his faithfulness never does. (Fernando, 2026)

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 comments that in 1 Kings we hear of the experience of God by Elijah on Mt Horeb, also known as  Mt Sinai, where the Law was received by the Jewish people. God is not  found in the traditional way. Most often we meet God in the simple events of our life where we  see the signs of God's goodness. The profound passage in Romans declares that if Paul going to hell would save Jews, he would accept hell. In this way he gets the right idea about heaven. We think of our gain but to surrender heaven so others might attain it is truly heaven. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus walking on the waters. In Matthew, Peter’s role is emphasized. He becomes the central character. He sinks because of shaken faith. We learn a bit about impetuous Peter who acts before thinking. Our character faults teach us about faith and our faults. Friar Jude notes that Jesus accepts Peter where he is and loves Him as much as he can. In the Hebrew Testament, the title “Son of God” is an honorific, then. in Matthew, it  becomes the proclamation of Jesus as truly the Son of God.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 comments that God was not in the strong wind, in the earthquake, or in the fire, however. He was in “a tiny whispering sound” (19:12). In today’s Gospel, the disciples were in a boat that was being tossed by the wind and the waves when they saw Jesus coming “toward them walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). Of course they were terrified!

You might be afraid or you might have “little faith” (Matthew 14:31). Because it might feel as if the Lord is absent, as if he doesn’t care, or as if you’re beyond his help.

But God wants to reassure you. He is passing by! He’s inviting you to the “mountain”—a quiet place where you can pray and pour out your heart—to spend time with him. He wants you to remember that he comes to you, he stretches out his hand, and he holds you and keeps you steady. Then he says: “Take courage . . . ; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

“Lord, I know you come to my aid. Help me to trust in you.” (Meditation on 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how grace and connectivity are foundational to Franciscan mysticism. A mystic reveals that which is hidden to most of us, yet it is also invariably what we also hope and imagine to be true! True mystics seldom if ever bring bad news. It seems Reality, at its hidden and deepest levels, is always very good—better than most of us can imagine!

Franciscan mysticism is a subset of mysticism. Though it overlaps with aspects of non-Christian mysticism—such as nature mysticism, Islamic Sufi mysticism (ecstasy and joy), Hindu mysticism (unitive consciousness itself and asceticism), and Buddhism (nonviolence and simplicity)—Franciscan mysticism has a unique place in the world through its Christocentric lens.

It was the unique person of Jesus that Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) fell in love with, precisely in his incarnate and humble state, identifying with the excluded and little ones, whom Jesus calls “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). The bias toward the edge and the bottom has always been at the heart of Franciscan mysticism, explaining its perennial identification with poverty and suffering.

The cosmic vision, personalized in Jesus, was an intuition that Francis and many of his followers lived and experienced, but most of them did not formulate it in theological words or academic concepts as much as in lifestyles. Usually they picked it up by osmosis, through the gospel and the Franciscan lineage. Followers of Francis bore “fruit that remained” and invariably believed in original blessing much more than original sin. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are grateful to the Spirit that inspires the great transforming events of our lives and supports our journey to be support and blessing to those we accompany in “troubled waters”.

References

Fernando, R. (2026, August 9). Daily Reflection August 9, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-9-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/14?22 

Meditation on 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/09/1642346/ 

1 Kings, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/19? 

Psalms, PSALM 85 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Grace and Connectivity. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/85?9 

Romans, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/9? 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). It Is I - Have No Fear. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 9, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Faith Service and Fear

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the trust we develop in Providence to bring us to safety when we encounter storms that may raise our fear as we serve the people in our environment.

Calming the Storms

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents The Need for Assistants to serve the community.

* [6:1–7] The Hellenists…the Hebrews: the Hellenists were not necessarily Jews from the diaspora, but were more probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. Both groups belong to the Jerusalem Jewish Christian community. The conflict between them leads to a restructuring of the community that will better serve the community’s needs. The real purpose of the whole episode, however, is to introduce Stephen as a prominent figure in the community whose long speech and martyrdom will be recounted in Acts 7. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus calms the fear of the Apostles when Walking on the Water.

* [6:16–21] The fifth sign is a nature miracle, portraying Jesus sharing Yahweh’s power. Cf. the parallel stories following the multiplication of the loaves in Mk 6:45–52 and Mt 14:22–33.

* [6:19] Walking on the sea: although the Greek (cf. Jn 6:16) could mean “on the seashore” or “by the sea” (cf. Jn 21:1), the parallels, especially Mt 14:25, make clear that Jesus walked upon the water. John may allude to Jb 9:8: God “treads upon the crests of the sea.”

* [6:20] It is I: literally, “I am.” See also notes on Jn 4:26 and Mk 6:50. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Laura Roost comments that in this time and watching world news it can be hard to remember that the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord.

This is not unique to our time, of course. I am reminded through faithful homilies that weekly challenge us to return the following week able to offer our everyday lived faith in community from the past week back to God the following week. It is lived faith in community and everyday life that makes us able to see both the outrages of the world, and the kindness of the Lord through which hope comes. In the end the kindness is there – it is up to us to cling to Christ and live Easter hope everyday. As we end thinking about the ways the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord – even now – I share a helpful prayer from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith: 

“Help us to embrace the world You have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into the life and joy of Easter.” (Roost, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes Christ our physician, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:16-21 comments that Jesus doesn’t always jump into our boats and tell us exactly why we shouldn’t be afraid. In fact, sometimes he doesn’t immediately calm our “storms.” Instead, he gives us the opportunity to exercise our faith and decide how we will respond. He knows that’s how we grow in wisdom and trust in him.

Look back on a difficult situation in your life. Were there times when it felt as if you were all on your own—as if even Jesus wasn’t there to help? But now, using 20/20 hindsight, can you see how he really was there, patiently guiding you to the shore? Think about how that experience actually made you stronger and built your faith, maybe in ways you never expected.

Interestingly, all three versions of this story ( Matthew 14:22–33., Mark 6:45–52, and John 6:16-21 ) have one key point in common: Jesus tells the disciples not to be afraid. That message is for you, too! When you’re in the dark, tossed about, know that Jesus is closer than you may think. Let that truth calm your fears and strengthen your faith!

“Jesus, thank you for leading me through the storms of my life.” (Meditation on John 6:16-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts 2 and 4 we see a united community but in Acts 6 we realize that always wasn’t the case the Greek widows were not receiving the needed assistance to the same degree as the Hebrew widows. The phrase “deacons” is based on the Greek word to serve. The “first deacon”, Stephen, would both assist in charity and preach. Did the first deacons proclaim the Good News too? Friar Jude continues to comment on the connection of the miracle of the loaves to Psalm 23 and in today’s Gospel there is a resonance with “Beside restful waters” as sign of Jesus protection and satisfaction of the deepest hunger of our hearts.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, writes at the Center for Action and Contemplation, we seek to ground compassionate action in contemplative, nondual consciousness. When we experience the reality of our oneness with God, others, and creation, actions of justice and healing naturally follow. If we’re working to create a more whole world, contemplation will give our actions nonviolent, loving power for the long haul.

The civil rights leader John Lewis (1940–2020) has been an inspiration to many of us. How did this saintly public man avoid deeper recognition for so long? His words read like a prayer for contemplative action:

Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Know that the truth always leads to love and the perpetuation of peace. Its products are never bitterness and strife. Clothe yourself in the work of love, in the revolutionary work of nonviolent resistance against evil. Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We affirm the action of the Spirit as we contemplate the calm and peace we receive when working in service of the needs of the community.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6?1 

John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?16 

Meditation on John 6:16-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/18/1545853/ 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation, Liberation, and Action: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-18-2026 

Roost, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-18-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Said: "It Is I - Do Not Be Afraid". Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/