19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 13/8/2023 - Gospel: 14: 22-33
Lord, Save Me
After feeding the crowds, Jesus sent his disciples into the boat to sail to the other side of the lake. He then sent the crowds home by himself. It means Jesus has full control of the situation without the help of his apostles. Any assistance from the apostles would be a bonus for them rather than for him. Jesus then went up into the hills by himself to pray. He spent time alone with his Father. He often has time with the Father alone, but sometimes he allows his disciples to accompany him. There is no record of his prayers because this time he is alone.
The apostles were in trouble at the high sea, battling with a heavy sea. Following Jesus means accepting to step into the 'trouble water'. It is a symbol of life with turmoils and chaos. Jesus is the group leader, but when he was not with them; they must have someone acting as a group leader to co-ordinate for affairs of the group. Peter resurfaced as the group leader in Jesus' absence. When the apostles saw a figure approaching them from afar. They were terrified. Jesus addressed them saying, 'It is I, do not be afraid'. Peter then sought his approval, approaching on the water and coming to him. A big wave was approaching; it blocked his sight of Jesus. Peter got into trouble. At the top of his voice, Peter shouted, 'Lord, save me'. Jesus reached out to save him. Doing God's will, Peter is not free from trouble. In this case, the force of nature serves as an obstacle that stops Peter from seeing Jesus. Losing sight of God, we rely on our own something else. We rely on world's power, wealth, and our own strength. Our strength is limited and is easy to get tired. Peter soon realizes that his friends couldn't help him; his experience couldn't save him. Without God, he has no hope. He turns to God for help. Sure enough, God is always ready to save those who call upon him; no matter what. Without God, we are suffocated in our own business of life and drown in our own sin.
The text tells us that the power of darkness is following us everywhere like a shadow of that person. It creates chaos and takes advantage of human weakness by instilling fear into our hearts. They do that by hiding behind the force of nature to do the work. The other element is darkness itself. Darkness and insecurity go shoulder to shoulder; while insecurity is married to fear. God's power removes fear; it restores peace and joy. God's power quells all personal troubles. A true follower of Jesus requires having faith, and trust him. Faith and sacrifice are the ways of the apostles. No sacrifice means following an empty word. Evil spirits can't defeat Jesus, but they hope to win the hearts of Jesus' disciples.
In our struggles to be faithful to Jesus, there will be chaos and struggle, and that is how sacrifice involves. Peter struggles to keep afloat but fails; and in his desperation, he calls out to Jesus for help. Jesus saves him from drowning. He entered the boat safely; and the men in the boat bowed down confessing, 'Truly, you are the Son of God'. Just twelve hours earlier, Jesus fed the five thousand from five loaves and two fish; the apostles took part in the distribution of the food. They recognised the amazing miracle, but failed to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God. Distributing food for the crowds is helping Jesus to feed others; being caught in the midst of the storm is a personal experience. This near-death experience is a personal one, and that makes their hearts closer to Jesus. To be able to confess that Jesus is the Son of God one needs to have a personal experience. 'Lord save me' is what we need to remember always.
The apostles were in trouble at the high sea, battling with a heavy sea. Following Jesus means accepting to step into the 'trouble water'. It is a symbol of life with turmoils and chaos. Jesus is the group leader, but when he was not with them; they must have someone acting as a group leader to co-ordinate for affairs of the group. Peter resurfaced as the group leader in Jesus' absence. When the apostles saw a figure approaching them from afar. They were terrified. Jesus addressed them saying, 'It is I, do not be afraid'. Peter then sought his approval, approaching on the water and coming to him. A big wave was approaching; it blocked his sight of Jesus. Peter got into trouble. At the top of his voice, Peter shouted, 'Lord, save me'. Jesus reached out to save him. Doing God's will, Peter is not free from trouble. In this case, the force of nature serves as an obstacle that stops Peter from seeing Jesus. Losing sight of God, we rely on our own something else. We rely on world's power, wealth, and our own strength. Our strength is limited and is easy to get tired. Peter soon realizes that his friends couldn't help him; his experience couldn't save him. Without God, he has no hope. He turns to God for help. Sure enough, God is always ready to save those who call upon him; no matter what. Without God, we are suffocated in our own business of life and drown in our own sin.
The text tells us that the power of darkness is following us everywhere like a shadow of that person. It creates chaos and takes advantage of human weakness by instilling fear into our hearts. They do that by hiding behind the force of nature to do the work. The other element is darkness itself. Darkness and insecurity go shoulder to shoulder; while insecurity is married to fear. God's power removes fear; it restores peace and joy. God's power quells all personal troubles. A true follower of Jesus requires having faith, and trust him. Faith and sacrifice are the ways of the apostles. No sacrifice means following an empty word. Evil spirits can't defeat Jesus, but they hope to win the hearts of Jesus' disciples.
In our struggles to be faithful to Jesus, there will be chaos and struggle, and that is how sacrifice involves. Peter struggles to keep afloat but fails; and in his desperation, he calls out to Jesus for help. Jesus saves him from drowning. He entered the boat safely; and the men in the boat bowed down confessing, 'Truly, you are the Son of God'. Just twelve hours earlier, Jesus fed the five thousand from five loaves and two fish; the apostles took part in the distribution of the food. They recognised the amazing miracle, but failed to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God. Distributing food for the crowds is helping Jesus to feed others; being caught in the midst of the storm is a personal experience. This near-death experience is a personal one, and that makes their hearts closer to Jesus. To be able to confess that Jesus is the Son of God one needs to have a personal experience. 'Lord save me' is what we need to remember always.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
