19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Fr. Francis)
“‘Beware!’ warned the nutritional expert to the sizable crowd assembled before him in the auditorium. ‘The material we regularly put into our stomachs is enough to kill most of us. Red meat is awful for you. Soft drinks erode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. Vegetables are routinely sprayed with pesticides that can be disastrous to your health, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the microorganisms in our drinking water. But there is one substance that is the most pernicious of all, and we all have eaten it already or surely will before long. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?’ An elderly man in the front row stood up and soberly proclaimed, ‘Wedding cake.’”
Indeed, as this elderly man testified, what began for him as a mouthful of sweetness had become after many years of marriage a morsel far less palatable. I would imagine his long-suffering wife may have testified to the same truth. And though this couple may be an extreme, I am further imagining that few newly-weds have any idea what hard work it will be for a wedding to become a marriage. Surely there will be turbulence just down the road, the high winds, and swelling waves of two lives struggling to become one, storm enough for even the heartiest couple.
Surely, though, storms and struggles are an integral part of every human life. Married or not, we will all spend considerable energy and anxiety over a lifetime keeping our boats afloat and our heads above water. That is just life! Ever since the Garden of Eden, human life has been marked by toil, the struggle only intensifying when we try to go it alone, that is, apart from God. Indeed, a recently spotted bumper sticker says it all: “If God is your co-pilot, swap seats!” Truly, unless God is at the rudder of our lives, we are in trouble!
On this nineteenth Sunday of ordinary time, the Church joyfully reminds us that Jesus our Savior is always close to us. He calms the storms of our life. He lifts us from the depths and restores our peace. The presence of the storm, and all that it represents make us confused, and afraid in life. Thus, it equally deprives us of our peace.
There is something interesting about today’s readings. This is simply the fact that, all the three great figures and personalities (Elijah, Paul, and Peter) we encountered in today’s readings were in one way or the other embattled. As such, their peace was threatened.
First, Elijah was fearful, and running away from Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, who wanted him dead at all cost. Second, Paul was ravaged by sorrow and anguish due to the unbelief of his “fellow brothers of Israel.” This was a great burden that threatened his peace of mind. Third, Peter was sinking right in front of Jesus, due to fear, his lack of faith and courage. This is the dilemma of our lives. In one way or the other, our peace is threatened.
In the first reading, the embattled prophet Elijah encountered God, and his peace was restored. A very significant lesson for us in this reading is that, when we are internally calm and away from the distractions of life, we hear God speak to us. To say that God spoke to Elijah after the gentle breeze, is simply to say that Elijah experienced peace of mind.
God came at the appropriate time, not in the mighty wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but after a gentle breeze. So, contrary to what some of us think, God speaks to us when we are internally recollected and calm. Often, we seek God with distracted minds. In such a state, we may not encounter Him. It is when we are recollected, that we hear him speak to us.
In the second reading, Paul expresses his grief for his people (fellow Jews). This was because, they rejected the good news. His sadness and grief were so great that he lamented: “I will willingly be condemned, if it could help my brothers.” In order words, he was not at peace because of their situation.
Therefore, Paul teaches us that we must not always think about ourselves alone. Rather, we should equally be concerned about the welfare, salvation, and peace of others. It is through this, that we derive our own inner peace. When others are saved, our peace is guaranteed.
In today’s gospel, the disciples of Jesus experienced the storm of their life, and Jesus was available to calm it, and equally, restore their peace. “Storms” are part and parcel of our human existence. They are inevitable in this world, just as the waves are inevitable in the sea, and death is inevitable to us.
Sometimes, they hit us so hard like this pandemic that we are crushed, devastated, and almost annihilated. Like the disciples of Jesus, each one of us experiences the storm in diverse ways in our lives. That is, the storm that robs us of our peace. However, when they encounter Christ, our peace is restored, and they disappear. Hence, Paul wrote: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies (2 Cor 4: 8-9).
Finally, as Christ said to Peter, so he also says to us today: “Courage! Do not be afraid, it is I.” So, all we need to do is to trust Him, and keep walking without the fear of sinking. Like Peter, we must step out with faith and courage against the storms of our life. Therefore, let us hold on firmly to Jesus, who calms our storms and restores our peace. God is the Giver of Life, real life, abundant life, full life, meaningful life, joyful life, eternal life. And our chief purpose is to celebrate God, and to serve God, and to enjoy God forever. Amen.
Fr. A. Francis HGN