Out of the Boat

August 10, 2008
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.

Then the LORD said, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD – but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake – but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire – but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. 1 Kings 19:11-12

He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how (strong) the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29-31

Piety
Picture yourself in a boat on the stormy waters.
Picture Jesus coming across the wind tossed waves to you.
Picture yourself getting out of the boat. “Do not be afraid.”
Picture yourself going out to meet Jesus.
Reach out for Jesus, don’t sink as Peter did.
Trust Him. Hold on tight.Don't let Him go.
Let Him take you back to the boat.
Then, Let Him take you to the Shore
And when you get to the shore…Ask Jesus to take you somewhere.
Follow Him.
Go where He goes, Wherever He leads.
Amen. (From At the Water’s Edge Healing Ministry Prayer.)

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/081008.shtml

Walking the precarious waters of life is something few do with any gusto. When I was in Israel, I had my picture taken with me walking on Lake Galilee. Look! No hands, I said. I had put the rocks there myself that I was standing on. It was a great picture. Not as good a picture as I have of Christ walking on water and Peter asking if he could come to Christ over the water. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

And we see Peter sinking. How good a picture is that of us? How often do we get out of the boat of our securities and take the chance of walking across the not so placid lake of our difficulties in life. The impossible is good to work on because it takes longer and gives us the chance to spend some time on the same task. Jobs that are easily finished do not give us the opportunity to walk with Jesus with our hands in his. Piety is not shown by the misguided confidence of what we can do without the help of Jesus. Piety flows out of how desperately we need Jesus in our lives. Piety is the taking of the hand of Jesus to guide us and help us in what otherwise we would sink at doing. Piety is our putting our hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.

Our study of the picture of Peter leaving the boat of security to walk on the waters allows us to appreciate he is not alone. He is with the other disciples who are being tossed about by the waves. Are they more afraid of seeing Jesus walk on water because he looks like a ghost coming to them in the darkness or of being without the light of their lives? Paul talks about how great his sorrow is for his people cut off from Christ. To die to be with Christ or to live to share Christ with the people, Paul poses as a question of his life. When he says he could wish to be accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his own Israelites, he poses a reflection I find unreal. I find sharing Christ being so like to the joy of being with him that I am glad to go on trying to walk across the waters of people’s difficulties to bring Christ to them. We should study the question of Paul and the great souls who love Christ so much that even if Christ did not love them, they would want to bring everyone they knew to Christ. Such a study of the deeper walk with Christ opens our hearts to what needs to be done around us.

Action

Our apostolate opens up by our piety and our study of a deeper walk with Christ. The tiny whispering sound of the call of his goodness in our hearts is how we recognize the presence of Christ in what we are doing. Our work in his name flourishes by our gentleness, patience and kindness. We can not force Christ on anyone because he is a God of love who is forever offering himself through our taking his hand to his people. We go from taking his hand by our prayer to being his hand as we reach out to the needs of brothers and sisters. We can not be great winds and earthquakes and be his presence. Love is shown by open hearts and the willingness to sink even as we reach out like Christ to take the hand of the one sinking by us. Our work becomes his work by the intensity of our desire to do what is right for those who need us. We need to love tenderly and to walk softly that we do not get in his way.

Then people will be able to take courage from us and they will not be afraid. We can be transparencies of Christ if we are willing to step out in faith for the sake of those we serve.