19th Sunday of Ordinary Time
1 Kings 19:9a, 11–13a
Psalm 85:9, 10, 11–12, 13–14
Romans 9:1–5
Matthew 14:22–33
Jesus says to Peter, who is walking toward Him on the water: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
At first reading, this might seem to be a mere rebuke for having such small faith. However, it could be taken in a more encouraging way. After all, for just a moment, Peter did walk on water. If only he had kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, instead of becoming fearful due to the raging storm, he could have reached his goal.
Jesus’ words can be taken as a charge to not allow doubt to sway him the next time. Peter is heading in the right direction in the development of his faith.
When we have our eyes fixed on the right goal, we can persevere in our journey no matter what the obstacles are, and no matter how many times we might fail. The invitation that Christianity offers is not an invitation to success in every effort, but rather to perseverance in striving to reach the goal.
As Peter’s story unfolds in the Gospels and as the traditions surrounding his life following the Resurrection of Jesus, we see a man who fails, misunderstands and gets it wrong many times. Nonetheless, he perseveres. The “final tale” of his life is the legend of the Quo Vadis.
When persecution came to Rome, the Christian community prevailed upon Peter to leave for his safety. On the Appian Way, he encountered the Lord Who was heading into Rome. Peter said to Him: “Domine, quo vadis?” That is, “Lord, where are You going?”
The Lord responded that He was going to Jerusalem to be crucified again. Peter came to his senses once more, and this time, he did not fail the test. He was crucified – upside down at his request because he felt unworthy to imitate the Lord’s death – and he thus joined the witness of the martyrs.
When the Lord looks at us, He sees not just our journey in time, but also the fullness of our journey with Him into eternity. He beckons us to move beyond fear and to put our trust in Him. As we experience the stormy waters of our lives, we are invited to learn from Peter’s failure and to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. “Lord, save me!” is a good prayer to add to our “toolbox” in our effort to put our faith into practice.
Elijah’s encounter with the Lord in the “tiny whispering sound” rather than the “strong and heavy wind” that “was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord,” or the earthquake or the fire that preceded the manifestation of the Lord’s Presence, is a reminder to us that at times God’s voice is hidden behind the storms of our lives.
God is God. Our human nature finds God when we empty our hearts of our own expectations and demands. Elijah waits at the mouth of the cave to hear what God wants from him. As the story continues, the simple message to Elijah is, in essence, “Get back to work” and “Pass on the ministry entrusted to you.” Such an invitation is also being addressed to us.
Paul shares with the Romans the cry of his heart that the message of the Gospel be heard and accepted by his own people. He expresses his anguish that such a response is not apparent, longing for their salvation even more than his own. When Paul joins the Christian community in Rome, he, like Peter, ends up pouring out his life for those to whom he has been sent.
Even now, we see the fruits of the faith witnessed by Peter and Paul as the world continues to follow Pope Francis in his journeys from Rome to bring comfort and invitation to all. The whole world is invited to hear the Gospel and to respond. We pray with the psalmist: “Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.”