Nineteeneth Sunday in Ordinary Time - 2014. A Reflection on the Gospel Reading

1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a

Romans 9: 1-5

Matthew 14: 22-33

“Meanwhile, the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.  During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.” (Matt 14)

A long time ago, when I was a very, very young child; my father and uncle took one of my brothers, and I, ocean fishing.  Our craft was a mid-size wooden boat with an outboard engine, which to us looked like a small yacht.  We sailed into the ocean off of Lynn, MA, and fished most of the morning.  Suddenly, a squall came upon us, with heavy rains and wind.  The sea, that had been very calm, now was full of huge waves.  The adults immediately started the engine and steered the boat towards land, my brother and I holding onto a wooden seat near the stern.  Suddenly, the boat hit a wave that launched it into the air, and it landed onto the ocean hard.  It landed so hard, that the stern bench we were sitting on broke, and we wound up in bottom of the boat.  It was the most terrifying experience I had ever had. 

We eventually made it safely to Nahant harbor, and a dock.  My father and uncle had to call my mother and aunt to come fetch us, and to bring the boat trailer.  By the time they got there, the sun was out; the skies were blue, and the ocean serene.

Because of that experience, I can better appreciate the fear that Christ’s disciples must have experienced as they tried to sail their boat through the stormy Sea of Galilee.  I wish I had the courage that St. Peter showed initially, getting out of that boat and attempting to walk on the water towards Jesus.  Though, as we read further in that Gospel account, that courage quickly disappeared when Peter was faced with the wind and the waves. 

However, before we start smirking at Peter’s predicament, let us recall our moments when we may have had “little faith.”  I feel that almost everyday, Jesus Christ is calling all of us to do something wonderful, something spectacular, something that makes us go beyond what we think we are capable of doing, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  Yet, we let the obstacles, the storms that life may throw in our way; cause us to doubt our calling.  However, Jesus is there with us, saying to us:  “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?”  And he will help us through the storms.  He will help us overcome the obstacles.  By his grace, we will receive what we need, not only to live the Gospel, but proclaim it throughout the entire world; to all peoples, and all places.

Civility or the Lack Thereof

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,” will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” (Matthew 5: 21-23)

On the National Public Radio, BBC, some of the broadcast channels, there has been discussions about civility in society, or the lack thereof. We have seen examples of this lack of civility in the halls of Congress, on the tennis court in Flushing Meadows, NY, and on stage. And what we have seen on the streets and in town halls concerning the subject of health care reform is not a debate, but a yelling match between two sides with no respect for the other. I have not seen such discord, such anger, such name calling, since the days of the Vietnam protests.

This is why I am quoting again from the Gospel of Matthew. We all need to be reminded again what our Lord Jesus Christ preached. We need to be reminded that Jesus commanded us to love another. Not just those who are lovable, but even those we may think of as “jerks.” We are called to love all, to be respectful of all, to be courteous to all.

So we should turn to God, open ourselves to him, in prayer, and ask him to remove our stony hearts, so prone to outbursts and insults; and replace them with hearts full of love. Let us, by our words and actions, be a balm of peace on the world. Let us show the world how truly to love and not how to insult.

September Column for Fraternity Newsletter

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matt 25: 34-40)

“Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively.” (Art. 14a, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)

“Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.” (Art. 15, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)


The above verse from the Gospel of Matthew was part of the Gospel reading proclaimed at the funeral of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. And listening to it caused me to reflect on how times have changed. When I was growing up, it was generally assumed that when it came to feeding the poor, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, etc.; that was the responsibility of the clergy and the religious. Our role was to kick in a few bucks to help support the work. But since the Second Vatican Council, we, the laity, have discovered that the parable Jesus taught about the last judgment, was directed towards all of us. Each one of us has a responsibility to be active in our communities, to see to it that the poor are taken care of, to be a voice for those who have no voice in our society. Wherever and whenever the opportunity may arise, we are to proclaim the compassionate power of the Gospel by our daily lives.