Posted on 08/12/2017 9:01:54 PM PDT by Salvation
http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=134
Year A - 19th Sunday in ordinary time
Jesus walking on water
Matthew 14:22-33
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.
25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (NRSV)
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I went up to the mountain by myself in order to say my prayers. I want you to find moments of solitude in which you will lift up your heart and pray without any distractions. There must be at least one moment in your day when you will be alone in prayer; it must come from your heart and your desire to communicate with the Lord your God.
I want you to start your day with thanksgiving and praise to God for the wonderful things he has given you, for the gift of life and for the gift of your faith in me the Lord your Savior. Your entire day must become a prayer as you offer your self and all your works to the God who has created you and takes care of you.
When the time comes to retire at night, you must thank the Lord for all the things he favored you with during the day and you must place your life in his hands until the new day.
It was very important for my apostles to see the other part of me, the supernatural and divine spiritual being, which I was careful not to display often, so that their faith could be strengthened.
And it was so that on that windy night, I was walking on the sea and was getting close to the boat when they saw me, they were afraid to see someone walking on water but I confirmed them that it was I. Peter asked me to call him so that he could come to me. He started walking but soon lost faith in me and began to sink, he asked me to save him and I rescued him.
My lesson for all of you is that I come to you many times in my supernatural form, not necessarily physically, but I begin to share my spirit with you as far as you have faith and desire to be close to me.
In the spiritual life you must walk into the unknown, you must put all your trust in me, you must let go of your preconceived ideas, because I have the power to change things. I can bring a miracle in your life, but only when you accept me as your God, the one who can walk on water, the one who gives life to the dead, the one for whom nothing is too wonderful.
When you become like a little child, you come to me with the feelings of your heart, not with the rationality of your mind. This is why I invite you to be little and humble. So, in your weakness I can offer you my strength, in your sinfulness and repentance I can express my mercy, and in your littleness I feel compassion and love for you as my little child.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
The Gospel today is about faith and about focus. It teaches that although storms and struggles inevitably arise, we have a choice as to whether we focus on them or on Jesus. The message is clear: Keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on!
Lets look at this Gospel in three stages: Perceived Distance, Produced Distress, and Point of Decision. I have also included a fourth section for more in-depth study: Process of Development.
I. Perceived Distance The text tells us that Jesus drew back from the disciples and sent them to make the crossing of the lake on their own, intending to rejoin them later. During their crossing they encountered a storm: After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.
In this brief text we encounter the mystery of God apparently hiding His face. Jesus, in drawing back from His disciples, exhibits the mysterious truth that God sometimes seems to hide His face. Here are a few other references from Scripture:
But does God actually hide His face? To us it seems that He does, but has He actually done so in such a way that He is forgetful of us?
Note that in todays Gospel Jesus is not away on some sort of vacation. Rather, He is praying. In so doing He is in communion with His Father, but surely also with His disciples. While the storm grows, Jesus makes his way toward them in stages.
At first they cannot see Him, but surely He sees and knows them. Later, even when they do see Him, they do not realize that it is He. They even mistake him for a ghost, for someone or something that means them harm.
So it is with us, too. We often conclude that God has hidden His face from us, that He is not mindful of the troubles we face. He seems distant, perhaps even unconcerned, and surely not visible to us.
But it is not always that God has simply hidden His face from us. It is often that we simply cannot see Him, for any number of reasons: Sometimes it is simply that our minds are weak and easily distracted. Sometimes it is our flesh, which demands to see everything physically, refusing to accept the reality of spiritual seeing. Sometimes it is that we insist on seeing and understanding only in ways that are acceptable and pleasing to us, acting as if God could not possibly speak through our enemy, or through a child, or through a painful circumstance. God is there. He is not likely hiding, but we struggle to see Him for these and other reasons.
So if God is hiding, it is usually in plain sight. In the end, where can we run from God? Where could we possibly go that He is not already there?
God permits us to experience His apparent distance; this is clearly attested to in Scripture. This hiddenness is mysterious because although God seems hidden, He is in fact more present to us than we are to our very selves.
What God offers us in this gospel is a faith that grows to understand this and to see God always, a faith that permits us to be in living, conscious contact with God at every moment of our day. This is the normal Christian life that Christ died to give us. If we will be open to receive it, our faith will grow. As our faith grows, so does our ability to experience this presence, beyond what our senses may or may not perceive. Yes, as our faith grows, even in the midst of storms we can know that He is near and draw strength and courage from that.
II. Produced Distress – Added to the disciples experience of distance from the Lord is the distress of the storm itself. The text says, Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
To the degree that we do not see the Lord, we will be anxious about many things. In the perceived absence of God, fears increase and shadows grow longer. In this sense, many of our distresses are produced by our lack of faith and our lack of awareness of Gods abiding presence.
Bishop Fulton Sheen used the image of the red sanctuary lamp near the tabernacle, which signals the presence of the Lord. Near the light, we bask in its glow and enjoy its comforting warmth, but as we walk away from it, the shadows grow longer and the darkness envelops us.
So it is for us who lose a sense of Gods presence or willfully refuse to acknowledge it: the shadows lengthen, the darkness envelops us, and the storms become more terrifying.
This is why it is so important for us to accept the normal Christian life of being in living, conscious contact with God. Knowing God does not mean that there will be no storms, but it does mean that we can face them with courage and trust.
There is an old saying, Stop telling God how big your storm is. Tell the storm how big your God is. This can only come as we grow in faith and in the experience of Gods presence.
An old gospel hymn says,
When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea
Thou Who rulest wind and water
Stand by me
In the midst of tribulation
Stand by me
When the hosts of hell assail
And my strength begins to fail
Thou Who never lost a battle
Stand by me
III. Pointe of Decision The text begins with the crucial point of the drama: During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. It is a ghost, they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.
The Lord presents them with a choice: Either focus on the storm or focus on Him. He is not just telling them not to be afraid; He is saying, It is I, be not afraid. If they will focus on Him they will not be afraid; if they will come to experience His abiding presence, their fears will dissipate.
It is the same for us. If we will accept the normal Christian life and come to more deeply and constantly experience the Lords presence, our fear will dissipate. It is not that there will be no storms. Rather, it is that those storms will not overwhelm us with fear.
So we also have this choice to make: Focus on the storms or focus on the Lord. The result will be that we will either live in increasing fear or we will grow in confidence and trust.
There is an old saying, What you feed, grows. If we feed our fears and negativity, they will grow. If we feed our faith and trust, they will grow.
So, whats it going to be? What will we focus on? What will we feed?
Pray for the gift to focus increasingly on the Lord. Pray for the gift to feed your faith, starving your negativity and storm-focused fears.
For Further Study:
IV. Process of Development The decision before the disciples is now clear. One of them, Peter, accepts the Lords offer to focus on Him and not the storm. As we see in the text, though, Peters decision to do this comes about gradually, as do most major decisions in life. We must grow into them by making many small decisions and proceed through a process of growth in the grace that the Lord offers. Lets look at Peters process:
Acceptance Peter said to him in reply, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said, Come. Things begin with Peter accepting the Lords call to shift his focus, thereby accepting courage and as a result seeing his fears diminish.
Action Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. It is a truly remarkable courage that Peter receives by shifting His focus to the Lord. He walks on the water and almost heedless of the storm or the seeming impossibility of what he is doing. That he is walking toward Jesus is an indication that his focus is correct.
Anxiety But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink. Here is where Peter gets in trouble: he shifts his focus back to the storm. When he does so, his fear returns and he begins to sink. This is representative of the human condition. We seldom go from 0 to 100 all at once. Rather, we undertake a process of growth. Peter had done what was right. He had turned his focus to the Lord and his fear dissipated. But, as is often the case with the inexperienced, Peter faltered in his execution of the plan. It is similar to a young boy riding a bike for the first time: He rides twenty yards, thrilling in his newfound ability. Soon, though, his thoughts turn back to the danger and he wobbles and falls. He will be all right if he gets back up and tries again and again. Although he has failed for the moment, something in him has changed. Having felt his potential to ride, he will build on this. Gradually, riding will become second nature. So it is for Peter and for all of us. At first, faith and trust are hard. We step out in trepidation, but only for a moment; and then we fall. But something in us has changed. That change will grow in us if we get back up again, if we engage in the process.
Acclamation he cried out, Lord, save me! Even in his fall, Peter still does the right thing: he calls on the Lord. Thus, his failure is not total. His faith is weak, but his instincts are right; he fell on Jesus. If youre going to fall, fall on Jesus!
Assistance Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter. If we take one step, God takes two. Jesus says, No one who calls on me will I ever reject (Jn 6:37). Peter may have fallen short of the goal, but he has made progress. Later in his life, this moment of rescue will be an important ingredient in his bold faith. But more growth and the Holy Spirit will be needed to quicken his faith. It will happen, though; Peter will grow and the process of his development in faith will continue by Gods guiding hand.
Admonition and [Jesus] said to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? Notice that the Lord does not say Peter has no faith, but that he has little faith. Peter has stepped out in faith, but he must continue to grow. His doubts must diminish. He must come to stronger faith. As God said through Isaiah, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Is 7:9). Peters task is clear: he must continue to grow in his faith, as must we. If we do, we will see our fears dissipate and our courage grow strong. Peter has little faith; that is true for most of us, too. But at least he has some faith; and so do we. So our cry is that of the Apostles: Increase our faith! (Lk 17:5)
Amazement After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God. Difficult though this trial has been, it has increased their faith. They still have a long way to go, but theyre on the way.
Yes, we have a decision to make: Will we focus on the storm or on Jesus? We have to keep our eyes on the prize. The Book of Hebrews says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).
Thats right, keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on!
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: 1Kings 19:9,11-13 II: Romans 11:33-36
22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."
28 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water."
29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus;
30 but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Jesus is the Son of God.
"It is I" (v.27) denotes divinity (Is 41:4 and 43:10). Walking on the water is also associated with God's action: "Who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea (Job 9:8; see also Ex 14:13-31, Ps 77:20, Is 43:16, Hab 3:15). People, after seeing Jesus' actions and power, also proclaim his divinity (v.33).
St. Catherine Laboure
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 14 |
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22. | And forthwith Jesus obliged his disciples to go up into the boat, and to go before him over the water, till he dismissed the people. | Et statim compulit Jesus discipulos ascendere in naviculam, et præcedere eum trans fretum, donec dimitteret turbas. | και ευθεως ηναγκασεν ο ιησους τους μαθητας εμβηναι εις το πλοιον και προαγειν αυτον εις το περαν εως ου απολυση τους οχλους |
23. | And having dismissed the multitude, he went into a mountain alone to pray. And when it was evening, he was there alone. | Et dimissa turba, ascendit in montem solus orare. Vespere autem facto solus erat ibi : | και απολυσας τους οχλους ανεβη εις το ορος κατ ιδιαν προσευξασθαι οψιας δε γενομενης μονος ην εκει |
24. | But the boat in the midst of the sea was tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary. | navicula autem in medio mari jactabatur fluctibus : erat enim contrarius ventus. | το δε πλοιον ηδη μεσον της θαλασσης ην βασανιζομενον υπο των κυματων ην γαρ εναντιος ο ανεμος |
25. | And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea. | Quarta enim vigilia noctis, venit ad eos ambulans super mare. | τεταρτη δε φυλακη της νυκτος απηλθεν προς αυτους ο ιησους περιπατων επι της θαλασσης |
26. | And they seeing him walk upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear. | Et videntes eum super mare ambulantem, turbati sunt, dicentes : Quia phantasma est. Et præ timore clamaverunt. | και ιδοντες αυτον οι μαθηται επι την θαλασσαν περιπατουντα εταραχθησαν λεγοντες οτι φαντασμα εστιν και απο του φοβου εκραξαν |
27. | And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not. | Statimque Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Habete fiduciam : ego sum, nolite timere. | ευθεως δε ελαλησεν αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων θαρσειτε εγω ειμι μη φοβεισθε |
28. | And Peter making answer, said: Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters. | Respondens autem Petrus, dixit : Domine, si tu es, jube me ad te venire super aquas. | αποκριθεις δε αυτω ο πετρος ειπεν κυριε ει συ ει κελευσον με προς σε ελθειν επι τα υδατα |
29. | And he said: Come. And Peter going down out of the boat, walked upon the water to come to Jesus. | At ipse ait : Veni. Et descendens Petrus de navicula, ambulabat super aquam ut veniret ad Jesum. | ο δε ειπεν ελθε και καταβας απο του πλοιου ο πετρος περιεπατησεν επι τα υδατα ελθειν προς τον ιησουν |
30. | But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me. | Videns vero ventum validum, timuit : et cum cpisset mergi, clamavit dicens : Domine, salvum me fac. | βλεπων δε τον ανεμον ισχυρον εφοβηθη και αρξαμενος καταποντιζεσθαι εκραξεν λεγων κυριε σωσον με |
31. | And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? | Et continuo Jesus extendens manum, apprehendit eum : et ait illi : Modicæ fidei, quare dubitasti ? | ευθεως δε ο ιησους εκτεινας την χειρα επελαβετο αυτου και λεγει αυτω ολιγοπιστε εις τι εδιστασας |
32. | And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. | Et cum ascendissent in naviculam, cessavit ventus. | και εμβαντων αυτων εις το πλοιον εκοπασεν ο ανεμος |
33. | And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God. | Qui autem in navicula erant, venerunt, et adoraverunt eum, dicentes : Vere Filius Dei es. | οι δε εν τω πλοιω ελθοντες προσεκυνησαν αυτω λεγοντες αληθως θεου υιος ει |
The Cathedral is built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated by revolutionaries.
Two men died for the faith after harsh treatment and exhaustion in the mines of Sardinia. One had been pope for five years, the other an antipope for 18. They died reconciled.
Pontian. Pontian was a Roman who served as pope from 230 to 235. During his reign he held a synod in Alexandria which confirmed the excommunication of the great theologian Origen. Pontian was banished to exile by the Roman emperor in 235, and resigned so that a successor could be elected in Rome. He was sent to the unhealthy island of Sardinia, where he died that same year of harsh treatment. With him was Hippolytus with whom he was reconciled. The bodies of both were brought back to Rome and buried as martyrs with solemn rites.
Hippolytus. As a priest in Rome, Hippolytus–the name means a horse turned loose–was at first holier than the Church. He censured the pope for not coming down hard enough on a certain heresycalling him a tool in the hands of one Callistus, a deaconand coming close to advocating the opposite heresy himself. When Callistus was elected pope, Hippolytus accused him of being too lenient with penitents, and had himself elected antipope by a group of followers. He felt that the Church must be composed of pure souls uncompromisingly separated from the world: Hippolytus evidently thought that his group fitted the description. He remained in schism through the reigns of three popes. In 235, he also was banished to the island of Sardinia. Shortly before or after this event, he was reconciled to the Church, and died in exile with Pope Pontian.
Hippolytus was a rigorist, a vehement and intransigent man for whom even orthodox doctrine and practice were not purified enough. He is, nevertheless, the most important theologian and prolific religious writer before the age of Constantine. His writings are the fullest source of our knowledge of the Roman liturgy and the structure of the Church in the second and third centuries. His works include many Scripture commentaries, polemics against heresies, and a history of the world. A marble statue dating from the third century, representing the saint sitting in a chair, was found in 1551. On one side is inscribed his table for computing the date of Easter; on the other, a list of how the system works out until the year 224. Pope John XXIII installed the statue in the Vatican library.
Hippolytus was a strong defender of orthodoxy, and admitted his excesses by his humble reconciliation. He was not a formal heretic, but an overzealous disciplinarian. What he could not learn in his prime as a reformer and purist, he learned in the pain and desolation of imprisonment. It was a fitting symbolic event that Pope Pontian shared his martyrdom.
Feast Day: August 13
Feast Day: August 13
Died: 236, Sardinia
Patron of: horses; prison guards; prison officers; prison workers
Feast Day: August 13
Born: 13 March 1599 at Driest, Brabant, Belgium
Died: 12 August 1621 at Rome, Italy
Canonized: 1888 by Pope Leo XIII
Major Shrine: Sant'Ignazio
Patron of: altar boys, Oblate novices, young people
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Sunday, August 13
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church honors St.
John Berchmans. St. John was a
Jesuit priest known for his
holiness and sought out as a
confessor. He died in 1621 when
only 22 years old, and has
become the patron saint of altar
servers.
Our priest gave the most beautiful homily on this gospel today. It brought back memories of Pope John Paul’s funeral Mass where a priest sang this gospel. It was so emotional I had to buy the DVD of his funeral so I could hear it again. It’s burned in my memory the touching and most beautiful way this priest sang “Peter do you love Me?”
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
O you of little faith. (Matthew 14:31)
Have you ever seen a toddler take a few wobbly steps and then tumble to the ground? You would probably be shocked if you saw his mother or father angrily rebuke him for falling. Thats not what parents do. They bend down with a smile to lift the child up, embrace him, and encourage him to try again.
Thats a great way to understand Jesus words to his disciples in todays Gospel. He loves them. He loves Peters bold attempt to walk toward him on the waves. He knows that Peter is taking an important step toward a confident mature faith. He also knows that Peters flop into the water wont be the end of the story. Far from being a failure or a disaster, it will become a milestone on his journey of discipleship. Yes, Peter had little faith, but he did have faith!
Jesus looks at us with love when he sees our attempts to follow him. He applauds our successes, and he reaches out to help us when we fail. He is quick to come to our aid if we take a misstep or start to doubt. He knows that each step reflects our growth toward maturity.
Try something new today, just as Peter did. You probably wont want to step out onto your nearest body of water, but there are plenty of other things you can do. Just choose one. Think about something that might have arisen in your thoughts recently. Perhaps you would like to help the less fortunate; try it. You could set up one time to volunteer to serve meals to the homeless. You dont need to have the perfect words to say to the people youll meet. Just take that first step. Jesus will be with you, ready to lift you up if you stumble.
You may be surprised to find that trying something new strengthens your little faith and brings you closer to Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, that you look at me with love. Make me bold to try to follow you in a new way today. I believe that you will be with me.
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
Psalm 85:9-14
Romans 9:1-5
Daily Marriage Tip for August 13, 2017:
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Do you have doubts or concerns about your marriage? Have faith in Christ that it can be restored. Consider enhancing or healing your marriage by checking out some of the resources on our page. Even if your marriage is going well, consider going on a retreat [
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Pastor’s Column
19th Sunday Ordinary Time
August 13, 2017
Jesus dismissed the crowds, sent the disciples away in a boat, and headed for the hills for some solitude and prayer with God (Matthew 14:22–23). Meanwhile, the disciples were out in the middle of the water, battling a terrible storm on the sea of Galilee. No doubt Jesus was aware of the struggles of his followers. The disciples must have wondered about it too – after all, hadn't he sent them out in the midst of the storm? Wasn't Jesus praying up in the hills, where he could look out over the water and see the struggle actually taking place? Jesus watches – but, for now, does nothing.
When Jesus finally does come to the rescue, it is at the fourth watch of the night: that is, right before dawn. In other words, Jesus prayed all night and left the disciples to struggle until he completely finished praying. Jesus thus teaches us the importance of solitude and prayer in our own lives. All our major decisions should be preceded by at least a moment of prayer.
It is "night" for the disciples – a time of struggle, when God appears to be absent. Like the disciples’ night on the choppy seas, our lives can be full of storms and struggles; and what is more, it can seem as if this is the way God wants it to be. Jesus allows the disciples, both then and now, to do battle on earth with trials of all kinds because somehow they are necessary for growth, our faith and our trust in our future. We don't see this now, but we will understand later. Like this gospel, Jesus may not show up until the last minute, but he is still always with us, and will help us. But we must wait.
When Jesus finally does arrive, Peter and the others are terrified by this ghostly apparition coming to them on the waters. Peter says, "If it is really you Jesus, let me come to you on the waters.” Peter steps out of the boat in faith, thus becoming the only man besides Jesus in Scripture to ever walk on water. Yet, soon Peter begins to sink. Amazingly, Peter is not afraid of the waves, but of the wind. Like Peter, sometimes it's the little things that get us in trouble.
Why did Peter sink? Because he took his eyes off Jesus. Peter could do the impossible, even walk on water, as long as he kept his eyes, his focus on Jesus. In our own pilgrimage of life, our goal is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in the storms of life. We can get in trouble when our spiritual eyes are focused on ourselves only, or on only satisfying our material desires, or on our fear. Daily prayer helps us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Even when the storms of life are upon us, and our Lord seems to delay in coming, we will not sink; we have not lost sight of our Savior, coming to us across the stormy waters of our hearts, even now.
Father Gary
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