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Homily stories

07 Aug 2011 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Have you ever tried to teach someone to swim? That was part of my job description when I was a camp counselor back in high school. Some of the kids took to the water like little otters, slipping and swooshing around and having a ball. Others sank like the sand-filled milk bottles we used as anchors for the camp rowboats. The difference in outcomes had little to do with athletic ability and almost everything to do with fear--or lack of it. The ones who were not afraid swam like fish. The ones who were afraid of the water tended to splash and splutter wildly and sink, sink, sink--which of course did nothing to allay their fear of the water. Saint Peter demonstrates this principle quite effectively in today's gospel. Impetuous as always, when Peter sees the astounding sight of Jesus walking toward his boat in the middle of the night, he rushes out to meet him. But quickly he begins to realize what he has just done. Like a cartoon character that ran too far off a short pier, he starts to sink. Luckily for him, Jesus is standing nearby and stretches out his hand, catches him up, and brings him to safety. As you navigate your way through the stormy waters of life, does fear give you a sinking feeling? Learn from Saint Peter. Know that Jesus is always nearby, ready to stretch out a hand and catch you up and bring you to safety. All it takes is a little faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

Peter Faith walking on water

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Homily stories

07 Aug 2011 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

We all have someone in our lives whom we think walks on water because of something he or she did for us or a loved one: the teacher who finally got through; the doctor who saved a life; the cop who came to the rescue; the counselor who helped turn things around; the friend who lent a helping hand; the lawyer who restored a good name; the neighbor with a generous spirit; the foe with a forgiving heart. One thing all of these water walkers have in common is the ability to bring order to a chaotic situation. The seas of our minds and hearts are roiling; we reach out; allow ourselves to trust; and are offered a sign of peace. Being dazed and confused, frightened and in pain is not how Jesus wants us to live. Think of the words of Jesus we repeat each time we gather at Eucharist: "My peace I leave you; my peace I give to you." Remember Christ's peace is yours for the taking. That is the miracle of Christian living. Problems and challenges don't disappear but our fear of them does. Instead of Peter's panic, "Lord, save me!"; our response can be modeled after Peter's faith, "Lord, command me to come to you." We can remain calm even in the midst of chaos. We can, in fact, walk on water. Believe that, and you will have plenty of peace to offer others.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

Peter walking on water chaos remain calm

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Exploring the word

13 Aug 2017 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

We find Jesus again where we encountered him last week—up a mountain, communing with God. This time he goes alone, sending his friends along ahead to the opposite shore. And, as usual, no sooner are his followers out on their own before they’re into trouble. Maybe this is why Jesus decides to remain with his church always, “yes, until the end of time!” Disciples don’t do so well when out of his company. The particular trouble they engage this week is what might be described as the waves of adversity. Biblical water is generally a shout-out to the original waters of chaos. The spirit of God moves over these waters in Genesis, and out of chaos, order emerges. Sin puts the potential for chaos back into the scenario of history, however. Far from shore on the waters of chaos, we can all find ourselves in real danger. Just as God moves over the original chaos to calm it, Jesus strolls across it to demonstrate his mastery. Imagine Jesus doing the same in whatever adverse situation in which you find yourself. Jesus, walking toward you when your child seems addicted to chaos. Jesus, headed your way across financial choppy waters. Jesus, marching resolutely through the waves of self-doubt, indecision, shame, or rage that threaten to drown you in your most important relationships. Jesus, seeking you out across the sea of loneliness, sickness, pain, or hopelessness. What are we to do as Jesus crosses an ocean of regrets to find and rescue us? Let’s use the disciples as negative examples. They see Jesus coming and are terrified. Seriously: Of all the things in this world to fear, the arrival of Jesus isn’t one of them! In the story, his friends next dismiss him as a ghost; it can’t really be Jesus, because no one can walk on water. If we understand anything from the gospels at all, it’s that Jesus can do a lot of things that are normally impossible. Peter then challenges Jesus to prove his identity by summoning Peter across the waters. This is called elsewhere “putting your Lord to the test”: Not a good idea. Jesus is up the challenge. Peter isn’t. Yikes. All of which leads to the repeated punch line of Matthew’s gospel: O you of little faith. Jesus says this five times, each in reference to the biggest obstacle disciples face in following him: our doubt. Doubt isn’t about not believing in the existence of God, or the divinity of Jesus, or the holiness of the church—the things we normally associate with a lack of faith. Doubt means not trusting in the relationship we have with Jesus. The waves are steep. Jesus is walking your way. Trust him! Related scripture links Christians as sojourners: 1 Pet. 2:11 God passing by: Gen. 3:8; Exod. 33:19, 22, 34:6 Walking on water as a divine action: Job 9:8, 38:16 Divine victory over the forces of the sea: Ps. 77:17-20; Isa. 43:16; Sir. 24:5-6; Mark 4:35-41;Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25 I am he: Exod. 3:14; Deut. 32:39; Isa. 41:4, 43:10 Other walking on water stories: Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21 Catechism links Jesus and the storm: CCC 448; 2602 Salvation: CCC 55; 122-133; 161; 169

Authors Alice Camille

chaos adversity walking on water o you of little faith Doubt Trust

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Homily stories

13 Aug 2017 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Waterskiing is probably the closest anyone but Jesus is ever going to come to walking on water. That’s what crossed my mind the first time I tried it because it seemed nearly as difficult, and as thrilling. After several hilarious attempts to get up on the skis, I finally managed for a few amazing seconds to skim the top of the water. But with shaky arms, quivering knees, and poor balance, it didn’t last long, and I tumbled spectacularly into the drink. I kept trying, but the more frustrated I became, the more I floundered. My Uncle Mike tried his patient best to show me how. Nobody’s as good at it as he is. He doesn’t even get wet. He takes off by standing on the dock with his foot in one ski hanging over the edge, signaling to the driver to hit the gas, and then effortlessly popping on top of the water and turning back and forth in the wake like a figure skater. When he’s finished, he just lets go of the rope and glides up to shore. “How do you do it?” I’d ask him. Being the folksy, modest guy he is, he’d shrug and say, “You just gotta believe you can.”

Authors Jennifer Tomshack

walking on water waterskiing belief Trust

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In other words

13 Aug 2017 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!” (from Matthew 14). From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

walking on water Doubt Trust

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In other words

09 Aug 2020 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!” (from Matthew 14). From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

walking on water

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Exploring the word

09 Aug 2020 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

"Our God is a walking God,” in the words of a spiritual. Where does such an idea come from? On one level, it obviously means just what it says: God is on the move. We don’t believe in a static Deity who rested on the seventh day and hasn’t budged since. God is in motion, and the people of God are therefore pilgrims and sojourners on the road to a better day. But the image of a “walking God” is also biblical. God strolled in the garden in the cool of the evening, we are told, as the first man and woman hid guiltily among the trees. And when Moses, after years of intimate conversation with God, asked to see divinity up close, God’s “beauty” passed him by. Once more, the glory of God passed before Moses as he received the replacement tablets of the Law. Ever after, theophanies have been depicted as God crossings: encounters with the One who lives and has being—and moves. Walking, yes—but on water? It is not surprising to the biblically literate person that God walks. Nor should it amaze us that God might choose to take a stroll across the less-than-solid surface of the sea. Job first noted in his reply to Bildad that God alone “treads upon the crests of the sea.” Later, when God addresses Job in the great final audience, God borrows the image to confront his faithful servant: “Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss?” The image is far from random, as scripture elsewhere makes clear. Walking on water is not an activity that merely points out how special God is. Any miracle might make that case. But the abyss was a singular place of terror for ancient peoples, home to sea monsters like Leviathan, the great dark force that symbolized original chaos. The God of Genesis won a great victory over chaos in the ordering of creation. The Creator forced limits upon the sea by setting the firmament and causing the emergence of dry land. In the tension between ungoverned chaos and divine order, there is no contest. God and order take charge primordially. If chaos represents the disobedient heart bent on wild and unreasonable ways, then dominion over the sea means that God’s will is stronger than the very source of evil. God’s victory lap on the waves is a way of demonstrating who is sovereign. Christians should instantly recognize the signature of theophany in Jesus’ otherwise inscrutable walk across the Galilee. Over troubled waters No one ever mistook the original disciples for Christians, needless to say. Do they immediately recall the scriptures that will enable them to unpack this revelation as Jesus comes to them across the water? Unfortunately, no; their best guess is that they are seeing a ghost. Jesus offers them the biggest hint possible when he calls out, “Take courage, it is I.” Any half-awake student of the Bible might know that “It is I” and “I am he” are iterations of the unique address that God claims for all eternity: “I AM.” Sadly, the disciples are not even half awake. In the three gospels that tell this story (Luke doesn’t), the curious supernatural event takes place directly after the feeding of the 5,000, when one might presume the followers would be more alert to divine possibilities. Instead they depart the scene by boat, leaving Jesus to dismiss the crowds himself and then to enjoy a lone session of prayer. The disciples find themselves in troubled waters as a storm predictably arises in the absence of their Lord. Mark tells the story with theophany in mind. When Jesus comes walking on the waves, he intends “to pass them by”—not to ignore the disciples, certainly, but to “pass by” in the way divine glory traditionally does, after humanity gets a good look. Unlike Old Testament times, however, Jesus is persuaded not to go beyond the terrified group and gets into their boat instead. Chaos is immediately dispelled. Humanity is no longer left to fend for itself when the divine shares the same boat with us. Matthew enlarges the story to give a significant role to Peter, as is Matthew’s practice. In typical fashion, Peter first gets it right in his willingness to take a faith walk—and then gets it wrong as his faith proves to be too shallow for the task. This shift in perspective takes the emphasis off the theophany and puts it on the character of Peter, who represents the church. We have what we need so long as we stay focused on the Lord. We run into trouble when we focus on our fear. John’s version subtracts Peter from the story but alters the message by having the boat arrive instantaneously on the shore without Jesus getting into it. This addition shifts the focus away from Jesus and the disciples and toward the biblical image of Passover: the miraculous deliverance to dry land on the other side of the sea. Applying the word “It is I” It is I, Jesus insists in all three versions of this intriguing story. Whether you focus the story on theophany, discipleship, or Passover deliverance, the common element is the revelation of who Jesus really is. He is the one whom the wind and the seas must obey, the master over chaos. When we find ourselves on troubled waters, we can take courage: the Lord is near, even sharing the humble boat of our humanity. If we had the chutzpah of Peter, we might scramble into the water ourselves and start walking. Those among us who have are known as saints. But we know it takes only a mustard seed of faith to do what Peter did. When the Lord says, “Come,” any one of us might step out of the boat and face down the elements of chaos. The One who first subdued the wild abyss will not allow us to sink now. Related scripture links Christians as sojourners: 1 Pet. 2:11 God passing by: Gen. 3:8; Exod. 33:19, 22, 34:6 Walking on water as a divine action: Job 9:8, 38:16 Divine victory over the forces of the sea: Ps. 77:17-20; Isa. 43:16; Sir. 24:5-6; Mark 4:35-41; Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25 I am he: Exod. 3:14; Deut. 32:39; Isa. 41:4, 43:10 Other walking on water stories: Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21

Authors Alice Camille

walking god walking on water Saint Peter

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Homily stories

09 Aug 2020 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Have you ever tried to teach someone to swim? That was part of my job description when I was a camp counselor back in high school. Some of the kids took to the water like little otters, slipping and swooshing around and having a ball. Others sank like the sand-filled milk bottles we used as anchors for the camp rowboats. The difference in outcomes had little to do with athletic ability and almost everything to do with fear—or lack of it. The ones who were not afraid swam like fish. The ones who were afraid of the water tended to splash and splutter wildly and sink, sink, sink—which of course did nothing to allay their fear of the water. Saint Peter demonstrates this principle quite effectively in today’s gospel. Impetuous as always, when Peter sees the astounding sight of Jesus walking toward his boat in the middle of the night, he rushes out to meet him. But quickly he begins to realize what he has just done. Like a cartoon character that ran too far off a short pier, he starts to sink. Luckily for him, Jesus is standing nearby and stretches out his hand, catches him up, and brings him to safety. As you navigate your way through the stormy waters of life, does fear give you a sinking feeling? Learn from Saint Peter. Know that Jesus is always nearby, ready to stretch out a hand and catch you up and bring you to safety. All it takes is a little faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

fears walking on water Saint Peter Faith

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Homily stories

09 Aug 2020 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

We all have someone in our lives whom we think walks on water because of something he or she did for us or a loved one: the teacher who finally got through; the doctor who saved a life; the cop who came to the rescue; the counselor who helped turn things around; the friend who lent a helping hand; the lawyer who restored a good name; the neighbor with a generous spirit; the foe with a forgiving heart. One thing all of these water walkers have in common is the ability to bring order to a chaotic situation. The seas of our minds and hearts are roiling; we reach out; allow ourselves to trust; and are offered a sign of peace. Being dazed and confused, frightened and in pain is not how Jesus wants us to live. Think of the words of Jesus we repeat each time we gather at Eucharist: “My peace I leave you; my peace I give to you.” Remember Christ’s peace is yours for the taking. That is the miracle of Christian living. Problems and challenges don’t disappear but our fear of them does. Instead of Peter’s panic, “Lord, save me!”; our response can be modeled after Peter’s faith, “Lord, command me to come to you.” We can remain calm even in the midst of chaos. We can, in fact, walk on water. Believe that, and you will have plenty of peace to offer others.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

walking on water christ's peace fears Saint Peter chaos

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