August 9, 2026
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 115
Reading 1
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
“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.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us
your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
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.
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.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
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 Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
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.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080926.cfm
Commentary on 1
Kings 19:9, 11-13; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33
Today in the Gospel, we have a continuation of last week’s
story about the feeding of thousands of people by Jesus in the desert.
Immediately after the event, we are told that Jesus:
…made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to
the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
Was there reluctance on their part to go? Certainly there is
the implication that the disciples were not too willing to leave the scene.
They were enjoying the reflected glory of being part of Jesus’ ‘miracle’ and
the enthusiasm of the crowds for Jesus, ‘their’ Jesus. They were basking in the
reputation of being partners with Jesus. Yet, it won’t be very long before they
will be hiding, even denying under oath, ever having had connection with him.
Jesus himself, after having dismissed the crowds:
…went up the mountain by himself to pray.
In John’s version of this story he tells us that the people,
after being fed by Jesus, actually wanted to make him their king. They, like
the disciples, have totally missed the meaning of what has happened.
Here indeed was a real source of temptation. Jesus could
easily have convinced himself that here was a golden opportunity to get control
of the crowds and ‘save’ them. They were so ready to follow him—it seemed. The
world was at his feet. There is an echo here of one of the temptations in the
desert after his baptism:
…the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” (Matt
4:8-9)
Instead, Jesus flees to the shelter of the mountains, not to
have a panorama of the world’s kingdoms, but to pray to his Father and renew
his purity of heart and his commitment to the Father’s way. His power will be
exerted through love and service and not through domination, control and
popular appeal. Jesus’ work is not to be seen in terms of crowd-pleasing
miracles or supernatural powers. It is primarily for him—as it is for us—in the
quality of his relationships with God, with people and with his mission. Jesus’
mission—and ours—gets its significance in a life of service, sharing and
community building, in the ‘Kingdom-ising’ of our environment. It does not
consist in having power over others or in becoming an idol of the crowds.
Having a hard time
The story now switches back to the disciples. They are far out on the
lake by now, battling with a heavy sea and fighting a strong headwind. It is
quite clear that here we are seeing a parable of the Church itself, represented
by the disciples in their fragile boat surrounded by hostile winds and waves.
It was the common experience of the Church during its first centuries and, in
many parts of the world today, continues to be the case. IIt was a situation
that created, then as now, much fear and anxiety.
Then, all of a sudden, they see Jesus approaching them
walking on the lake. Far from feeling reassured, they become even more
terrified, thinking him a ghost. It is a measure of their superstitious natures
and, as such, a measure of the long way they have to go in exorcising such
superstitions and replacing them with a genuine faith in God. One still meets a
great deal of such irrational fears in people, including Christians, today. For
instance, how many of us here would be comfortable walking alone through a
large empty cemetery on a dark, moonless night? Even though it would probably
be a lot safer than walking down one of our city streets at such a time!
No need to fear
Then out of wind and wave and terror comes a comforting voice:
Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.
The disciples need courage whose source is their confidence
and trust in the protection of their Lord. Through the words “It is I”
(literally, ‘I AM’, in Greek, ego eimi), Jesus identifies himself
with the saving power of God himself. They are the words spoken to Moses from
the burning bush. As such, there is no need for fear or anxiety in spite of the
apparently threatening dangers around them.
Characteristically, Peter is the first to respond. He is the
impulsive one, but he is also the group’s leader:
Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the
water.
“Come”, says Jesus, inviting him to leave the shelter of his
boat and go to where the wind and waves are. Peter starts to make his way to
the Lord, who is in the wind and the waves, but his fear is too much and he
begins to sink. Peter cries:
Lord, save me!
This cry has been echoed by Christians all down the ages who
have felt that the world was ready to crush them.
There is something for us to reflect on here: Jesus is not
in the boat; he is in that hostile environment into which we often fear to
enter and instead huddle in the security of our church. I think it is
significant that Jesus is found outside the boat in the middle of the stormy
sea, i.e. the world. And we have to go out there to meet him in spite of the
dangers and possible setbacks. Too often we Christians spend much, if not all,
of our time in the shelter of the boat, taking care of ourselves and neglecting
those in the stormy sea who need to hear the words of life:
You of little faith, why did you doubt?
How often has Jesus had to say those words to each one of
us?
Peace
Jesus and Peter now step into the boat and the wind drops. There is
peace and calm. In Mark’s version of this story, the disciples are simply
amazed at the sudden change, but do not draw the obvious conclusion. In
Matthew’s version, however, they understand and believe. They even anticipate
Peter’s later confession (in chap 16), saying:
Truly, you are the Son of God.
The conclusion, then, is that Jesus can also be found in the
boat, but only when we also are ready to leave the shelter of the boat to find
him in the ‘world’, that place which is at least indifferent and at its worst
very hostile to the Christian vision.
Our own situation
All in all, today’s Gospel reflects problems in the early Church,
problems which are not unknown to us today. From the inside there were always
problems of unity, conflicting opinions, theologies and spiritualities. From
the outside, there were persecutions and misunderstandings from both the Jews
and the secular powers.
Paul, in the Second Reading, reflects what must have been
something very painful to many Jews who had become followers of Christ, namely,
the division and hostility of their fellow-Jews who had not converted. Even
today, this relationship still causes pain.
Matthew also here features the special role of Peter,
something he constantly stresses. Peter is the leader and so he is the one who
steps out of the boat to go and meet Jesus in the midst of the storm. This
surely is an image of the Church’s apostolic mission to reach out to find and
make Christ present in the world, however hostile it may be. It is not the role
of the Church to stay cowering in the shelter of their boat. One remembers the
disciples after the death of Jesus hiding behind the locked doors. Pentecost
soon changed all that and literally blew them out on a mission that would bring
them and their successors to the remotest parts of the earth.
Of course, there are dangers in the world. And the Church,
like Peter, is weak and vulnerable. But the Lord is there wherever we go and he
will not allow his Church to sink beneath the waves. It has looked very often
as if it might happen, but each time the Christian community has risen from the
ashes stronger than before.
Jesus our peace
One important lesson of today’s readings is that, in our turbulent world
(and much of the turbulence is in our own hearts), Jesus is the source of
peace. Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…Do not let
your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)
These words were spoken just before Jesus was to be
arrested, tried and executed by his enemies. The ‘world’ cannot provide peace
in such a situation, but Jesus can and does. It is for us to learn how to find
Jesus, who gives peace in the ups and downs and in the storms of our own lives.
It is put beautifully in today’s First Reading where Elijah
is told:
Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.
And the Lord himself does pass by. But he was not in the
wind “splitting mountains and breaking rocks”. He was not in the earthquake. He
was not in the fire. However, he was in the “sound of sheer silence”, i.e. a
gentle breeze, and Elijah knew that he was in the presence of the Lord. Jesus
touches our cheeks with his gentle breezes every day, but we are too concerned
about the buffeting winds, the earthquakes and the fires in our lives that
attract both our attention and our fears.
Today’s readings, then, are saying two things to us:
- There
is never any need for fear and anxiety, for Jesus is always close to us
and, no matter what may be happening in and around us, his peace is there
for us to share. A Buddhist saying captures it: “Why worry? If I worry, I
die. If I don’t worry, I die. Why worry?”
- We
have to reject the ambitions and dreams of the world and separate
ourselves from them (as when Jesus went into the mountains to pray) but,
at the same time, that world which both attracts and threatens is the
arena where we are to live out our mission to build the Kingdom of God. We
are called to be “not of the world”, i.e. a counter-witness to its ways,
but also to be “in the world”, as taste-giving salt and growth-giving
leaven. We are to lead people to that moment when they can fall to the
ground before Jesus present and active in their lives and say with full
recognition:
Truly, you are the Son of God.
Comments Off
https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/oa191/
Sunday,
August 9, 2026
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Come Holy Spirit, my life is going through a storm, the
egoistic winds impel me where I do not wish to go, I cannot resist their force.
I am weak and deprived of strength. You are the energy which gives life. You
are my comfort, my force and my cry of prayer. Come, Holy Spirit, reveal to me
the sense of the Scriptures, give me peace anew, serenity and the joy of
living.
Lectio
Key to the Gospel Reading - Matthew 14:
22-33
Jesus and his Disciples are on the
side of the lake, at night fall, after the multiplication of the loaves. Part
of the passage is also found in Mark (6: 45-52) and in John (6: 16-21). The
episode of Peter (vv. 28-32) is found only in Matthew. Some commentators hold
that it is a question of an apparition of Jesus after the Resurrection (Lk 24:
37). The difficulties of the Church and the need for a greater faith in the
Risen Jesus are thus foreshadowed. A
Possible Division of the Text:
•
Matthew 14: 22-23: related to the multiplication
of the loaves
•
Matthew 14: 24-27: Jesus walks on the sea • Matthew
14: 28-32: the episode of Peter
•
Matthew 14: 33: the profession of faith. Text:
22 And at once he made the
disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he sent the
crowds away. 23 After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by
himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 while the boat, by
now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for there was a
headwind. 25 In the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on
the sea, 26 and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were
terrified. 'It is a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But at once
Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.' 28 It
was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you
across the water.'
29 Jesus said, 'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat
and started walking towards Jesus across the water, 30 but then noticing the
wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!' 31 Jesus
put out his hand at once and held him. 'You have so little faith,' he said,
'why did you doubt?' 32 And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. 33 The
men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of
God.'
A Moment of Prayerful Silence
A desire to keep silence and to listen to God’s voice.
Some
Questions:
•
In moments of darkness and interior storms, how
do I react? How are the presence and absence of the Lord integrated in me? What
place does personal prayer and dialogue with God have in me?
•
What do we ask the Lord in a dark night? A
miracle, that he frees us from this? A greater faith? In which attitudes am I
similar to Peter?
Meditatio
Brief Commentary
•
22. And at
once he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side
while he sent the crowds away.
The multiplication of the loaves (14: 13-21) could have
generated in the disciples triumphant expectations concerning the Kingdom of
God. Therefore, Jesus orders them at once to get away. He ‘obliged’, usually a
verb of strong significance. The people acclaim Jesus as a Prophet (Jn 6:
14-15) and wish to make him a political ruler. The disciples are easily drawn
by this (Mk 6; 52; Mt 16: 5-12), there is the risk of allowing themselves to be
drawn by the enthusiasm of the people. The disciples have to abandon this
situation.
•
23. After
sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When
evening came he was there alone.
Jesus finds himself in front a situation in which the
Galilean crowd becomes enthusiastic because of the miracle and runs the risk of
not understanding His mission. In this very important moment, Jesus withdraws
alone in prayer, as in Gethsemane (Mt 26: 36-46).
•
24. While
the boat, by now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for
there was a headwind.
This verse where the boat is noticed, without Jesus, in
danger, can be close to verse 32 where the danger ceases when Jesus and Peter
get into the boat.
•
25. In the
fourth watch of the night he came towards
them, walking on the sea.
Jesus appears to his disciples in an extraordinary way. He
transcends the human limitations, he has authority on creation. He acts as God
alone can do it (Job 9: 8; 38: 16).
•
26. And
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a
ghost’, they said, and cried out in fear.
The disciples were struggling with
the contrary wind, they had lived a very impressing day and now a sleepless
night. At night (between three and six), in the middle of the sea, they were
really terrified in seeing one coming towards them. They did not think in the
possibility that it could be Jesus. Their vision is too human, and they believe
in ghosts (Lk 24: 37). The Risen Lord though, has overcome the force of chaos
represented by the waves of the sea.
•
27. But at
once Jesus called out to them, saying. ‘Courage! It is me! Do not be afraid!
•
The presence of Jesus drives away all fear (9:
2, 22). In saying “It is me” he evokes his identity (Es 3, 14) and manifests
the power of God (Mk 14: 62; Lk 24: 39; Jn 8: 58; 18: 5-6). Fear is overcome by
faith.
•
28. It was
Peter who answered: ‘Lord, he said, ‘If it is you, tell me to come to you
across the water’.
Peter seems to want still another confirmation of the
presence of Jesus. He asks for a sign
•
29. Jesus
said, ‘Come’. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus
across the water.
Nevertheless, Peter is ready to run the risk, getting out
of the boat and trying to walk on the agitated waves, in the midst of a strong
wind (v. 24). He faces the risk of believing in the Word: ‘Come.’
•
30. But
then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink: ‘Lord’, he cried,
‘save me!’
Perseverance is also necessary in the choice of faith. The
contrary forces (the wind) are so many, that there is the risk of sinking. The
prayer of petition saves him.
•
31. Jesus
put out his hand at once and held him. ‘You have so little faith, he said, ‘why
did you doubt?’
Peter is not left alone in his weakness. In the storms of
Christian life we are not alone. God does not abandon us even if apparently is
absent and does nothing.
•
32. And as
they got into the boat the wind dropped.
As soon as Jesus got in the boat the forces of evil cease.
The force of hell shall not prevail over it.
•
33. The
men in the boat bowed down before him and said: ¡Truly, you are the Son of God.’
Now comes that profession of faith which had been prepared
in the preceding episode of the multiplication of the loaves, purified by the
experience of getting away from the Bread of eternal life (Jn 6: 1-14). Now
Peter can also confirm his brothers in faith, after the trial.
To Go Deeper Into The Text: Jesus, Man of
Prayer
Jesus prays in solitude and at
night (Mt 14: 23; Mk 1: 35; Lk 5: 16), during the time of meals (Mt 14: 19; 15:
36; 26: 26-27). On the occasion of important events: for Baptism (Lk 3: 21),
before choosing the twelve (Lk 6: 12), before teaching how to pray (Lk 11: 1;
Mt 6: 5); before the confession of Caesarea (Lk 9: 18); in the Transfiguration
(Lk 9: 28-29), in Gethsemane (Mt 26: 36-44); on the Cross (Mt 27: 46; Lk 23: 46).
He prays for his executioners (Lk 23: 34); for Peter (Lk 22: 32), for his
disciples and for those who will follow him (Jn 17: 9-24). He also prays for
himself (Mt 26: 39; Jn 17: 1-5; Heb 5: 7). He teaches to pray (Mt 6: 5), He
manifests a permanent relationship with the Father (Mt 11: 25-27), sure that He
never leaves him alone (Jn 8: 29), and always hears him (Jn 11: 22, 42; Mt 26:
53). He has promised (Jn 14: 16) to continue to intercede in heaven (Rm 8: 34;
Heb 7: 25; I Jn
2: 1).
Oratio: Psalm 33
I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and
rejoice.
Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his
name together.
I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.
Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your
face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.
A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his
troubles.
The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and
rescues them.
Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
How blessed are those who take refuge in him.
Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for
nothing.
Contemplatio
Lord Jesus,
sometimes we are full of enthusiasm and forget that You are the source of our
joy: In the moments of sadness, we do not seek you or we want your miraculous
intervention. Now we know that you never abandon us, that we should not fear.
Prayer is also our force. Increase our faith, we are ready to risk our life for
your Kingdom.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét