Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
When was the last time you weren’t simply frightened but petrified? Being terror stricken can impact to the point of lifelong trauma. My father comes to mind. In World War II he was in Leghorn, Italy where he was buried under the rubble of a fallen wall (think of Bing Crosby in “White Christmas”). He was left for dead when a couple of the men disobeyed orders and went back to dig him out, finding out he was still alive. He was traumatized by this event (as well as other events in North Africa and Corsica) and suffered from lifelong PTSD.
Today’s Gospel is the story of Jesus walking on water and his invitation to Peter to do the same. After the miracle of the loaves, our Blessed Lord goes up a mountain to pray in solitude while his apostles fish on the Sea of Galilee. The sea turns turbulent (storms can break out on that body of water without a moment's notice, even to this day) even violent. For ancient Israelites, the sea itself was seen as an embodiment of death and the unknown abyss.
Jesus walks on water towards them, in which Peter asks to join him. As long as Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he defies human logic and walks on the stormy sea. But when his eyes shift to the tempest around him, he begins to sink.
This passage wonderfully mirrors the mayhem of life. When life’s storms overwhelm us, when a proverbial wall falls on us, we sink when we rely solely on ourselves and our own strengths. Ever merciful and compassionate Jesus reaches out, especially when we lack faith and start to sink. The boat also symbolizes the Church; no matter how violent the storms and dangers around us, calling out to Jesus to “save us” assures and comforts us.
Pope Francis commented on this Gospel: “Faith is not an escape route from life’s problems but rather it sustains us in the journey. This episode offers a wonderful image of the Church throughout the ages — a boat that, as she makes the crossing, must also weather contrary winds and storms which threatens to capsize her. What saves her are not the courage and qualities of her men, but the guarantee against ship wreck is faith in Christ and in his Word.”
God’s grace is available to lift us up when we falter. Human nature and weakness may find us petrified like Peter was but the hand of Christ is offered to lift us.
We can be certain that troubling days will come. And we can be certain that Christ is there. Like Peter, let us not be petrified but euphoric and gladdened in this certainty.
—Timothy J. Cronin