19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: The Lord rewards those who believe in Him as the Bread of Life.
Theme: We believe in the Lord when we trust in Him and confidently proclaim His word.
Promise: “The Lord himself will give his benefit; our land shall yield its increase.” (Ps 85:12)
Reflection:
Scripture assures us that God rewards those who value the bread that offers eternal life. Through it, Jesus is preparing us for heaven’s ultimate and eternal banquet with God Himself. It is there where we will no longer hunger and thirst, and where all will come together to receive His reward.
Through the gospel of Matthew this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the ‘boat of Peter’ – the Church – sails through history, encountering many challenges and dangers. As the rock on which Jesus built his Church, Peter knows for certain that everything about the Church will be all right, because Jesus will always be there to calm the tempest and strengthen those who are weak in faith. In this passage, Peter began to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. The beauty of it is that the moment he failed, he called out to Jesus, just as he was quick to listen to the voice of Jesus when told him to “come.” Peter did not lose hope, but proceeded to walk towards Jesus.
As the Lord reached out and pulled him to safety, He rebuked him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:31). Jesus was not scolding Peter as much as He was reminding him that faith and trust in Him were all Peter needed to reach his goal. The same is true of us. Have we ever considered the fact that facing challenges and trials is the way to grow in faith? This is probably how we progress best in our walk with Christ. A need arises, there is no way we can fill the emptiness, solve the problem, or minimize the pain by ourselves. We struggle, we fight, and finally call out to the One who knows us fully and loves us unconditionally. Peter did the right thing – he saw Jesus and he got out of the boat. He wanted to trust the Savior, but wavered in his faith.
Consistency, endurance and watchfulness are needed for faith to increase. We must continue to stand firm in what we believe. When we do, God provides the strength for us to be witnesses and proclaimers of His word. Let us persevere in believing what the Lord says. Let us obey and endure, because we will certainly see the fulfillment of all His promises.
We may not walk on water, but we do walk through tough situations. If we focus on the waves of the difficult circumstances around us rather than on Christ, we too may despair and sink. To maintain faith in the midst of difficult situations, keep your eyes on Christ’s power rather than on your inadequacies. We may not succeed at first, or we may fall and fail, but our failures must not separate us from Jesus. We must cling to our community for support as we strive to persevere in trying to please God. Let us not hesitate to cry out to God, “Lord if it is really you, tell me to come to you.” (Mt. 14:28).
Today, we live amidst many fears. Challenges and intimidating circumstances surround us. Some are quite easy to handle, others demand great courage to surmount. When life gets stormy, that is the time to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the storm. When our cross becomes unbearable, that is the time to direct our mind and will to Jesus. As Christians, we are no different from the rest of the world who wake up to its worries in the morning and goes to bed at night with the same concerns. Let us plead, “Lord, save me,” (Mt:30). Jesus’ presence becomes visible to us when fear is greatest, when the situation is at its worst. He comes with encouraging words and a helping hand because He is aware of our distress and struggle. Just as Jesus rescued His disciples and brought them to safety, He will surely come to save us.
The unexpected ways God often does may startle us or even frighten us. He works in mysterious ways that we may not always understand. That is why, He tells us, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:27). In every turbulence and storm of life, Jesus is there for us – watching us, walking towards us and working miracles for us. Such is the amazing image conveyed by our promise this week: “The Lord Himself will give His benefits, our land shall yield its increase,” (Ps 85:12).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, let your love touch our hearts and give us courage to confront the problems in ourselves and in our relationships. Guide us as we cross through troubled waters and howling winds – that we may walk towards you, and never away from You. Guide our spiritual journey through this community. May we never be judgmental of others, but rather, patient and compassionate especially towards those of little faith. Help us to reach out and touch them with the love of Jesus. We know that you will always do the impossible for us, so that we too, can rise above our fears and insecurities, and experience the triumph of faith. We pray this in the mighty name of Your most Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our shelter in the storm, our refuge and our strength. Amen.
Reflection Question:
1. Is there anything that Jesus cannot and will not do for us? What can I resolve to do to continue my work, and my walk towards Jesus?
2. In what ways can I encourage and bring others to Jesus, to walk with Him in the light?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
August 10, 2014 (Sun) 1Kgs 19:11-13/Ps 85:9,10,11-12,13-14/Rom 9:1-5/Mt 14:22-23
August 11, 2014 (Mon) Ez 1:2-5,24-28/Ps 148:1-2,00-12,12-14,14/Mt 17:22-27
August 12, 2014 (Tues) Ez 2:8-3:4/Ps 119:14,24,72,103,111,131/Mt 18:1-5,.10,12-14
August 13, 2014 (Wed) Ez 9:1-7,10:18-22/Ps 113:1-2,3-4.5-6/Mt 18:15-20
August 14, 2014 (Thurs) Ez 12:1-2/Ps 78:56-57,58-59,61-62/Mt 18:21-19:1
August 15, 2014 (Fri) Rv 11:19,12:1-6,10/Ps 45:10,11,12,16/1Cor 15:20-27/lk 1:39-56
August 16, 2014 (Sat) Ez 18:1-10,13,30-32/Ps 51:12-13,14-15,18-19/Mt 19:13-15
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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