Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (August 13, 2017): The Journey of Life.

Thứ Bảy, 12-08-2017 | 15:01:21

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 14:22-33)

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.”


Good News Reflection:

Introductory Prayer:Lord, I come before you this day like Peter. I believe in you. Strengthen and prepare me to be a better instrument of your grace. 

Petition:Father, strengthen my faith so that I may never doubt your will.

1.The Journey of Life.Each day Christ sends us forth into the world. Our faith in Christ helps us see the events of each day as part of the great journey of salvation. This journey will be filled with arduous (cheo leo, khoù khaên) mountains to climb and rough seas to sail. A person with faith does not fear the journey because his eyes of faith enlighten the path he must walk and discover hidden treasures in the difficulties the world only seeks to flee. “You must try to form the habit of looking at everything in your lives with eyes of faith. See everything as coming from the loving hand of God. What we like and what consoles us, as well as what injures and hurts us because he knows how to do everything for our good” (Fr Marcial Maciel, LC, Envoy I, #33, February 1, 1963).

2.Food for the Journey.Christ always feeds us before sending us on the journey. Often we experience having been “fed” through prayer or a good confession; we see Christ’s miracles in our apostolic work. In today’s Gospel Christ feeds the disciples’ faith through the miraculous feeding of the crowds. It is up to us whether we allow our experience of Christ and his action to sustain us through the turbulent waters of life. Will I believe and allow Christ to use me to perform greater miracles? “If you only saw what great interior serenity you feel when you battle through life with your eyes set on God, acting in accord with that faith! May faith give meaning to your existence and provide you with the strength necessary to overcome the obstacles, difficulties and adversities of your everyday work” (Idem).

3.Purpose-Driven Journey.For a disciple of Christ, life has a purpose. When we have a bad day we mustn’t aimlessly walk through life wondering if God loves us or not. No! We know that the Passion comes before the Resurrection. Just as Christ endured his passion out of love, so we are called to endure ours with the same love. Christ’s resurrection is the source of hope that helps us through the difficult moments. In today’s Gospel Christ’s walking on the water is a sign that he will never abandon us, yet he does have expectations. He expects us to believe in him despite the turbulent waters around us. He expects us to follow the same path we one day freely chose to walk. This is our purpose, and this is our treasure: Follow me!

Dialogue with Christ:Christ, once again you have reminded me of how exciting my life is and can be. You challenge me daily to overcome my fears and begin anew on the journey you have laid out for me. I trust in you and love you. Count on me to climb all the mountains and sail all the seas I encounter so that your name may be known and loved by all.

Resolution:Today I will embrace all difficulties with eyes of faith, knowing that Christ will not abandon me.

Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC

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