Commentary: 19 OT A

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A

I Kings 19: 9, 11-13

Psalm 85

Romans 9: 1-5

Matthew 14: 22-33



In the Scriptures read today, God is encountered after a mighty storm. In the First Reading, the prophet Elijah is commanded to stand at the entrance of a mountain cave to experience the Lord. He sees mighty wind, earthquake, fire—but does not experience God in any of these. Instead, he hears “a tiny whispering sound”—more poetically rendered in other translations as “a still, small voice.” He reverently covers his face and experiences the Lord. The Responsorial Psalm, following Elijah’s lead, sings, “I will hear what God proclaims; the Lord—for He proclaims peace. Near indeed is His salvation!” In the Gospel, the disciples have crossed the lake in a boat, only to be caught in a storm. In the midst of this storm, Jesus came “walking toward them on the lake.” They were terrified; when reassured by Jesus, Peter responds, “If it is really You, tell me to come to You across the water.” And Jesus said, “Come!” When Peter walked, he was suddenly afraid, and cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus caught him and said, “How little faith you have! Why did you falter?”



St. Augustine says about Peter, “Peter climbed out of the boat and began to walk on the water. This is what he could do through the power of the Lord; what of his own power? ‘He lost his nerve, and as he began to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ When he counted on the Lord’s help, it enabled him to walk on the water; when his human frailty made him falter, he turned immediately to the Lord, who stretched out His hand to help him…Catch this lesson! If you begin to sink, say, ‘Lord, save me!’ Only He who died for your sake in your fallen nature can save you from the death that is inherent in that fallen nature.” (Sermo 76)



The in-course reading from Romans continues with today’s Second Reading. Paul is wrestling with the problem of the ultimate salvation of the people of Israel. Here, Paul lists all the wonderful things that have come to the world through the Chosen People and their faithfulness to God’s covenant. In this post-Holocaust time, molded by the magisterial documents such as Nostra Aetate and by the USCCB document God’s Mercy Endures Forever, we know that the Church teaches that God has never abrogated the covenant which He made with the Chosen People. It is through Israel that we have received the Messiah. Therefore, we must be very aware of the enduring nature of that covenant when we discuss Judaism in our preaching or our teaching.



A rather dramatic choral piece based on today's Gospel, "In the Night Christ Came Walking," by Noble Cain, can be heard on the recording "Music for the Year of Matthew," sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop, published by The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (www.litpress.org)