Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Texts:
1Kgs. 19:9, 11-13
Rom. 9:1-5
Mt. 14:22-33

Welcome my brothers and sisters to our Eucharistic celebration. Today is the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Readings:

In the first reading, the author presented the journey of Elijah and his encounter with God. God appeared to Elijah in His prophetic word and gentle silence. The intervention of God had strengthened Elijah in his prophetic mission. The reading reminds us about the prophetic word and gentle presence of God in our lives. Our experience of God must empower us to witness the intervention of God in the world.

In the second reading, Paul pointed out that the baptized Christians became the adopted children of God in Jesus Christ. Paul also stressed that Jesus must be exalted as the Messiah of all people. The reading reminds us that we become adopted children of God through Christian baptism. Thus, we must resolve to live under the authority of God and to witness His life-giving presence among us.

In the gospel, Matthew presented Jesus as the Son of Man who is always ready to assist and to reveal His abiding presence in the church. Matthew also pointed out the faith of Peter as a reflection of the faith of the community. The faith and the doubting of Peter are reflections of the dilemma of believing and doubting on the presence of Jesus among disciples. The water and wind are symbols of sufferings, trials, doubts and fears in life. For Matthew, Jesus would never abandon the church even in the midst of crisis. Therefore, the church must remain steadfast of her faith in Jesus as the Son of God. He admonished the community to be strong in their faith in the loving presence and the intervention of God in their lives.

The Reflection:

The gospel reminds us to remain confident in the gentle presence and the saving help of God in all the circumstances of our Christian lives. We must believe that when the chaos of life comes, God will not abandon us. When we are overtaken with fear and discouragement, God will always assure us of His help. When we are in doubt and feel hopeless, God will reach out to us to save us and to strengthen us. The intimate assistance and the loving providence of God will be felt deeply by us because of our faith in Jesus as the Son of God. And so, we are challenged to make our steadfast faith in God to become the disposition of our hearts and the lifestyle of our services. Indeed, God is always with us in the good times and the crises of human life. We only need to stretch out our hands to Him in total surrender. What were the occasions that you felt the presence and the assistance of God in your life? How did these occasions teach you to trust in God? How do you witness a life-giving faith in God in the midst of social crisis today?

The Testimony:

When my mother got stroke and became bedridden, I felt pity for her because nobody among our siblings who could give full attention to take care of her. We have already our own lives and our works to do. We cannot also afford to pay a full time care-giver. My father was already old and was also in need of personal care. Our family crisis was great. I would have wanted to offer myself and to take care of my aged parents. Unfortunately, I was still assigned in our mission in Uganda during that time. The demands of the mission were great, and I must be there. This became part of my personal crisis. I discerned about this and brought it to my prayer. I started to have a dialogue with God before the Blessed Sacrament. During that time, I felt like a disciple in the boat being tossed and battered with strong winds as I tried to come to Jesus. I felt that I became like Peter who called up the Lord and asked for help. Despite of inner fear, I still felt the overwhelming presence of God. I managed to listen to the voice of God and understood His direction. I felt that God wanted me to just stay in the mission in steadfast faith and in full freedom, to leave the care of my parents to my other siblings and to allow Him to do the rest. I firmly believed that this was the intervention of God. I understood the will of God and decided to embrace it. When I told my parents about my decision, they agreed with it. They, themselves, told me that I have to go back to my mission because it was the will of God for me. I recognized that God and my parents were in one mind and one spirit during that time. And so, I went back again to my mission in Uganda. It was only my steadfast faith in God that enabled me to let go of everything and to trust firmly in the promises of God. My ardent faith in the intimate assistance and the gentle presence of God had helped me to overcome the crisis that I encountered in life. Truly, the Lord Jesus came to my rescue. From that time on, I learned to face the realities of human life with full faith and total freedom. And so, I am resolved to be possessed by the Word of God and by the Eucharist so that I may become a true witness of the loving presence and the saving help of God in the church.

Eucharist:

The Eucharist is a celebration of the abiding presence and the saving assistance of God in the church. In the Eucharist, we are reminded that God is always with us, helping us and teaching us to believe firmly in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Thus, to celebrate the Eucharist is to give testimony to the gentle presence and the providence of God in the church. To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to become witnesses of the loving providence and merciful help of God in the good and bad times of human life. To eat the body of Christ is to become tangible human realities of the divine interventions of God in all the circumstances of human life and the events of the world. Therefore, in this Eucharist, we pray that the Father in heaven may strengthen us in faith so that we may become bearers of His gracious assistance to all kinds of people, especially during the difficulties and crises of life. Yes, we pray that our Eucharistic celebration may become a joyful proclamation of our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

May God bless us.