Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings

“Take Courage, It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid”

This Sunday, our readings describe for us two theophanies, or manifestations, of God. God is in the “tiny whispering sound” in our first reading. He also appears to the apostles walking on the water as He calms the raging sea.

Our first reading (1 Kings 19:9,11-13)is the story of Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb, which began as a flight from the evil queen Jezebel. The prophet made his solitary way to Mount Horeb where the Lord had once appeared to Moses and the Israelites. Elijah was told to “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” God appeared to Elijah, but not in the wind, or earthquake, or the fire as He did with Moses. God appeared in the “tiny whispering sound”.

In our Epistle reading (Romans 9:1-5), St. Paul shares his anguish over many of his brethren who had rejected Jesus. The Israelites were God’s chosen people. The final and greatest gift to these chosen people was the Messiah, one of their own flesh. As Paul wrote, “I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people…”

Our Gospel reading (Matthew 14:22-33)is the account of Jesus walking on the raging sea, immediately following the miracle of feeding the five thousand. It is a clear manifestation of Jesus’ divinity and He is recognized as such by the apostles in the boat as they proclaim, “truly, you are the Son of God.” An additional level is Peter’s exuberance as he walked on the water to Jesus—until he was overcome by his doubt and fear.

He took his eyes off Jesus and paid more mind to the raging storm around him. That’s when he began to sink, but a simple call to his Master—”Jesus save me” was all it took to be rescued. We are reminded that God can come to us as a “tiny whispering sound” or in the midst of the raging storm around us, saying “take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” We look for God in both places. We can learn from Peter’s faith as he got out of the boat and walked to Jesus. We can also relate to his lack of faith as he began to doubt and sink. How often do we have that same sinking feeling when we take our eyes off Jesus? We can also lament, as Peter did in our Epistle, about loved ones who may have rejected Christ. We can only trust in Jesus, that He is there in the midst of their storm, saying to them, “Take courage, it is I.”

bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080926.cfm