Breaking Open the Word

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Matthew 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.”

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Good morning, brothers and sisters, Father Ron here, breaking open the word. Before we begin, just to let you know that this is going to be a little show and tell homily. So if you want to see the show part, click the link in the notes to watch the video to this homily rather than just listening to it. Either way, same content, but. And in the show notes is also our gospel, of course. Be sure and read that. And it's that great gospel of the Peter walking on the water to Jesus and then gets scared and begins to sing Jesus saves him and then waves his hand and the whole storm subsides into peace. It's a great gospel. But before we get there, let me ask you something. Do you know what this is? Hello, mommy. Yeah, it's a phone. For years it helped people talk with people they loved around the world. Now, do you know what this is? It's a phone. For years it's helped people talk with loved ones around the world. It does the same thing as this one, but it's newer, it's shinier, and suddenly the old one isn't good enough anymore. This is better. Even though we talk to one another less now than we did before. But okay, how about this? Do you know what this is? A glass of water. H2O. It hydrates you. Do you know what this is? It's water. It hydrates you. It's H2O. Different packaging, and somehow we're convinced this is better water. And so we drink it. And when's the last time you saw a glass of water or an old phone? I don't know. You know, whether phones or water or watches or blenders or purses, it's a brilliant marketing because these companies have discovered something about us. We're always looking for the next amazing thing to fill our lives. The next vacation that's going to be bigger and better. The next house, the next experience, the next relationship, the next purchase, always believing that somewhere just over the horizon is the thing that will finally make us say, wow, and bring us the joy and happiness we so long for. The problem, of course, is that when we do possess that amazing thing, the amazement begins to fade, and then we're off looking for the next big thing. It's how Apple became the first trillion-dollar company with just one product every year. They tweak a little bit, and we have to have it. Always looking for that wow factor. And friends, if we're honest, that same temptation quietly slips into our spiritual lives as well. We begin looking for the next spiritual high, the next dramatic experience, the next miracle that will make us go, wow, and convince us God is truly alive, with us, real and near. The Gospel today certainly has that wow moment. Peter actually walks on the water. Jesus calms a violent storm with just a wave of his hand. And the disciples are amazed and overwhelmed. And so that last part of the gospel, what do they do? They fall before Jesus and say, Truly, you are the Son of God. That's the part that fascinates me. It's a beautiful proclamation of their belief and surrender to Jesus as the Son of God. But it's not long after this that they begin wavering from that belief and proclamation. They begin questioning and wondering if he truly is the Messiah? Really? Like our iPhones, the amazement wore off, and now they're looking for another something to truly convince them and lift them back up. And see, how do you go from my Lord and my God to are you really who you say you are? They're always looking for a bigger and better miracle to be wowed and to truly convince them. Happens over and over in the Gospels. And here's my question though: why did the disciples of all people need another wow miracle before recognizing who Jesus was? I mean, these men lived with him every day. They shared meals together, walked dusty roads together, laughed together, argued together, prayed together, watched him welcome children, seen him embrace lepers. He was literally beside them every day for years. Why weren't those moments enough? Why did it take another spectacular miracle before they once again fell to their knees? I mean, how could they miss the extraordinary presence of God in just the ordinary rhythm of daily life they shared together? Because it's just too ordinary? Though maybe a better question is not why did they miss it, but why do we? I remember a number of years ago a friend who came back from Mejigori, and I asked her how it was, expecting something of joy and excitement. But what I got was just kind of a smile, and she said, Well, it was good, it was good. Um my rosary didn't turn gold or anything. Um I didn't I never smelt the roses, but um but yeah, it was good. Why do we keep waiting for God to appear in spectacular ways while overlooking the quiet ways he already does? I mean why is a cardinal singing outside our window on the porch just another bird? Why is an unexpected conversation merely coincidence? Why do we miss the gentle whisper because we're waiting for thunder and a storm? You know, we tell ourselves, I think, if God would just answer this prayer, if he would just perform one miracle, if he would just give me one unmistakable sign, then I'd truly believe, then I'd really trust him. Meanwhile, he's been quietly speaking to you all along, through a spouse who loves you, through grandchildren whose laughter fills in our homes, through a friend who unexpectedly calls at just the right moment through forgiveness, through the Eucharist, through a sunrise, or the quiet peace that somehow arrives after prayer. The problem isn't that God has stopped revealing himself. The problem is that we've become so accustomed to his voice that we've stopped hearing it. We've become, well, bored. We're busy asking, God, where are you looking to the horizon? And perhaps God is gently smiling and asking, I've been with you all day. Where are you? There's a beautiful moment in the Old Testament when Elijah goes searching for God, you know this story, you know, and a mighty wind comes, but God isn't there. And then an earthquake shakes the mountain, but God isn't there. A fire blazes. Finally, there is a tiny whisper, a gentle breeze, and in that quiet, peaceful moment he finds God. Perhaps that's because love, God rarely shouts. He whispers. You know, love is found in the little moments that fill our days, no matter how ordinary they may be. So perhaps, friends, the invitation this week. Let's stop asking God to become more spectacular. Instead, let's ask him to make us more attentive, to open our eyes and our spirit to receive him. You know, let's this week, let's just slow down a bit, listen a little longer, notice the sacred hidden inside the ordinary. And when our eyes are finally opened, perhaps we'll discover that what we've been searching for was never somewhere else. He was already here. Always has been. And friends, he is more than enough. More than enough. So I'll leave you with the suggestion that I am going to do this week. Here it is. At the end of each day, I'm gonna just quiet myself, maybe even play the little 10-minute soft music that I used last week. I mean, use that. And then in that quiet space, just ask myself, what one way did God reveal his presence to me today? Or speak to me. One encounter with the divine. Where did God come to me today? Scripture tells us that we cannot see God's face and live, but he does come to us in anything and everything that is good and beautiful and holy and simple in our lives. So, what is one way he did so each day this week? And just write it down, one, and then put it on the fridge to look at. And begin being amazed at how the most ordinary of things that fill our days can be encounters with the same God who quieted that storm two thousand years ago. All right, friends, God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

unknown 13:23

Amen.