“Faith to Walk on Water” - 19th Sunday OT (A) – 8.13.23

“Faith to Walk on Water”

By: Fr. David Schmidt

St. Mark the Evangelist Parish - Butler/Cranberry, PA

Mass Readings - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081323.cfm

In the Gospel today we have the powerful scene of Jesus walking on the water, and He calls Peter to step out on the boat and walk on water to Him.

One way that we can view this Gospel passage is that it represents the Christian journey. A stepping out of the boat in faith, and walking in faith, as we journey towards our Lord.

Now, in order to do this, it requires us to believe that God is real, and that He actually speaks to us and interacts with us.

This may sound odd to say because if you’re here today at this Mass then you obviously believe that God is real. But this journey of faith that God calls us too requires us to have a deeper understanding of the reality of God.

Some people get stuck at the notion that God exists in the sense that He is up in the sky and doesn’t really interact with us. When instead, He is intimately involved with our lives, and He is constantly speaking to us.

In the 1st reading we have the account of the prophet Elijah on Mount Horeb where Elijah is in the cave and the Lord tells Elijah to go outside the cave and stand on the mountain and that He will show Himself to Elijah. As Elijah goes out to entrance of the cave the Lord appears to him, but not in the strong wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. But the Lord appears to Him in the tiny whispering sound.

Do we believe that God speaks to us in a tiny whispering sound in the depths of our heart?

We can’t take this journey of faith without hearing Jesus speaking to us in the depths of our hearts. This is because when we hear Him speaking to us, then we know that He is real, and that He is with us with each step of faith that we take.

Each one of us is in the boat and we hear our Lord calling us in the depths of our hearts saying, “Come.” He is calling us to step out of the boat in faith. When we do this, we will walk on water.

It’s OK to admit that this is scary. That you are terrified to take this step of radical faith. Each one of us has those moments where we are unsure if God is speaking to us, or is with us in this radical way, so we like Peter say to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” To which Jesus lovingly and gently says, “Come.”

The question we must ask ourselves is, “What am I afraid of?” “Am I afraid of drowning?” The Lord shows us that if we sink because of our lack of faith, that if we call out to Him, that He will catch us and save us. If that’s the case then again, we ask, “What am I afraid of?”

If we believe that God is real. That He is who He says He is. That He loves us and speaks to us and interacts with us. Then what are we afraid of when He calls us to step out of the boat and walk on water? Jesus reassures us as He did with the Apostles saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

This stepping out will look different for each person. We need to ask our Lord what He is asking from us. Is it to change jobs? To enter the seminary or religious life? To share your faith with your co-workers? Volunteer at the parish? Sacrificing some of the goods of this world?

Whatever it is, ask the Lord for faith to take the step that He is calling you to take.

The scary part is not just realizing that we are called to step out of the boat, but that we are called to keep walking. It is not a one-time thing.

The Gospel says that “Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” Peter took the step of faith to get out of the boat, and he took multiple steps on the water as he walked towards Jesus. Peter’s faith was shaken by the storms around him, and he took his eyes off the Lord, and began to sink before Jesus saved him.

It’s one thing to step out of the boat, it’s another to keep walking.

With each step that we take towards Jesus on the water it requires more and more faith. If we listen to Jesus speaking to us in the depths of our hearts, we hear Him calling us, as we prepare to take each step on the water, saying, “Come. Come to me. Come to me my son/daughter. Have courage. Step out in faith.”

It is only by taking these steps of faith where we will see God work wonders in our lives and in our hearts. This is because when we take these steps of faith, we walk in complete dependence of Him.

So we need to get out of the boat and onto the water, and live a life of radical faith in God. Too many people are staying in the boat and will not step out.

Again, this is scary. But it is the only way to live the Christian journey. It is the only way to get to heaven. It is the only way that we can become the people that we are called to be. This is how the saints lived, and this is how we are called to live as well.