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"We need to set out on the journey and we need to let ourselves be coaxed into the unknown. Sometimes unwillingly and sometimes in the hands of our friends, sometimes by the fact that there is not other direction to go."
- Corrine Cavanaugh, Spinning Straw into
Gold
(How are you being "coaxed into the unknown" at this time in your life? How does your faith help you to journey?)
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JER 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; PS 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; MT 14:22-36
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere
your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those
doomed to die."
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
USCCB Lectionary
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Reflection on the Scriptures |
In the first reading, there is the profound realization that, like the people receiving Jeremiah's message, our wound might be "incurable." We might find ourselves in a place where we are "stuck" or in a rut. Our habits, our patterns, our sins have piled up.
Healing or a new direction simply doesn't seem possible. Then, the good news comes. God will "rebuild" us and "restore" us. The covenant God made with the chosen people will be renewed in us: "You shall be my people, and I will be your God."
The gospel plays out the story in a little more detail. The disciples find themselves, on their way to meet Jesus, caught in a storm. A storm is a great image
for the troubles we find ourselves in, or get ourselves into. A storm is violent and scary. It is a symbol of being out of control. The forces swirling around us and coming at us seem overwhelming. Each of us can come up with a number of examples of storms in our lives.
Then, Jesus appears. Like the disciples, we are not sure it is Jesus - because we are so troubled by the storm. But, he has a
familiar and confirming greeting: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." That is how we know it is Jesus. In the midst of the messiest things going on in our lives, Jesus is there asking us to not let fear take over and to put our trust in him. . .
Can it really be that easy to keep our eyes on Jesus? It can be. It is. Can it really make a difference? It can. All we need to do is to try it.
And, when we get scared, we need to remember not to take our eyes off of Jesus. It takes practice, but there are plenty of little storms to practice on. When we experience his presence, we will experience the power he can give us to walk on water toward him.
- by Andy Alexander,
S.J.
Creighton Online Ministries
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Selected Quotes from the Writings of St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
The marvels of God are not brought forth from one's self.
Rather, it is more like a chord, a sound that is played.
The tone does not come out of the chord itself, but rather,
through the touch of the Musician.
I am, of
course, the lyre and harp of God's kindness.
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