Weekly Reflection

Comment

Elijah was willing to wait for the Lord. He was open to all the customary manifestations. After all, the first manifestation of the Lord on Mount Sinai was accompanied by great rumbling and smoke. Elijah would be right to expect some natural disturbance, some deep shaking and groaning of the earth as it bears witness to God's amazing, frightening appearance. But God is not in the earthquake nor in the mighty wind nor in the fire. No, God is present in the quietest possible breeze. One holds one's breath watching Elijah who waits. One is quietly satisfied and delighted at Elijah's apprehension of the Lord's appearance and his response to it. Elijah, the non-writing prophet, is truly a man of God. He was in the Lord's presence, and he knew it. He is a prophet worth heeding.

Now we turn to another story In this, it resembles the first reading. In the first reading, God is the central figure and Elijah is the object of God's attention. In the Gospel reading, Jesus is central and Peter is the object of his attention, and ours. Matthew, Mark, and John all tell the story of the storm at sea. They all set before us the arresting image of a small boat battered by the angry winds. But the stories differ in significant ways. Mark and John have Jesus walking over the waters toward the boat. Peter stays put. The endings of these three stories all differ also. The disciples are amazed and speechless. Only Matthew has Peter act and speak. Jesus summons Peter to meet him on the waters. Peter does fine as long as he is focused on Jesus; he begins sinking the moment his focus is on himself. Without skipping a beat, Jesus reaches out to steady Peter. Jesus also locates the cause of Peter's near drowning-- "Why did you doubt? "(Matthew 14:31) Peter does not respond. Jesus boards the small craft. The wind ceases. Then comes the confession of faith by the apostles, "Truly, you are the Son of God."