Sunday 9 August 2026
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13. Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation – Ps 84(85):9-14. Romans 9:1-5. Matthew 14:22-33.
Jesus always comes
We often forget that on this particular evening, Jesus is deep in grief. His friend John has just been killed, beheaded in a distant fortress by king Herod. And still the crowds come. Thousands gather, people who would have known John too, now draw to Jesus. He feeds them with a miracle, and their hopes swell. Some even want to make him king by force. So, Jesus steps away. He sends his friends to cross the lake while he dismisses the crowd.
Meanwhile, out on the water, night falls and the wind rises. The Sea of Galilee is known for these intense and sudden windstorms, with messy, choppy waves. What should have been a short crossing turns into a long struggle with oars in the darkness as the shoreline fades.
And then they see him. At first, they think it’s a ghost. But over the roar of wind comes a voice they know. Peter steps out and, briefly, walks. Then he sees the storm and begins to sink. Haven’t we all?
And into that chaos and confusion, Jesus still comes. And he doesn’t still the storm right away, but says, ‘I am here. Don’t be afraid.’
Email this Print This Page
