Tuesday August 3, 2021-Eighteenth week of Ordinary times -Let me know the ways of your destiny, so that I may meditate on your wonders-Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14, 22-36
Jesus immediately commanded his disciples to get into the boat, leave, and not stop when they were done. So, it is not good to hang on to one place. It is our common mission. It is not only for priests or religious but for all pastors, even the baptized. It doesn't always have to be a bribe, but sometimes you have to force it, like here, into a boat, which is nothing but the Church. We will not go abroad but will leave on a clearly designated boat. So be careful not to get the wrong boat and go somewhere else and get lost and not get to the port which is paradise. So the ship was supposed to go here and not sink.
He went up to the mountain to pray in private after dismissing the people; and he was there alone at night. We must always pray together or alone. We must withdraw from others to pray. So it is not important in prayer to get lost in the crowd, but to help you focus more and more. This is not what monks, men and women, do. Not only them, but we too, when doing holy or sincere retreats, we are especially encouraged to do so as often as possible.
But here's the problem: you have to go up the mountain to pray. He must climb. It is not easy, it is not automatic, but it takes determination. So be careful that we don't get tired of praying, hoping for an answer. It is not fair. Mountain means meeting place with God, also called Church. Time and time again, the Church is a good place to meet the Lord. It is wrong to say: "We pray at home, does not God see our suffering? But it is very important to go to church. Do not get dragged into the Corona and do not take refuge there. We are simply told when it comes to trials at sea: when we are with God we are always successful but we cannot withstand the storms that threaten the ship when He is not there. Trials are inevitable, but it is important that we have the will to resist them. Also, remember that even in the church, God can be rejected when he is overwhelmed with work or money and hidden. There's also racism, persecution, slander, discrimination ... So if all branches of the church are doing just that, you can say they're rejecting God. It is not that work and money are not necessary, but that they are not valued very much; always put God and faith first. Money is often a temptation.
Look what happened to Peter here: he got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when they saw the loud wind, they were afraid; He could walk on water when Jesus was seen, doing amazing things; but started to sink as soon as he looked back, watching the wind. However, Jesus always reaches out to us, and he accepts us, he does not leave us alone. But be careful to distinguish whether it is really in the hands of Jesus or Satan. Not all hands are welcome. So if we want to succeed, stay close to him. May we all reach the port. May it be fulfilled in us. Amen
