Greetings, SBT Readers!

Two weeks ago, I was on an international flight that was unable to land for several hours because of tornadoes in the Chicago area; down below, my daughter and family were sheltering in place while 100 mph winds battered the house. We were fortunate; some of our neighbors weren't. Our former home, just five miles away, lost many old trees, including a magnificent willow. As for the woodland adjacent to the old house, the winds toppled ten or more towering oaks, creating an unforgettable apocalyptic scene...

The backdrop for this Sunday's Gospel is a storm. On a metaphorical level, "storm" represents all the upheavals, catastrophes, and dangers that undermine our peace and safety; on a literal level, "storm" can apply to all the wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes that are occurring with ever-increasing frequency and intensity.

The gathering storm affecting every continent is global warming. The world burns, trees topple, and reservoirs dry up. To ignore the signs of the time is to turn our backs on the fate of humanity and deny our role in contributing to the catastrophe unfolding all around us. What is needed, as Pope Francis pointed out in Laudato Si', is a collective "Mea Culpa" as a prelude to ecological conversion.



Many Blessings,

Elizabeth

www.elizabeth-annestewart.com

LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS

Meanwhile, the boat, already a few miles from shore,

was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. 

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 

But Jesus immediately said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 

Peter replied,

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 

Jesus said, “Come.” 

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus, but when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened. Beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

Matt 14:22-33

Walking on Water

Bravado followed by panic. Peter puts Jesus to the test, loses his nerve, and begins to sink. From the narrative, it is clear that it's neither the wind nor the waves that are to blame for his near-drowning, but fear. Jesus, in fact, rebukes Peter for his lack of faith, making it clear that his disciple could indeed have walked on water had he stayed focused.

Having tried to walk on water when I was five years old, I sympathize with Peter. It was neither fear nor lack of faith that caused my near-drowning, but the force of gravity. Boldly, I stepped off the jetty onto Lac Léman, Switzerland, with all the confidence in the world --and sank. Though Jesus wasn't there to stretch out his hand, a passerby, seeing me bobbing up and down among the boats, put his cane in the water and fished me out, much to the relief of my older sister and cousins who were supposed to have been watching me.

On a literal level, walking on water doesn't make sense; it's not a skill that humans have cultivated yet, except with special flotation shoes. Just as I would have been wiser to keep my feet firmly on the ground, it would have made more sense for Peter to remain in the boat. Instead of challenging the supposed ghost to tell him to walk on the sea, he could have come up with a safer proof of Jesus' identity.

The Storms of Life

Symbolically, however, the story has a positive message. When the storms of life threaten us, we can either panic and become helpless, or turn to the One who says, "Do not be afraid; it is I." Regardless of how violent the storm may be, the presence of the Risen Christ helps us make the best choices, hope for the best outcomes, and face whatever lies ahead with courage. Like Peter, we can utter a basic, "Lord, save me!" If there's time for reflection, we might add, "Thy will be done," but I doubt that in extreme situations many of us could add this prayer of surrender. "Save me!" is quick and to the point, leaving no ambiguity as to our specific need. It is the same plea for instant deliverance that resounds throughout the Psalms, especially in "troubled times," times of persecution and warfare; it demands that God see, hear, and respond, drawing close when danger threatens, to be our refuge, our strength, our justice.

The Storm-Tossed Boat

Interestingly, in the first centuries of Christianity, the storm-tossed boat served as an image of the church. In his book, The Mission of the Church, Dominican theologian Edward Schillebeeckx describes how the church was seen as "a boat at sea, tossed by the waves and often creaking in all its joints, but always with its helm pointing towards the one goal-- the safe port" (20). This image did not suggest a "solid rock" in the face of danger, but a frail vessel that would struggle against the storm, clinging to the Gospel, comforted by the presence of Christ. Just as Jesus had promised, this church would prevail against all odds, preaching its message of salvation while immersed in tempests.

Some "Take-Aways"

In an unsafe world, it is comforting to remember that nothing — even walking on water —is impossible if we have faith. At the same time, the Christian spiritual path does not grant us immunity from suffering and uncertainty; on the contrary, at times, it seems to plunge us into the heart of the maelstrom. As for the church, it "travels the same journey as all of humanity and shares the same earthly lot with the world" (Gaudium et Spes, IV: 40).

+++

"Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.”

Pope Leo XIV