Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:9-13

Our eyes are fixed upon Iraq this weekend. We see armies warring over land and truth. But God is not in any of them. We see governments and political parties yelling about plans to fix the situation. But God is not in any of them either. We see religions and popular movements crying out for justice and mercy. But still we do not find God, even within those ranks. So our brothers and sisters, friends and foes alike, meet their gruesome fates. But before the end, beauty comes to them, be it a grain of sand, a puff of wind, a ray of sunlight, or some other insignificant delight. And when they experience this, they open their eyes wide and gaze upon love most glorious and wonderful.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a

God is not at all what we expect. To know God, we must shed all our images and be open to seeing whatever it chooses to show us. Most of the time, she likes to appear exactly where we assume he is not present. Nothing is off limits to God. We may be left uncomfortable, confused, and uncertain, but God is there as well. Do we desire to admire God or know God? What will it be? Seek with bold humility and you shall find a well deeper than the universe.

Matthew 14: 22-33

Jesus became human not only that we might truly know God, but also to share with us his own divinity. We are called to join in his divine love, to truly become children of the Father. To have faith in such things seems impossible, but God's desires know no boundaries. Just as Jesus called Peter to rise out of the boat and walk across the water to meet him, so too are we called to rise up out of our fear and walk across the chasm of doubt to where he stands ready to greet us with joy and open arms. How he longs to embrace us with his love, and whisper in our ear: "Truly, you are a child of God."