Last week, we heard in the gospel that Jesus fed the thousands after they followed him to a deserted place; you will recall that he had gone to this deserted place to pray. Today, we hear that, after he had fed the people, he dismissed them and even made his disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the lake so he could finally get some time to pray. He knew that he had to spend some time by himself to commune with his heavenly Father. We do well to follow his example. But, anyone who has attempted to spend quiet time alone in prayer has probably experienced the challenge of remaining focused and open to the Lord’s movement. Our minds easily wander. Whether it is noise, suddenly remembering something we need to do, nodding off because we’re tired, or worries on our mind, a challenge we all face is learning how not to let those things distract us from remaining focused on the Lord.
In today’s first reading, we hear a good example of how to pray. Elijah, the great prophet, has fled for his life after angering Jezebel, the evil wife of King Ahab. Led by the angel of God, he goes up to Mount Horeb where he hides in a cave. The Lord instructs Elijah to come out of the cave when he, the Lord, passes by. Well practiced in prayer, Elijah patiently waited, watchful and attentive. When the wind, the earthquake, and the fire come by, he discerns that the Lord isn’t present in any of them. So he remains watchful and attentive, until finally the Lord comes by in a whispering sound. From his years of attentive prayer, Elijah recognizes the Lord’s presence and steps out to behold God.
Recognizing the Lord’s presence is a skill, and one that we should all develop and hone. Elijah had spent years listening to and obeying the Lord’s commands, coming to know him. So, he was able to sort out the noise, represented by the wind, earthquake and fire, and not let it distract him from what was truly important. We can learn this skill in prayer as well. But it takes time and faithful practice.
Let’s get back to today’s Gospel where we hear that, after having spent several hours in prayer, Jesus comes toward the disciples walking on the water. At first, the disciples are frightened, thinking it’s a ghost. That’s certainly understandable especially since there was a common belief among the fishermen at that time that if they saw a ghost walking on the water, it meant that they were soon going to die; it was their version of the grim reaper. But Peter, hearing Jesus’ voice, boldly asks to join him. When Jesus beckons for him to come, Peter steps out of the boat and, initially, miraculously walks on the water, his attention focused on Jesus. The wind is blowing and the waves are crashing against the boat, but as long as Peter keeps his attention on Jesus, all is well.
The moment his attention veers away and he notices the wind and the waves, however, fear has an opening and moves in. Peter begins to sink.
There will be many times in our prayer when the storms of our lives pull our attention away from the Lord and fill us with fear and dread. Like Peter, we might feel as if we are sinking. When this happens, it is easy to become discouraged. It can be tempting to abandon prayer because it seems a waste of time when so many other important needs are clamoring for our attention.
But, sincere prayer is never a waste of time. Sincere, humble prayer is what keeps us afloat amid the storms of life. Prayer – that precious time with the Lord – is what drives away fear, anxiety, and dread. And, when prayer becomes a struggle, we can call out to the Lord for help, as Elijah and Peter did, and the Lord will come to our aid, as he did with Elijah and Peter. With the Lord’s help, we can trust that the day will come when we are more like these men and those storms don’t distract us from what is truly important: keeping our attention fixed on God’s presence in our lives.
When we keep our eyes turned towards Jesus, we can weather any storm. Jesus continues to speak those same words of comfort to us as he did to those disciples in the boat when we are experiencing the storms of life: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” It is Jesus who will carry us across the stormy seas to the safe harbors of heaven.
That was the faith that helped the Apostle Paul to spread the Gospel near and far, to the Jews and to the Gentiles. In today’s second reading from his Letter to the Christian community living in Rome, Paul laments the refusal of so many of his fellow Jews to embrace Jesus as the Messiah. He experienced sorrow and anguish that some of their number could not be convinced to come to faith in Christ. Paul relates that the Jewish people were given every sign from God – the law, worship, prophetic promises and patriarchs, and still some refused to believe.
God is calling upon all of us today to listen to his tiny whisper, and to see the signs of his love at work all around us. He encourages us not to be distracted by the storms of this world, but to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and through him, make our way safely to our eternal salvation.