Sunday - August 13, 2017
Think well.
Speak well.
Do well.
These three things,
through the mercy of God,
will make a man go to Heaven.
~~ St. Camillus de Lellis
TODAY'S READINGS
August 13, 2017
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 115
Reading 11 KGS 19:9A, 11-13A
At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Responsorial PsalmPS 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Reading 2ROM 9:1-5
Brothers and sisters:I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
AlleluiaCF. PS 130:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 14:22-33
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boatand precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he 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.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He 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;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God."
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How to achieve a well-balanced faith
In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus finishes with the miracle of multiplying a few loaves and fish to feed thousands of people, and then he goes off by himself to pray.
When you host a large dinner party or complete a big project or overcome difficult obstacles, do you give yourself time to recuperate and let God minister to you?
After spending time alone with his Father, Jesus was so uplifted by the experience that he walked on water!
Jesus frequently spent time in prayer. He probably went off by himself to pray a lot more often than what is written in scripture. So why did Matthew mention it here? What was significant about this particular prayer time?
Through Matthew, God is showing us how to achieve a well-balanced faith.
We need periods of prayer-filled solitude to restore our energies and renew our vision of what God is inspiring us to do. We all have work to do for God in our families, in our workplaces, in social gatherings, in our parishes and in every problem that arises. Giving of ourselves to others will always drain us; to thrive and grow in our usefulness to God, we must allow him to replenish us often.
Prayer helps us to prepare for whatever lies ahead, even when we don't know what we're walking into. What we gain from the Lord in our time alone with him is a gift designed for our benefit and for responding to the needs of others. It strengthens our faith, teaches us how to walk on water, and sends us to the next shore where people who need God's help are waiting. God wants to minister to them through us. Are you prayed up and ready?
How much time do you spend in quiet aloneness with the Lord? Is it enough to restore the inner peace that comes from staying in touch with God? Or do you feel drained and unprepared to continue?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to recognize You when You come to me in an unexpected way. Give me light, strength, and trust to turn to You in the midst of my anguish. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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