A Boat without God

Life without God may proceed smoothly. We may even believe that we don’t need God to achieve the prime life we are always longing for. At some point we may brag to have arrived at or achieved a goal entirely through our own merit.

Some enjoy the prime of their lives with the career of their own making, an ideal family of their own, a loving spouse or a fat bank account. These make us believe to the illusion of a perfect life. However, as life is often said to be a journey, what matters really is not what we have but how meaningful our achievements are and where we would like to be.

In the Gospel for today, we will hear the boat of the disciples without Jesus on it. This is on the command of Jesus, that they precede him to the other side. The image of a boat without Jesus on it not only depicts the boat that is being lambasted by ferocious waves but also the lack of faith among the disciples.

A life without God and the loss of faith always come as a package. This boat without God and a boat filled with doubting disciples engenders the atmosphere of helplessness amidst the tempest and hopelessness for assistance.

A life which disregards God because we are too busy to care to believe and are preoccupied about exerting effort to achieve our goals of our own power, or a life which totally denies or sets aside the gift of faith is a life that is entirely abandoned to its own midst the tempest.

As when a boat which could be sank by waves, a Godless and faithless life could be trampled instantly, perish entirely and be stripped off of its significance.

In the first part of our first reading, (12-15) we can see the consequences of a godless and faithless life. It even suggests that such life is a life of sin and thus of consequent affliction. In the second part of our first reading,(18-22) we see the rewards and promises assured to those who approach the Lord, and allow themselves to become his people, indeed to become a boat where God remains.

A life with God and with faith is a life of:

F - FORCE. It is not an empty word that is futile. It is power in the midst of storm. Faith becomes the force that drives a frontliner to get up, dress up for the day, and to braze for the battles of the day.

A - ASSURANCE. TheLetter to the Hebrews 11:1 calls faith as assurance of things which cannot be seen.

I - INTERIORITY.

It becomes the expression of the most profound desires of the human heart. The primordial desire of this heart is always God. Peter expressed his desire to come to Jesus and walk on the water. He knew that it was possible. He knew that it can be done upon the command of Jesus.

T - TRANSFORMATION.

Peter was transformed by Faith. He was already walking on the water until he was distracted. Faith transforms the weak into strong. It transforms the coward into courageous. It transforms hatred to love. It transforms sadness to joy.

H - HOPE.

With faith being an assurance for itself, then hope becomes possible. Faith engenders hope. Hope is the confidence that what is desired in faith is to be granted in time. When the disciples saw Jesus, their woes turned into confidence.

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FIRST READING

Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22

The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:

Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.

For thus says the LORD:

Incurable is your wound,

grievous your bruise;

There is none to plead your cause,

no remedy for your running sore,

no healing for you.

All your lovers have forgotten you,

they do not seek you.

I struck you as an enemy would strike,

punished you cruelly;

Why cry out over your wound?

your pain is without relief.

Because of your great guilt,

your numerous sins,

I have done this to you.

Thus says the LORD:

See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,

his dwellings I will pity;

City shall be rebuilt upon hill,

and palace restored as it was.

From them will resound songs of praise,

the laughter of happy men.

I will make them not few, but many;

they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.

His sons shall be as of old,

his assembly before me shall stand firm;

I will punish all his oppressors.

His leader shall be one of his own,

and his rulers shall come from his kin.

When I summon him, he shall approach me;

how else should one take the deadly risk

of approaching me? says the LORD.

You shall be my people,

and I will be your God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23

R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,

and all the kings of the earth your glory,

When the LORD has rebuilt Zion

and appeared in his glory;

When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,

and not despised their prayer.

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

and let his future creatures praise the LORD:

“The LORD looked down from his holy height,

from heaven he beheld the earth,

To hear the groaning of the prisoners,

to release those doomed to die.”

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The children of your servants shall abide,

and their posterity shall continue in your presence,

That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;

and his praise, in Jerusalem,

When the peoples gather together

and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

GOSPEL

Mt 14:22-36 or Mt 15:1-2, 10-14

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat

and precede him to the other side of the sea,

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 him,

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.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.

When the men of that place recognized him,

they sent word to all the surrounding country.

People brought to him all those who were sick

and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,

and as many as touched it were healed.