20260809 FINDING CALMNESS IN THE STORM
09 August 2026, Sunday, 19th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Kings 19:9,11-13 |
The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire
When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 84(85):9-14 |
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
Second reading | Romans 9:1-5 |
I would willingly be condemned if it could help my brothers
What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk19:38,2:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 14:22-33 |
Jesus walks on the water
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’
FINDING CALMNESS IN THE STORM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 KGS 19:9.11-13; ROM 9:1-5; MATT 14:22-33]
The scene of the apostles in the boat, far out on the lake and struggling against heavy winds in the early morning darkness, symbolises the Church constantly going through trials. The boat represents the Church, and the apostles represent its leaders. The storm signifies the challenges and opposition facing the Gospel–both from within and without.
From without, we face the onslaught of secularism, materialism, and individualism. From within, we face scandals among the clergy and religious, division within the Church, and confusion regarding doctrine. This was also the case with Elijah in the First Reading. After slaying the false prophets of Baal, he fled for his life because Queen Jezebel sent her men to kill him. After running for 40 days and 40 nights into the desert, he arrived at Mount Horeb. He was tired, lonely, dejected, and even angry with God for allowing his enemies to pursue him.
In many ways, we are like Peter and the apostles in the boat, battling the storms of life. We all have to deal with numerous challenges each day. Some days can be so overwhelming that we feel like throwing in the towel. We carry unresolved questions and issues that continue to weigh us down, while simultaneously managing new demands on our time and resources. On top of that, we have to navigate politics and manage the perceptions and feelings of our collaborators and those under our care.
Most of all, we feel sorrow when our spouses, parents, siblings, or children stop going to Church or abandon their faith in God. How could they become hostile to the Faith when they were raised Catholic and even received a good Catholic education through the generosity of religious Brothers and Sisters? This is how St. Paul felt in today’s Second Reading as he reflected on the state of the Jewish people, the chosen people of God. How could they reject the Gospel? Paul sought to give a theological and pastoral response to this situation in Romans, chapters 9 to 11. Indeed, the Jews had received every blessing: “They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed!” Is not this how we feel too when think of our loved ones who have fallen away?
Indeed, when we are in the storms, we cannot see clearly for many reasons. First, our fears make us imagine things that are not true.We begin to conjure all kinds of negative thoughts because we are reacting to danger. When Jesus walked on the sea toward the boat, the apostles did not recognise Him because they were preoccupied with fighting not only the strong wind, but also their fear of dying. They were terrified because they thought Jesus was a ghost. Elijah had the same reaction; he felt that God had abandoned him, just as he believed the rest of his people had, and he began slipping into depression. Similarly, when we experience opposition from enemies, we assume they are plotting to bring us down, and we imagine the worst. Sometimes, when facing trials and suffering, we wrongly assume that God is against us and is punishing us for our past sins.
Second, in our fear, we tend to act impulsively. When the Jews accused Paul of abandoning them, he vehemently rejected the accusation. On the contrary, like Moses, he was even willing to die for his people: “What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood.”
Out of love for his people, he would do anything to save them. Yet, this was an impulsive reaction. Although noble, it was not necessarily the right response. This was similar to Moses when God needed him to fulfil His mission; Moses pleaded for forgiveness on behalf of his people, saying, “If not, blot me out of the book that you have written” (Ex 32:32). This reflects what some people say when they feel overwhelmed by ingratitude. People often tell me, “I wish I were dead so these people would finally learn to appreciate me when I’m gone. As long as I am here, they take me for granted.” But does that solve the problem? Of course not. It will not change their hearts, and they might even end up more resentful or lose their faith in God entirely.
This was also true of St. Peter. Upon seeing the Lord, he blurted out without thinking of the consequences: “If it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.” As Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus, he felt the force of the wind, took fright, and began to sink. Peter’s impulsive character is displayed throughout the Gospels; he frequently reacted from his heart rather than thinking through his decisions. Later, he told the Lord he would die for Him even if everyone else abandoned Him (Lk 22:33). Elijah, too, wanted to die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4). When we are emotionally unsettled, we tend to react out of our fears and wounds.
Today, we must learn from our Lord. He, too, was emotionally shaken when He heard about the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. That was why He sought to withdraw to a quiet place to pray. However, the crowds followed Him, and out of compassion, He continued to minister to them. After the multiplication of the loaves, the people wanted to make Him king, which threatened to incite apprehension among the authorities regarding a possible insurrection. So, He sent the apostles and the crowds away before He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Only in prayer–in the silence of our hearts–can we meet God face-to-face and hear Him speak to us clearly.
This is why the Lord also spoke to Elijah at Mount Horeb, the same place where He had spoken to Moses centuries earlier. High on the mountain, completely alone with no human voices around, Elijah heard God. God’s voice did not come through a spectacular display of power–a strong wind, an earthquake, or a fire–like in the time of Moses, but in a gentle breeze. God does not only speak to us through marvellous miracles, grand events, rallies, or retreats; He speaks in the silence of our hearts whenever we make room for Him. We are called to listen to God by disposing our hearts and minds to receive His wisdom and guidance, just as Elijah did.
The Lord helped Elijah purify his love and become more objective in his judgement. Twice, the Lord asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:9-10). The truth was that Elijah was overly presumptuous in thinking he was the only faithful servant left. There were other prophets and many righteous Israelites who remained true to the faith. Obadiah had previously told him that 100 true prophets were hidden in two caves, and God reassured him, “I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18). Once Elijah’s love was purified, God sent him back on his mission, instructing him to bring Elisha along with him.
However, finding strength in prayer is not enough; we must also keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. Unlike Peter, who stepped out to reach Jesus but took his eyes off Him to look at the strong winds and was overcome by fear, we must stay focused. Despite his impulsiveness, Peter had a good heart, and his saving grace was that his heart belonged to the Lord. His faith simply needed to be strengthened and purified along the way. The Lord remarked, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Like the apostles, we need to grow into a deeper faith so that we can surrender our lives to Him during our storms, even when He seems absent. Indeed, the Lord says, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” He is the “I AM.” He knows our struggles and comes to our aid at the opportune time. When the Lord enters our boat, we will be calm again: “As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.'” This must be our confession of faith as well if we want to remain focused and calm while battling the storms of life.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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