Gospel Mt 14:22-33
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and 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.”
Homily
There comes a time in the life of everyone when one has to let go of those in our care, while we look after ourselves. In fact very often parents have to send children off by themselves even though they know that they will probably be called upon to lend a hand, even to rescue those children when crises come.
In the Gospel passage for this weekend, Jesus needs to be alone; he sends the disciples and the crowds away while he goes off by himself to pray. While he is away praying the disciples get into difficulty out on the lake. Jesus comes to them across the waters. When he gets into the boat with them, the difficulties cease “And as they got into the boat the wind dropped.”
What happens with the whole group of disciples also happens with Peter. Because of his lack of faith, Peter who began walking on the water starts to sink. Jesus stretches out his hand and saves him. “Jesus put out his hand at once and held him.”
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There are lessons for all of us in this passage. For those of us in authority, we see that Jesus did not think that it was essential for him to be with the disciples all the time, even though he knew that they would continue to need his help. Jesus knew that he would not be with them forever and so he begins to send them off by themselves, letting them begin to take responsibility for themselves. Thus preparing them for the moments when he would no longer be there with them, when all that they would have would be the values that he taught them. How difficult it is at times for us to let go and let those in our charge assume responsibility, yet that is the only way that individuals and groups begin to truly grow. All of us in authority have to develop a programme of letting go, if those in our charge are to become the people they are called to be. Many of us never achieve the status of great leaders because we cannot let go, because we prepare no one to replace us when necessary. On the other hand, we who are in the care of others too often make the mistake of dismissing those in authority as if their time is past. The weight of experience is never past.
The disciples in the main were great seamen yet they needed the presence of Jesus with them in the boat in order to handle the heavy seas.
Today we remember parents and teachers, bosses in our offices, the people who gave us the space to find ourselves, while always being there for us. We thank God for them. We have become the people that we are in no small way because of their trust.
And we look at our own lives. Do we give others space to grow? Do we listen to the wisdom of our elders or do we believe them totally passé with nothing to teach us?
May God help us to hold these two attitudes in our own lives, that of giving space for growth and that of listening to the wisdom of others because all of us are at one and the same time teachers and disciples.
Prayer
Lord, we pray that your church may be present to the world, like Jesus walking on the water, free of all desire to conquer or even to impress, trusting only in your love and your truth. Lord, there are times when we feel so disillusioned that even when you come to us with power in a friend whom we can trust, in an invitation to a retreat, in an opportunity for relaxation, we think it is a ghost and cry out in fear. But then we hear the comforting words, “Courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” Help us always to believe those words and to put our trust in you. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother and Jesus your son. Amen
