19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 19:9,11-13
Rm 9:1-5
Mt 14:22-33
‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’
Today’s world seems to thrive on the desire and need for certainty. There are always booking confirmations to be provided and the need to ensure that everything goes according to a plan. There is an innate assurance within the documents which provide us with the surest way of ensuring that our lives are in control. Yet the Gospel of today reminds us of the need to trust in God and, more importantly, that he speaks to us in the quiet of our heart.
I particularly like the first reading of today, for it contrasts the understanding of the manner in which God presents himself in the Old Testament. In the time of Moses, God appeared through great natural phenomena like wind and earthquake. Elijah must have learnt about these manifestations in his growing up years. Yet Elijah did not respondse to these phenomena but instead, knew that God appeared in the gentle breeze. The world we live in contains many distractions in the form of videos, advertisements and other forms of audio-visual stimuli. The Church presents to us a viable alternative in the form of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The adoration room always welcomes us to have the repose needed in our lives and to allow God to speak to us in the silence of our hearts.
The same scenario is painted before us in the Gospel of today. Jesus chose to return to prayer after a long day of ministry. Spending time ministering to others requires a tremendous amount of energy, and prayer is one way which we can revitalise ourselves. Jesus walking on water is testimony to the power of unwavering faith in God. Peter was successful initially, but the effect of the wind knocked him out terribly and he began to waver. This seems like the story of my faith journey — where I waver in the midst of the struggles of life.
As we enter into a new week, it will be good to commit to Jesus all the struggles we have and let God take ownership of them. It is very difficult for us to do so because we want to act on our own effort and chart the direction of our life. Indeed, this is something which is very comforting to do; but I would ask you to recommit to your relationship with God and ask God to speak to you, for you to discover what it means to be a person of faith.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Lord, help my unbelief.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for loving us in spite of our shortcomings.
OXYGEN 
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