5 August 2025 -- Tuesday of the 18th week of Ordinary Time
Numbers 12:1-13; Matthew 14:22-36
Homily
The event at the heart of this Gospel story is placed by the Evangelist Matthew between two manifestations of Jesus' concern for the hungry and the sick. Our text begins with the mention of the multiplication of the loaves and ends with the account of the crowds bringing their sick to Jesus so that they might be healed, if only by touching the fringe of his cloak.
After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus sends his disciples home on their boat; and he himself goes ‘home’ in another way, going up the mountain to pray -- which he does for most of the night.
A sailor or fisherman fears storms and loves them at the same time. He fears them because they take human lives; he loves them because, especially at night, they bring him into contact with the most mysterious and frightening forces of nature — which, in turn, bring him into contact with supernatural forces.
Thus we see the disciples struggling with a violent wind and big waves, and in the midst of it all, Jesus approaching, walking calmly on the water. Peter once again shows himself to be the most charming and disconcerting of Jesus' disciples. He has enough faith to ask Jesus to come to him by walking on the water. He has enough faith to respond to Jesus' invitation and actually start walking on the sea. As long as his attention is focused on Jesus, there is no problem. He can walk on the water. But as soon as his attention shifts from Jesus to the big waves, he becomes afraid and begins to sink.
So what is the lesson for us? -- Sometimes we are called to go and pray with Jesus in solitude. At other times we do not receive this invitation but are sent out onto the high seas by Jesus, as happened to the Disciples. In Jesus' absence, the high seas easily become a stormy sea. If we then look at the sea beyond the limits of the boat we are in, we will see Jesus coming towards us calmly. If we have faith in him and keep our eyes and attention fixed on him, we are saved and can walk on any kind of sea. But as soon as our attention turns away from Him to contemplate our own difficulties, we begin to sink.
Faith must be joined to continuous prayer, which is the constant remembrance of God.