Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time C-2

Entrance Antiphon Ps 70 (69): 2, 6 O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me! You are my rescuer, my help; O Lord, do not delay.

Collect Draw near to your servants, O Lord, and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness, that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide, you may restore what you have created and keep safe what you have restored. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Scripture today: Jeremiah 30:1-2.12-15.18-22; Psalm 101; Matthew 14:22-36

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. (Matthew 14:22-36)

The Supernatural There is an intriguing situation in academia. I refer to the proliferation of studies in religion at both secondary and tertiary levels at a time when the general assumption is that this world is all that there is. Nature as seen, touched and as accessible to the senses is taken as constituting the limits of what is real, and the notion that there is a supernatural realm is considered a subjective projection. Religion is widely studied, and just as widely assumed to be little more than a factor of the inner and social life of man. But to say the least, this opinion is at variance with the voice of mankind. Everywhere, historical man accepts the fact of the Supernatural. This modern mind-set is an unproved assumption. I say this as an introduction to our Gospel passage today, in which the Supernatural breaks in upon the distressed disciples. They are in the boat as it tosses and heaves in the heavy sea. The Jews, like the Greeks and Romans, divided the night into military watches instead of hours, each watch representing the period for which sentinels remained on duty. The Jewish reckoning recognized only three watches, the beginning, middle and morning watches. After the establishment of the Roman supremacy, the number of watches was increased to four. These were described either according to their numerical order, as in the case of the "fourth watch" (Matthew 14:25), or by the terms "even," "midnight," "cock-crowing" and "morning" (Mark 13:35). These terminated respectively at 9 pm, midnight, 3 am and 6 am. During the fourth watch — perhaps as the faint light of dawn increased visibility — the disciples see amid the pounding waves a figure approaching them. It looked like a ghost from the depths, and they yelled out in fear. A ghost! The day our Lord rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples, they thought they were seeing a ghost then, too (Luke 24:37). Notice that on neither occasion did our Lord tell them that there were no such things as ghosts. He let it pass over and showed that he himself was no ghost. It suggests that Christ allowed that there can be ghosts, just as there are demons.

The point here, though, is that the Supernatural broke in on the Natural, and dominated it. The sea was turbulent and difficult. There was only limited light, and out of this darkness and difficulty Something suddenly loomed and was approaching them. Could it not be a being from the other world meaning to bring them further harm? They cried out in fear. At this the calm and strong voice of Christ, speaking from where he had stopped, reassured them. Be of good cheer, he said. It is I (Matthew 14:22-36). Now, has there ever been in the history of the world, the case of a man walking on the sea in the midst of heavy turbulence? I am not aware of any such case. There he stood, perhaps rising and falling slightly with the moving sea under him. He was calm and strong, and invited Simon to come to him from the boat across the water. We know the sequence. Peter’s faith failed after beginning well, but Christ held him and the two entered the boat, and at this the wind ceased. The point here is that the world around the disciples, so unfriendly, so hostile, so out of control, was dominated by the Man in its midst. It means that this vast world which we can see and touch and subject to empirical investigation, is held in subjection to something much bigger than it, the Supernatural realm. The world before us, of which we are part, is subject to a greater and unseen Reality. There are spirits, there are demons. There are angels and there are all those who have gone before us. This world’s population, variously estimated as approaching seven billion souls, must be a mere drop in the ocean of the unseen world. While the seven billion here on earth is the population of the current generation, how many past populations of the earth have gone to the unseen world? How many would be undergoing the purification of their sins in preparation for entry into the presence of God? How many angels, saints, and inhabitants of heaven, hell and purgatory would there be? Above all, there is the great God, infinite in every respect of his almighty being — Father, Son and Spirit.

This unimaginably vast supernatural world encloses the natural world and dwarfs it by comparison. God holds our universe in the palm of his hand. With his finger he could crush it or reduce it to nothingness. But the good news is that he is our Father. He has sent his Son to be our Brother, and both have sent their Spirit to be our Advocate and Counselor. We have the vocation to be God’s children, and all together to be his beloved family in Christ. Let our Gospel scene today help us be profoundly convinced of God and the supernatural, and let us live our lives accordingly.

(E.J.Tyler)

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A Second Reflection: (Jeremiah 30:1-2.12-15.18-22)

The Blessings of Repentance In a passage not long before this one of today (Jeremiah 30: 1-22) — I am referring to Jeremiah 28: 1-17 — the prophet speaks of disaster coming to the people because of their sins. He speaks again of God's punishment now (30: 1-22), but there is also here a wonderful hope and optimism introduced. God's people had been punished for their sins, but they will be admitted back into his presence and he will be their God. It is surely a reminder of the brightness of repentance and of the joy it will bring. Jeremiah's words remind us of the parable of the prodigal son who chose to return repentant to his father. It is in our interest to work on repentance all through our life — especially on repentance from venial sin — and to have that effort at repentance crowned and assisted with the Sacrament of Penance frequently and regularly. Repentance is a great blessing, and it is a great ministry to assist others to repent. Parents ought assist their children to turn in repentance to God, teachers their students, those in hospitals their patients. We ought all make an apostolate of bringing the blessing of repentance to others, as did Jeremiah to his people.

Especially let us take care to repent of what is generally considered as of little importance — deliberate venial sin. To fail to repent of deliberate venial sin will destroy any prospect of holiness.

(E.J.Tyler)

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