Reflections on the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday reflection by Very Reverend Stephen E. Salocks, Rector of Saint John's Seminary - August 9, 2020

The Scriptures for the Nineteenth Sunday of the Year invite us to recognize the presence and power of God, not only in our quiet and most peaceful moments but also in our stormiest and most fearful moments. The Lord shows himself to be the source of strength and courage in all circumstances of our lives.

Today's First Reading tells us that, after defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah fled the death threats of Jezebel and traveled to Mount Horeb, where God’s presence in a tiny whispering sound gave him the comfort and strength to continue his mission and live out his vocation.

In the Gospel, Jesus, after feeding the multitude and spending time of prayer on the mountain, walks on water toward his disciples as they are tossed about in a stormy sea of wind and waves. Like his heavenly Father, whose creative Word brought light, order, and life out of the waters of chaos (Genesis 1), Jesus is the source of light and life for his disciples, then and now. Jesus soothes fears, gives strength in moments of stress, reaches out a hand to save the one who is sinking, and calms the storm.

In the storms of our world and our lives, we, disciples of Jesus Christ, continue to acknowledge the Lord as the source of our courage and strength, recognize his presence even in the most uncertain of moments, and, in homage, confess him as “truly, the Son of God.”