19 Sunday in

th

Ordinary Time
I Kgs. 19: 9-13
Cycle A Rom. 9: 1-5 13 August 2017
Mt. 14: 22-33
 INTRODUCTION:
Let us for today follow
the Prophet Elijah's
adventures in I Kings,
our first reading, and
Peter's experience in
Both Elijah and Peter Mathew's Gospel.
define themselves
quite distinctly in our
two readings.
1
THEIR NAMES Elijah and
Peter give away their games.

Elijah comes from Eliahu

meaning "Jahweh is God".
His identity is anchored in
what is of ultimate value to
him. His name says
who/what his God is.
1 He is called by what he
holds important.
If family, family man; if
money, money-faced; if
pleasure, Mr. Goodtime; if
sex, playboy; if business,
businessman;
1

Elijah is called so because he

is Jahweh man so much so
that he challenged Ahab who
had gone to false gods and
even killed the priests of Baal.
1

Peter, who is called

Rock and whose name
exudes strength of
character, in the
Gospels is described as
a man full of weakness.
1
In the Gospel today,
Peter is defined
by his fears.

Who/What are you afraid of defines a man as

equally as who/what is his God.
2
THE DRAMA of Elijah in I Kings
starts after he had killed all the
priests of Baal and on the run
from the ire of Queen Jezebel and
hides in one of the caves of Mt.
Horeb/Sinai.
2

There he is told that God is

going to pass by. What
follows is an impressive
display of natural powers:
a strong and heavy wind
rending the mountains and
crushing rocks; an
earthquake; a fire.
2 Elijah recognized the Lord
was not in the wind, the
earthquake, the fire.
Elijah, being Jahweh man, refused to
identify with any of the great powers
of this world, no matter how
impressive. Rather he recognized
God in the tiny whispering sound.
2

Secularism is the
cultural incapacity to
hear the tiny whispering
voice; a total systemic
surrender to the mighty
pleasures and powers of
this world.
2

Elijah's great virtue

as a contemplative
is that he is able to
discern and see
the difference and
thus give himself
to God alone.
2
What the secular
world needs today
is more Elijahs
capable to discern
God's tiny
whispering voice.
3 THE DRAMA OF PETER
and the disciples in the boat
in Math. 14:22 that means
the Church as the bark of
Peter is the drama of all of
us "being tossed about by
the waves, for the wind was
against them." (v. 24)
3
"When the
disciples saw him
walking on the
sea, they were
terrified. It is a
ghost, they cried
out in fear."
(v. 26)
3

Just as the self

is defined by
one's ultimate
value so we can
also be defined
by what we are
afraid of?
3 In the midst of the storm, Jesus comes and
identifies himself: "Take courage it is I;
do not be afraid." (v. 27)

He is the God who

transcends anything that
frightens us.
3 Peter said: "Lord, if it is you,
command me to come to you
on the water." "Come!"
(v.28-29) replied Jesus.
3 What happened?

So long as he keeps his grip on the Lord, he is

ok he walks on the water. But when he loses
his strong grip with the Lord, he sinks.
3
Keep your eyes fixed on
Jesus, you will be alright.
 CONCLUSION:

So that is why we identify with Elijah's

God and with Peter's fears to identify
who we really are! +ART