Gospel Lectio Divina for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 13, 2023
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
READ
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, 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 Peter, 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."
MEDITATE
“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
When I sense God calling me to do something, it is fear that holds me back more often than not. But Jesus is offering us courage. He is walking on the water and saying, “take courage from me.” When I don’t want to do a task God is calling me to do, the lack of desire is often based on fear. I fear letting go of other desires. I fear the securities I have in the life I lead now. In a word, I fear leaving the safety of my boat. But God says do not be afraid to walk on the water if that is what God is calling you to do. What is my ‘walking on water’ mission? What task am I afraid to go do, even though I strongly feel God calling me to do it?
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
This is how I feel when I get an urge to do something. I want to believe it’s God telling me to do it, but how can I be sure? My upbringing tells me to ask myself if it is supported by Scripture and Tradition. So, that’s one question to ask to discern if a desire is God’s will. I think another good question to ask is whether there is a fire burning deep in my heart to do it, a desire that just won’t leave me alone. God wants us to be happy, and once we are completely happy we can know we are doing his will. But happiness comes in many forms. Sometimes happiness can be accomplished by getting something we want. But I have found a deeper happiness in letting go of desires and fears because in that happiness I have found freedom.
"Come."
Jesus leads from the front, not from behind. He says ‘Come, follow me.’ True, he also says, “Go forth and make disciples,” but only after he already has made disciples who follow him. He would not tell Peter to walk on the water if he was not already doing so himself. So, when I ask Jesus if it is his will to do something daring, I often look for saints—members of his body—who have gone before me and have done something similar. I do this to see how it could be done, but also to help confirm that it is indeed God’s will.
But then again, sometimes God calls us to do things that no one before us has done. I don’t think anyone ever walked on water before Jesus and Peter. God is not going to tell us to do something that contradicts the Faith that has already been established, but he may invite us to follow him into new frontiers. The truth is eternal and infinite. There is still more of it to discover. The disciples had no idea that God would invite them to walk on water. But he did.
"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Yes, I have my doubts and I don’t think they will ever go away. I ask for forgiveness from those who think I get too personal in these meditations. It’s just that I know no other way to meditate. If it’s not personal, it’s not real. And if it’s not real, there’s no point to it. I cannot hide my doubts. I cannot hide the fact that I begin to sink just about every time I take a step of faith. Peter did not leap into the water. He was cautious. It’s funny how we talk about taking a leap of faith. By ‘leap of faith’, I guess we mean we didn’t scrupulously consider the possibility that we could be wrong about what we believe. We just trusted God.
But Jesus calls Peter out onto the water. He trusts that he could walk on water only if Jesus is calling him to do it. Without Jesus, he doesn’t believe he could do it. And that’s the right way to go about it. When we discern, it’s interesting how we weigh all of the pros and cons, or at least I do. When I’m trying to figure out if God is calling me to do something, what I’m really doing is seeing if it makes sense. I’m checking to see if everything lines up right, if all my ducks are in a row, if I checked all the boxes, if I did my due diligence, and so on. All of that is not the same as checking if Jesus is calling me to do it. Jesus called Peter out on the water, for goodness sake. That made no sense. Yet, Jesus still told him to do it. It was Peter’s own reasoning and concerns that led him to doubt. If we just trust in Jesus, no matter what we feel he is calling us to do, he will make a way—no matter how crazy the idea may seem.
PRAY
Lord,
I am sorry for all of the times I have failed to trust your plan for me. I don’t know if I believe in destiny, but it’s making more and more sense every day. It makes sense that all the desires in my heart are desires that you put there, and you want me to figure out how to fulfill them all because in doing so I draw closer to you. With every step onto the water, you reveal to us another part of you. Help others to know and love your will for them, so they can accomplish the great things you have in store for them. If only each one of us saw the true potential with which you created us, we would see that there is no limit to what we can do. Thank you for this amazing promise, and help us all to walk on water in whatever way you are calling us each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
LISTEN
Where is Jesus calling us to “come”? What are the fears we must face to fulfill his will in our lives?
Kilby is a freelance writer from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report. He received his undergrad degree in humanities and Catholic culture from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition to working with the Knights of the Holy Eucharist (knights.org), he has served as a journalist for Princeton Packet Publications, and the Trenton Monitor, the magazine for the Diocese of Trenton. Some of his published work can also be found in St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Herald (UK), and Catholic World Report. For the latter he is managing editor. Find more of his writing at ramblingspirit.com
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