19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11–13a; Romans 9:1–5; Matthew 14:22–33

In Difficult Times, Keep Your Eyes on Christ

Let me begin with a simple story.

Abraham Lincoln led the United States during one of the most painful periods in its history—the Civil War. One day, some of his officers were waiting outside his office for a meeting. As they waited, they heard Lincoln talking inside. After some time, he came out and invited them in.

The officers looked around, but there was nobody else in the room. So they asked him, “Sir, who were you talking to?”

Lincoln simply replied, “I was talking to God.”

That simple answer tells us something very important. In times of crisis, even great leaders realize that they cannot depend only on themselves. They need God.

And if that is true for a great leader like Abraham Lincoln, how much more do we need God in our own lives?

My dear brothers and sisters, the readings today speak to us about God’s presence in difficult times. They remind us that when life becomes difficult, we should not run away from God. We should turn toward Him. When we do, He gives us strength, courage and peace.

God Is Present in the Small Things

In the first reading, we meet the prophet Elijah.

After the time of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was divided. The northern kingdom was led by kings who often turned the people away from the true God. King Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, encouraged the worship of false gods.

Elijah stood courageously for the Lord. He challenged the prophets of Baal and proclaimed that the Lord alone is God.

But after this great victory, Elijah’s life was threatened. Jezebel wanted to kill him. So Elijah ran away. He became frightened, exhausted and discouraged. Finally, he entered a cave and stayed there.

Perhaps Elijah was asking himself:

“Where is God? Why has God allowed all this to happen to me?”

Then God told him to stand outside the cave.

First came a powerful wind.

But God was not in the wind.

Then came an earthquake.

But God was not in the earthquake.

Then came a fire.

But God was not in the fire.

After the fire came a gentle whisper—a tiny, quiet sound.

And Elijah recognized that God was there.

What a beautiful lesson for us!

We often expect God to come into our lives through something dramatic. We may think, “If God really cares for me, He should give me a big sign. He should solve my problem immediately.”

But God does not always work through dramatic events.

Very often, God comes quietly.

He comes through a kind word from another person.

He comes through a moment of prayer.

He comes through the words of Scripture.

He comes through the Holy Mass.

He comes through a family member who encourages us when we are discouraged.

He comes through the peace we experience in the silence of our hearts.

The question is not always, “Is God speaking?”

The question is often, “Am I quiet enough to listen?”

Sometimes God is already speaking, but our hearts are too noisy to hear Him.

Even When We Do the Right Thing, We May Face Storms

In today’s Gospel, we see the disciples in a completely different situation.

Jesus sends them across the lake. They obey Him. They are doing exactly what Jesus told them to do.

And yet, suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a storm.

Think about that for a moment.

They were doing what Jesus asked them to do—and still they faced a storm.

That is an important lesson for us.

Sometimes we think, “I pray. I go to Mass. I try to live a good life. So why am I having so many problems?”

But following Christ does not mean that we will never experience difficulties.

A good Christian can become sick.

A faithful family can experience problems.

A person who prays can still face financial difficulties.

A loving marriage can go through struggles.

A sincere priest or religious can experience discouragement.

A person who trusts God can still go through moments of fear and uncertainty.

Faith does not mean that there will be no storms.

Faith means that Jesus is with us in the storm.

“Take Courage. It Is I. Do Not Be Afraid.”

In the middle of the storm, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water.

But they do not recognize Him. They are frightened.

Jesus says to them:

“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

These are among the most comforting words in the Bible:

“Do not be afraid.”

God knows how easily we become afraid.

We are afraid of the future.

We are afraid of sickness.

We are afraid of losing someone we love.

We are afraid of failure.

We are afraid of loneliness.

We are afraid when our children make wrong choices.

We are afraid when our family relationships are broken.

We are afraid when we do not know what tomorrow will bring.

And Jesus says to us:

“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Notice that Jesus does not first say, “The storm is over.”

He first says, “I am here.”

That is the heart of our Christian faith.

The greatest consolation is not that there will be no storms.

The greatest consolation is that Jesus is with us in the storm.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Then Peter says something wonderful:

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus says, “Come.”

Peter steps out of the boat.

And amazingly, Peter begins to walk on the water!

But then he looks away from Jesus.

He notices the strong wind.

He notices the waves.

He begins to think about the danger.

Fear takes over.

And he begins to sink.

Isn’t that exactly what happens to us?

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we have courage.

But when we keep looking only at our problems, our problems become bigger than our faith.

When we keep looking at our fears, fear controls us.

When we keep looking at our failures, we begin to believe that we are useless.

When we keep looking at what others are saying about us, we lose our peace.

Peter teaches us something very simple:

Do not allow the storm to become bigger than Christ.

There is a simple story about a young boy who was learning to sail. During a storm, he became frightened as the boat moved up and down on the waves.

Someone shouted to him:

“Look up! Don’t look down! Keep your eyes up!”

As long as he looked up, he remained steady. But when he looked down at the waves, he became dizzy and frightened.

My dear brothers and sisters, that is also our spiritual life.

When the storms of life come, look up. Look to Christ.

What Are the Storms in Our Lives?

Each one of us has our own storm.

For some, it may be sickness.

For others, it may be family problems.

For someone else, it may be financial difficulties.

For another person, it may be loneliness.

Perhaps someone here is worried about a child.

Perhaps someone is carrying a broken relationship.

Perhaps someone is grieving the loss of a loved one.

Perhaps someone is struggling with anxiety about the future.

Perhaps someone has been praying for something for many years and is wondering:

“Lord, where are you?”

Today’s Gospel gives us an answer:

Jesus is there—even in the middle of the storm.

You may not always see Him immediately.

You may not understand what He is doing.

But He has not abandoned you.

Faith Is More Than Knowing About Jesus

The Gospel also reminds us that faith is not simply knowing something about Jesus.

Faith is trusting Jesus personally.

I may know many things about a person without actually having a relationship with that person.

In the same way, we can know many things about Jesus. We can know the prayers. We can know the Bible stories. We can come to Mass.

But Jesus wants more than information about Him.

He wants a relationship with us.

Our faith becomes strong when we remain close to Him through prayer, the Word of God, the Eucharist and the Christian community.

Think about a purse.

A purse by itself does not make anyone rich. It is valuable only when there is something inside it.

In the same way, our religious practices become truly meaningful when our hearts are filled with the presence of Christ.

We need not only to know about Jesus.

We need to know Jesus, trust Jesus and remain with Jesus.

“Lord, Save Me!”

Then Peter begins to sink.

And what does he do?

He does not give a long speech.

He does not try to explain everything.

He simply cries out:

“Lord, save me!”

And immediately, Jesus reaches out His hand and catches him.

What a beautiful prayer!

Sometimes, when we are in trouble, we think we need complicated prayers.

But perhaps the best prayer is simply:

“Lord, save me.”

When you are afraid:

“Lord, help me.”

When you are discouraged:

“Lord, give me strength.”

When you have sinned:

“Lord, have mercy on me.”

When you don’t know what to do:

“Lord, guide me.”

When you feel alone:

“Lord, stay with me.”

These are short prayers, but they come from the heart.

And God listens to the prayer that comes from a sincere heart.

The Real Test of Faith

It is easy to trust God when everything is going well.

It is easy to say, “Thank you, Lord,” when our health is good, our family is happy, our work is going well and everything is under control.

But the deeper question is:

Can I trust God when things are not going well?

Can I trust Him when I am sick?

Can I trust Him when my family is struggling?

Can I trust Him when my prayers seem unanswered?

Can I trust Him when I don’t understand what God is doing?

That is where faith becomes real.

Faith is not saying, “I understand everything.”

Faith is saying, “Lord, I don’t understand, but I trust You.”

Do Not Run Away from God in Difficult Times

Unfortunately, when some people experience difficulties, they move away from God.

They stop praying.

They stop coming to Mass.

They become angry with God.

But today’s readings invite us to do exactly the opposite.

When life becomes difficult, come closer to God.

When you are afraid, pray.

When you are discouraged, open the Bible.

When you feel weak, come to the Eucharist.

When you are confused, sit quietly before the Lord.

When you are sinking, cry out:

“Lord, save me!”

And remember the response of Jesus:

“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

The storms of life will come.

We cannot always prevent them.

We cannot always understand them.

But we can decide where we will keep our eyes.

If we keep looking only at the storm, we will become frightened.

If we keep looking only at our problems, we will lose hope.

But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will find strength to continue.

Elijah discovered God not in the earthquake, the fire or the powerful wind, but in the gentle whisper.

Peter discovered that Jesus was there in the middle of the storm.

And we too can discover that God is present in our ordinary lives and in our most difficult moments.

So, whenever you face a storm this week, remember three simple things:

Listen for God in the silence.
Keep your eyes on Christ.
And when you begin to sink, cry out: “Lord, save me!”

And Jesus will reach out His hand.

Because the storm may be strong,

but Christ is stronger.

The waves may be frightening,

but Christ is with us.

And the future may be uncertain,

but our lives are safe in His hands.