Texts taken from the Missal “On Your Word” July-August 2023

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
3rd week of the Psalter

FIRST READING

From the First Book of Kings (1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a)
In those days, Elijah [having reached the mountain of God, Horeb], entered a cave to spend the night there. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him in these terms: “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by. There was a strong and powerful wind, splitting the mountains and shattering the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, a light, gentle breeze. When he heard it, Elijah covered his face with his cloak, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. – The word of God.

Commentary on the first reading

The three trials Elijah undergoes before his conversation with God are the sign and symbol of the purification of our lives, enabling us to reach the full union of our souls with the Lord. We begin from a condition of pride, sensuality, and selfishness. First comes the wind, which makes us waver: these are life's trials, financial setbacks, and emotional disappointments; they strip us of our sense of presumed greatness and make us humble. Then comes the earthquake: it is terrifying to feel the earth trembling beneath your feet. After losing your sense of greatness, you seem truly to be losing your life; you can no longer stand and must cry out to God to save you. Then comes the fire, whose effect is to purify in the depths the last remnants of self-love, the final passions that refuse to leave. When this threefold work is complete, the soul is entirely ready for the Lord, mature for eternity, and God reveals himself in his fullness. The gentle breeze is his sweetness, the infinite tenderness of God who loves the humble soul and pours himself fully into it.

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans  (Rom 9:1-5)
Brothers and sisters, I speak the truth in Christ - I do not lie - my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit: I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs are the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs are the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. – The word of God.

Commentary on the second reading

Several times in the Acts of the Apostles we see Paul vigorously confronting the Jews, trying to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah, indeed God himself made man. The Jews hate him and try to kill him in a thousand ways, but Paul feels neither hatred nor resentment toward them; rather, he loves them to the point of wanting to be accursed for their sake. Knowing how much Paul loved the Lord, hearing him say that he would want to be separated from Christ just to see his fellow believers in communion with him is truly astonishing and astounding. He offers himself, in his own will, as an instrument of conversion for his people. This was the work of the Lord himself, who paid for everyone on the wood of the cross, and it is also the summit of Christian spirituality: offering oneself in place of others, being willing to pay for others, even when they hate you. This is what the Virgin asked of three children at Fatima; they offered their lives to obey these directives and sanctified themselves by becoming “accursed” in the place of so many, in order to see them eternally saved.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 14:22-33)
[After the crowd had eaten], immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other shore, while he dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was already many miles from land, battered by the waves, for the wind was against them. Toward the end of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When they saw him walking on the sea, the disciples were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And he said, “Come!” Peter got out of the boat, began walking on the water, and went toward Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was strong, he became afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, caught him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” As soon as they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat bowed down before him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God!” – The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

Jesus performs an act of exquisite goodness, noticing from a distance that the boat is struggling and that his friends are in danger. He immediately leaves his prayer and goes toward them to help them and save them from shipwreck. This act of charity is met by a certain grandiosity on Peter's part, who, even amid the danger of the waves, says to the Lord: “If it is you...” He still does not believe that this man is the Lord. And who else could he have been? Jesus had spoken, saying: “It is I”; had Peter not heard him? Immediately afterward comes the apostle's audacious command: “Perform a miracle; make me walk on the water too!” Yet, faced with this somewhat childish pride, Jesus indulges him because he knows he is about to accomplish something greater: leading the heart of his beloved apostle from arrogance to humility. Peter sinks, and from the danger of shipwreck he now passes to the imminence of drowning personally, while everyone else is safe in the boat. It is truly a great humiliation. “God wants us to be humble,” comments Father Divo Barsotti, “and sometimes he has no other way to make us humble than to allow life's humiliations.” Thus, Peter's “performance” is a path to salvation.