Stepping Out of the Boat: Finding Christ in Troubled Waters

19 Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Bible presents the sea as both beautiful and life-giving, yet also as a symbol of chaos, danger, and forces beyond human control. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals his divine authority by walking upon the troubled waters and inviting Peter to step out of the boat and come toward him. Christ similarly calls us to enter the uncertain places of our lives with our eyes fixed on him, trusting that what appears frightening can become a place of grace, growth, and new life.

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Since I was a young kid, I have always loved the ocean. I find it beautiful simply to look at, especially when the sun is rising or setting over the water: to listen to the waves roll in, to go swimming, to go out on a boat, or to go fishing. The ocean has always had for me a sense of beauty and majesty.

At the same time, the ocean can also be a scary place. I remember rowing a small boat out into deeper water. When the water gets deep, it becomes so dark that you cannot see what is beneath you. Then your imagination begins to take over, and you start wondering what might be lurking down there in the depths.

The ocean, then, has this kind of duality. On the one hand, it is beautiful, life-giving, and good. On the other hand, it can be dangerous and chaotic.

This same understanding of the ocean is very strong in the Old Testament. It appears time and time again.

On the one hand, the sea represents chaos and danger. In the Psalms, we read about sailors terrified by storms and waves. In the opening pages of Genesis, the waters are associated with chaos. Later, in the Psalms and the Book of Job, we even hear about great sea creatures such as Leviathan and Rahab, which represent forces that threaten human beings.

At the same time, the Bible also presents the sea as something good. In Genesis 1, it is part of God's creation. It teems with living creatures and provides food. The Bible also speaks about the majesty of the sea. It is God's creation, something beautiful and life-giving.

But there is an even more important point that runs throughout the Old Testament: God is able to bring goodness, life, and salvation through the chaos and danger of the waters.

We see this clearly in two places.

First, in Genesis 1, God brings order out of the chaotic waters, and from them he creates a world filled with life.

Second, in the Book of Exodus, it is through the waters of the Red Sea that God liberates Israel from slavery. What appears to be a place of danger becomes the very place through which God saves his people.

In the Old Testament, then, the sea can represent danger and chaos, but because of God's power, it can also become a place of life and salvation.

In today's Gospel, Jesus steps, quite literally, into this biblical symbolism of the sea.

To understand what is happening, it is important to remember this Old Testament background.

Jesus has just multiplied the loaves and fed the crowd. Now his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee. They are in a boat surrounded by wind and waves, experiencing the danger and chaos that the sea represents.

Then, all of a sudden, Jesus comes toward them, peacefully and calmly walking across the water.

And he tells them not to be afraid.

Jesus has already shown his power by multiplying the loaves and giving food to the people. Now he reveals something even deeper about who he is.

In the Old Testament, God has power over the waters. God brings creation out of the chaotic waters, and God leads Israel safely through the Red Sea. Now Jesus shows that he possesses this same authority.

He walks upon the chaotic waters and is not overcome by them.

The Gospel is showing us something about the divinity of Christ. In the midst of chaos and fear, Jesus has the power to bring peace, goodness, and salvation.

But the story goes even further.

Jesus invites Peter to step out of the boat and come toward him.

Peter has the courage to do it. For a time, he walks toward Jesus on the water. But then he notices the wind and the waves. He becomes afraid, begins to sink, and Jesus reaches out to save him.

This becomes a powerful image for our own lives.

Each of us faces troubled or uncertain waters.

Perhaps we are going through a major life change: retirement, starting a new job, deciding to get married or have children, discerning a vocation to religious life, or taking on some new responsibility.

Perhaps the uncertainty is in one of our relationships. We may be thinking about reaching out to a family member or friend after a relationship has broken down. There is risk involved in that. We do not know how the other person will respond.

These kinds of situations can feel like troubled waters. They are uncertain, and sometimes they are frightening.

Our instinct can be to stay in the boat, to remain with what is familiar and comfortable.

But sometimes Jesus calls us out of the boat.

He invites us to enter into those uncertain situations with him.

If we always remain where we feel completely safe and comfortable, we may miss the new possibilities that Christ is placing before us.

It is often in those uncertain places that grace can come, new possibilities can arise, relationships can be healed, and our gifts can be used in new ways.

The Gospel does not tell us that the waters will always be calm. Peter still experiences the wind and the waves. The important thing is that he keeps his attention on Jesus.

The same is true for us.

When we remain close to Christ, the troubled waters of our lives can become places where God brings something good. What first appears to be only uncertainty or risk can become an opportunity for growth, peace, and new life, not only for us but also for those around us.

Jesus continues to invite us onto those waters of our lives that can seem frightening: new directions, new relationships, new responsibilities, new ways of using the gifts we have been given.

It can be more comfortable to remain in the boat.

But sometimes Christ is waiting for us out on the water.

Let us pray today for the courage to recognize his invitation, to keep our eyes fixed on him, and, when he calls us, to step out of the boat and journey with him into those uncertain waters.

The Economics of God’s Kingdom: How Jesus Multiplies What We Give

 18 Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

In the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus reveals the economics of the Kingdom of God: when we offer what we have, he multiplies it for the good of others. The generous banquet of Jesus stands in sharp contrast to Herod’s selfish banquet, which ends in the death of John the Baptist. The Gospel invites us to place our time, talents, and treasure into Jesus’ hands and to respond to the needs around us by saying, “Let me be the one.”

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Sometimes when we turn on the news or look at social media, we hear people talking about investing and the stock market. The idea is familiar: you put something in, you hope for a good return, and over time, what you invested grows.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us something about the economics of the Kingdom of God.

There are five thousand men, not including women and children, gathered around Jesus. They are hungry and need to be fed. The disciples have very little to offer: five loaves and two fish. Yet when this small gift is placed into the hands of Jesus, he multiplies it and feeds the entire crowd.

This Gospel is about what happens when we place our gifts at the service of God and others. What we offer may seem small, but Jesus can multiply it far beyond anything we could accomplish alone.

At first, it may seem that there is only one meal in this passage: the feeding of the five thousand. But the Gospel of Matthew places this meal beside another banquet.

Just before this passage, Herod holds a great banquet for his birthday. He is surrounded by wealth, privilege, and powerful people. Yet his banquet is marked by pride, selfishness, and violence. It is during this celebration that Herod orders the death of John the Baptist.

Herod has abundance, but he does not use it to bring life. His banquet ends in death.

Jesus’ banquet is completely different. Jesus begins with very little, but what he has is shared generously. His banquet is open to everyone. No one is excluded, and no one leaves hungry. Herod uses his power for himself; Jesus uses his power to serve others. Herod’s meal brings death, while Jesus’ meal brings life.

Matthew places these two banquets beside each other intentionally. They reveal two very different ways of living.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of God preparing a banquet for all peoples, where everyone is invited to come, eat, and drink without cost. This banquet refers not only to food, but also to the grace, goodness, forgiveness, and life that God gives freely.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus fulfils this promise. He feeds an enormous crowd and generously provides for their needs.

But there is an important detail: Jesus invites his followers to participate in the miracle.

Jesus could have made bread and fish appear out of nowhere. Instead, he asks what the disciples can offer. They bring him five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes their small gift, blesses it, breaks it, and multiplies it.

Jesus continues to care for the world in the same way today. He works through the generosity of his followers.

When I was studying in Rome, I sometimes visited a chapel to pray. On the wall of the chapel was a crucifix that had been damaged, perhaps during an earthquake. The arms of the figure of Jesus had broken off and had never been replaced.

The community deliberately kept the crucifix that way because it taught an important lesson. Jesus had no arms on the cross because we are now his arms. The Church—the baptized, you and I—continues the work of Christ in the world.

Jesus reaches out to the lonely through our hands. He feeds the hungry through our generosity. He encourages the discouraged through our words. He cares for those who are suffering through our compassion and service.

This is also the meaning of stewardship.

Stewardship is the recognition that everything we have is a gift from God, entrusted to us so that it may be used well. We often speak about stewardship in terms of the three Ts: time, talent, and treasure.

Each of us has received a different combination of these gifts. The question is whether we will keep them for ourselves or place them into the hands of Jesus.

Imagine what would have happened if the people with the five loaves and two fish had refused to share them. Perhaps they would have enjoyed a small meal by themselves. Perhaps some of the food would even have gone to waste.

But because they offered what they had, thousands of people were fed.

That is the return on investment in the Kingdom of God.

When we offer our treasure, God can use it to support the Church, charities, and people in need. When we offer our time, God can use it to encourage someone who is lonely, struggling, or forgotten. A phone call, a visit, or remembering someone’s birthday may seem like a small gesture, but it can make an enormous difference.

When we offer our talents, Jesus can also multiply them.

In almost every parish bulletin, we see invitations to serve in different ministries: music, reading, hospitality, catechism, RCIA, outreach, and many others. Hundreds of people offer their abilities in the parish and in the wider community.

Each contribution may seem small. One person reads at Mass. Another teaches a class. Another welcomes people at the door. Another visits someone in hospital. But together, these acts of service allow Christ to continue his work in the world.

Jesus takes our time, our talents, and our treasure and transforms them into a blessing for others.

Today’s Gospel is therefore an invitation to generosity. It shows us how the economics of the Kingdom of God work. When we hold tightly to what we have, its impact remains limited. But when we place our gifts into the hands of Jesus, he multiplies them.

Mother Teresa often offered simple and memorable advice. When she saw a person who was lonely, hungry, discouraged, or in need of help, her response was: “Let me be the one.”

If someone needs a phone call, let me be the one to call.

If someone needs encouragement, let me be the one to speak.

If someone needs help, let me be the one to serve.

May each of us be willing to say, “Let me be the one.” Let us offer Jesus the gifts God has given us—our time, our talents, and our treasure—trusting that he will multiply them and make them a blessing for the world.

The Hidden Treasure: Rediscovering the Joy of Following Jesus

 17 Sunday OT

Jesus’ parable of the treasure hidden in a field reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is not merely an obligation but a gift of immeasurable value. Like people who discover that an ordinary household object is actually priceless, Christians can become so accustomed to their faith that they lose sight of its beauty. The Gospel invites us to make a spiritual reset and rediscover the mercy, community, purpose, prayer, and joy we have found in following Christ.

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I think I have mentioned before that one of my favourite television shows to catch in reruns is Antiques Roadshow. Many of you have probably seen it. People bring items from their homes to be examined and valued by experts.

Sometimes, the items turn out to be little more than junk. Every so often, however, someone brings in an object that has been sitting unnoticed in the family home for generations, and it turns out to be extraordinarily valuable.

In one memorable episode, a man brought in an old blanket that had been casually draped over the back of his sofa for years. He had received it from his grandfather. When the expert examined it, he discovered that it was a rare Navajo chief’s blanket, potentially worth close to a million dollars.

In another episode, a man brought in an old watch that had been passed down through his family. It turned out to be a rare Patek Philippe watch, which later sold for around $1.5 million.

Today’s Gospel is also about treasure: searching for treasure, discovering it in unexpected places, and perhaps even having a treasure right in front of us without recognizing its true value.

Jesus tells us about a man who discovers treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again and, filled with joy, sells everything he owns in order to buy that field.

At first, the story might sound unrealistic. Imagine walking through Tipperary Park, noticing the corner of a treasure chest sticking out of the ground, digging it up, and finding it filled with ancient coins. That is probably not something we expect to happen on an ordinary afternoon.

In the ancient world, however, burying treasure was not so unusual. Before modern banks existed, people often protected their valuables by placing coins, precious metals, or jewels in a container and hiding it underground. This was especially common during times of war or political instability.

The biblical scholar R. T. France explains that, before banking became widespread, hiding wealth in the ground was a recognized way of keeping it secure, particularly during a crisis.

A fascinating example is the Copper Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered near Qumran in the middle of the twentieth century. It is called the Copper Scroll because—biblical scholarship occasionally makes naming easy—it was written on copper.

Unlike most of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it reads almost like a treasure map. It lists locations where valuable objects were supposedly hidden throughout the Judean wilderness. Its opening instructions describe treasure buried near the Valley of Achor, beneath some steps, a certain distance from an eastern entrance.

Many people have searched for the treasures described in the scroll, although none has ever been conclusively found. Perhaps the treasure was removed long ago. Nevertheless, the scroll shows us that Jesus’ parable would not have sounded impossible to the people of his time.

The most important part of the parable, however, is not the historical practice of burying treasure. It is the reaction of the man who finds it.

Jesus tells us that the man sells everything he has with joy.

The treasure represents the kingdom of heaven: the new life that Jesus offers us and the vocation we received at our baptism. It is something so good and so valuable that the man is willing to reorganize his entire life around it.

This is an important reminder for us. Following Jesus is not simply an obligation or a burden. It is a treasure. It is something that brings joy, meaning, freedom, and fulfilment.

We know that there is a great difference between doing something because we feel forced to do it and doing something because we recognize its value. When we love something, our sacrifices take on a different meaning.

Think, for example, of the careers of great athletes. Consider the countless hours that elite soccer players spend practising, training, travelling, and caring for their physical health. Certainly, there must be many mornings when they do not feel like training. Yet they persevere because they love the sport. They recognize something valuable in it. Their sacrifices are connected to a passion and a purpose.

The same is true of our faith.

Following Jesus can certainly be challenging. The Gospel asks us to forgive when forgiveness is difficult. It calls us to serve, to make time for prayer, to be generous, and to place our gifts at the service of others. We should not pretend that these things are always easy.

Yet we must never forget the joy at the centre of the Christian life. Following Christ is a treasure. The sacrifices of discipleship make sense only when we remember the value of what we have discovered.

From time to time, we need to rediscover that treasure.

Perhaps we can think of it as a spiritual reset. When we use a computer or a phone, we can gradually open more and more applications. Our browser fills with countless tabs. Eventually, the device begins to slow down, and we need to close everything and restart it.

Something similar can happen in our spiritual lives. Challenges, responsibilities, worries, distractions, and routines begin to accumulate. We can continue doing all the right things while slowly losing sight of why we are doing them.

Sometimes, we need to stop and begin again. We need to ask ourselves: Why do I follow Jesus? What is the treasure I have discovered in him? What gives me joy in my faith?

The answer may be somewhat different for each of us.

Perhaps our treasure is the experience of God’s mercy: knowing that we are forgiven, loved, and given another opportunity to begin.

Perhaps it is the peace that comes when we look back and recognize that God has answered our prayers—not always in the way we expected, but in the way we needed.

Perhaps it is the support of the Christian community: gathering with people who encourage us, pray for us, and walk with us through the joys and struggles of life.

Perhaps we experience the treasure of faith when we use our gifts to serve someone in need.

Perhaps it is found in Scripture, when a familiar passage suddenly speaks directly to our life and gives us hope.

Perhaps we discover it in the sacraments, in the beauty of the liturgy, or in a few quiet moments spent in the presence of God.

Today’s Gospel invites us to recognize these treasures again.

On Antiques Roadshow, people sometimes discover that something they have lived beside for years is far more valuable than they ever imagined. It was always there, but they needed someone to help them see it properly.

Today, Jesus does something similar for us. He points once again to the treasure we already possess: the gift of knowing him, following him, and participating in his kingdom.

At this Mass, let us each identify one or two things that make following Jesus a treasure for us. Let us remember what gives us joy, what gives our lives meaning, and what first drew us toward Christ.

And, like the man in the parable, may we respond to that treasure not reluctantly or fearfully, but with joy.