This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” 

At last – back in the boat. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how (strong) the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

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This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In biblical thought, only God walks on the sea (Job 9:8 – “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the back of the sea”; Ps 77:20 – “Through the sea was your way; your path, through the mighty waters, though your footsteps were unseen.”). But by treading on the sea, Jesus now takes a role that the Hebrew Bible had reserved for God alone. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In this post we catch up with the disciples who have shoved off into the Sea of Galilee at Jesus’ command. With apologies to the writer Daniel James Brown, I have borrowed the title to his 2013 book on the nine young men from the University of Washington and their epic journey through the Great Depression seeking a gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. If you have not read it, put it on your “must read” list. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Matthew is known for his use of “fulfillment” in his gospel. Notable is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the “great prophet like Moses” who was to come as Messiah. There is also another theme that arises in this content. Matthew is the one gospel writer who uses the term ekklesia, the word which means “church.”

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This coming Sunday is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A.  Most often the first post in the series is “Context,” but given the nautical setting of the story, “getting our bearings” seemed more appropriate. After the collection of parables in Mt 13, the following chapter takes up what might well be a natural fall out of his teachings that are increasingly vague even as they point to coming judgment – weeds that will be burned and fish that will be discarded. People begin to wonder if Jesus is pronouncing judgment upon them or their “group.” Continue reading →