19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
O you of little faith. (Matthew 14:31)
Have you ever seen a toddler take a few wobbly steps and then tumble to the ground? You would probably be shocked if you saw his mother or father angrily rebuke him for falling. That’s not what parents do. They bend down with a smile to lift the child up, embrace him, and encourage him to try again.
That’s a great way to understand Jesus’ words to his disciples in today’s Gospel. He loves them. He loves Peter’s bold attempt to walk toward him on the waves. He knows that Peter is taking an important step toward a confident mature faith. He also knows that Peter’s flop into the water won’t be the end of the story. Far from being a failure or a disaster, it will become a milestone on his journey of discipleship. Yes, Peter had “little faith,” but he did have faith!
Jesus looks at us with love when he sees our attempts to follow him. He applauds our successes, and he reaches out to help us when we fail. He is quick to come to our aid if we take a misstep or start to doubt. He knows that each step reflects our growth toward maturity.
Try something new today, just as Peter did. You probably won’t want to step out onto your nearest body of water, but there are plenty of other things you can do. Just choose one. Think about something that might have arisen in your thoughts recently. Perhaps you would like to help the less fortunate; try it. You could set up one time to volunteer to serve meals to the homeless. You don’t need to have the perfect words to say to the people you’ll meet. Just take that first step. Jesus will be with you, ready to lift you up if you stumble.
You may be surprised to find that trying something new strengthens your “little faith” and brings you closer to Jesus.
“Thank you, Jesus, that you look at me with love. Make me bold to try to follow you in a new way today. I believe that you will be with me.”
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
Psalm 85:9-14
Romans 9:1-5
Daily Marriage Tip for August 13, 2017:
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Do you have doubts or concerns about your marriage? Have faith in Christ that it can be restored. Consider enhancing or healing your marriage by checking out some of the resources on our page. Even if your marriage is going well, consider going on a retreat […]