Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

MATTHEW 13:22-33
SAINT ELIZABETH ANNE SETON WAS A WIDOW WITH FIVE CHILDREN WHEN SHE DECIDED TO BECOME A ROMAN CATHOLIC. SHE HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE UPPER CLASSES OF NEW YORK CITY, AND HAD SHE REMAINED AN EPISCOPALIAN, SHE WOULD HAVE INHERITED WHAT WAS LEFT OF HER HUSBAND'S FORTUNE, REMAINED A MEMBER OF HIGH SOCIETY, AND HER CHILDREN WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH BETTER LIFE AT LEAST IN MATERIAL TERMS. NO ONE WOULD HAVE BLAMED HER FOR REMAINING AN EPISCOPALIAN, OR AT LEAST DEFERRING THIS DECISION UNTIL HER CHILDREN WERE GROWN. BUT WHEN YOU READ ABOUT ELIZABETH, YOU NOTE THAT SHE WAS A PERSON WHO, WHEN SHE WAS CONVINCED SHE WAS RIGHT, WOULD IMMEDIATELY STEP OUT. WHEN HER HUSBAND CONTRACTED TUBERCULOSIS, IT WAS SHE WHO DECIDED TO MOVE THE WHOLE FAMILY TO ITALY, WHERE HE MIGHT HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT RECOVERY IN THAT CLIMATE. WHEN SHE RETURNED FROM ITALY, BEFORE HER CONVERSION, SHE OPENED A SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND MANY OF HER FRIENDS SENT THEIR CHILDREN TO HER SCHOOL. WHEN NEWS GOT OUT ABOUT HER CONVERSION, THOUGH, THEY WITHDREW THEIR DAUGHTERS, AND ELIZABETH HIT A REAL LOW POINT. SHE WAS EVENTUALLY INVITED TO START A SCHOOL FOR POOR CHILDREN IN BALTIMORE, AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
TODAY, SAINT PETER SAYS, “IF IT IS REALLY YOU, THEN COMMAND ME TO COME TO YOU ON THE WATER.” AND JESUS SAYS, “COME.” AT THAT POINT PETER COULD HAVE SIMPLY SAID, “OK, I BELIEVE YOU.” I THINK THIS IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH TODAY. IT ISN'T THE FACT THAT TWO THIRDS OF CATHOLICS DON'T GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE. IT ISN'T THE FACT THAT MOST CATHOLICS ARE NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE BIBLE OR WITH WHAT THE CHURCH REALLY TEACHES. THE REAL ROT AT THE HEART OF OUR CHURCH IS THAT THOSE OF US WHO SAY WE BELIEVE LEAVE IT AT THAT, MOST OF THE TIME. WE ARE QUITE CONTENT TO SAY, “I DO BELIEVE!” AND GO ON WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN OUR LIVES.
SAINT PETER MAY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF LITTLE FAITH BY THE LORD. BUT HE IS THE REAL HERO IN THIS STORY. HE IS THE ONE WHO LOOKS OUT ON THAT WILD SEA, WIND AND RAIN BLOWING IN HIS FACE, THE BOAT ALMOST CAPSIZING; AND WHEN HE HEARS JESUS SAY “COME” AGAINST ALL HIS INSTINCTS, AGAINST THE CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU CAN'T WALK ON WATER, HE STEPS OUT. AND HE GOES A FEW STEPS, AND HIS CONFIDENCE GROWS, AND THEN HE REALIZES THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF THE SITUATION, AND STARTS TO SINK. BUT HE STEPPED OUT. HE BELIEVED, AND HE ACTED ON HIS BELIEF.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? THAT THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE WORD OF GOD? IF YOU REALLY BELIEVED THIS, WOULDN'T YOU BE READING IT? WOULDN'T YOU BE LOOKING FOR SOME HELP UNDERSTANDING IT? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, HIS SACRAMENTAL PRESENCE AMONG US? IF YOU DID, WOULDN'T YOU PREPARE YOURSELF TO RECEIVE HIM? WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO COME HERE EACH WEEK WITH SOMETHING TO OFFER HIM, SOME STRUGGLE OVERCOME, SOME GIFT TO GIVE? DO YOU BELIEVE THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE BRINGS ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AND THE GRACE TO CONQUER SIN? SURELY THAT WOULD MAKE YOU PARTAKE OF THE SACRAMENT MORE OFTEN, RIGHT?
AND WE COULD GO ON AND ON, LISTING WHAT WE SAY WE BELIEVE AND WHAT ANY RATIONAL PERSON WHO BELIEVED THAT WOULD DO – AND THEN ASKING THE QUESTION, “DO I REALLY BELIEVE THAT?” AND BELIEVE ME, I AM PREACHING TO MYSELF AS MUCH AS TO YOU.
MANY YEARS AGO, A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR DESCRIBED TO ME A WAY TO EXAMINE MY CONSCIENCE, EVERY DAY. IT IS THE METHOD OF THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD. THE SHIELD IS TO GO THROUGH MY DAY, LOOKING AT WHAT I DID RIGHT AND WHAT I DID WRONG. IT IS A FORM OF MINDFULNESS. IT HELPS ME RECOGNIZE MY STRENGTHS AND MY WEAKNESSES. AT THE END OF THAT EXERCISE, I MIGHT LOOK FOR WHAT GOT ME IN TO TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND RESOLVE TO AVOID THAT. BUT I WOULD ALWAYS ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND THE GRACE TO DO BETTER TOMORROW. THE SWORD, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS TO IDENTIFY A VIRTUE I NEED TO DEVELOP, OR SOMETHING ELSE POSITIVE THAT I CAN CULTIVATE. AND EVERY DAY I LOOK TO SEE WHETHER I'VE MADE PROGRESS HERE, AND WHAT I CAN DO TOMORROW TO MAKE PROGRESS. AND A VERY GOOD WAY TO DO THIS IS TO TAKE A SINGLE ITEM FROM THE LIST OF THINGS I CLAIM TO BELIEVE, AND ACT ON THAT. AND WHEN MY ACTIONS BECOME CONSISTENT WITH THIS THING THAT I BELIEVE, WELL, IT'S TIME TO PULL OUT ANOTHER BELIEF, AND WORK ON THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE NOT CONVERTING THE WORLD. THAT'S WHY THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS STILL NOT HERE. THAT'S WHY, IN FACT, WE AREN'T AS HAPPY AS WE COULD BE, AS FULFILLED AS WE SHOULD BE. BECAUSE OUR BELIEFS DO NOT RESULT IN ACTION, AT LEAST NOT TO A GREAT EXTENT. AND THE WORLD KNOWS, AND SAYS, “YOU CATHOLICS SAY ONE THING AND DO ANOTHER. WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN?'
SAINT PETER ACTED ON HIS BELIEF; HE BELIEVED THAT THE POWER OF JESUS COULD ENABLE HIM TO WALK ON WATER. THE FACT THAT HE DIDN'T MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO JESUS WAS NOT THE FAULT OF THE POWER OF JESUS. IT WAS THAT PETER CEASED TO ACT ON HIS FAITH, AND ACTED ON WHAT HE SAW WITH HIS EYES AND KNEW FROM HIS EXPERIENCE. BUT NOTICE, JESUS NEVER ABANDONED HIM, AND NEVER ABANDONS YOU OR I. IF WE BEGIN THIS GREAT WORK OF TRAINING OURSELVES TO ACT ON OUR BELIEFS, WE WILL CERTAINLY FAIL, WE WILL FALL SHORT. BUT JESUS IS ALWAYS THERE, GRASPING OUR HAND AS WE SINK, REMINDING US THAT WE WILL SUCCEED, AS OUR FAITH GROWS STRONGER.
I DON'T KNOW IF PETER EVER DID WALK ON WATER AGAIN. BUT HE DID WORK MIRACLES, AND HE DID CONVERT THOUSANDS AND HE DID LEAD THE EARLY CHURCH IN THE FACE OF THE CONDEMNATION OF HIS FELLOW JEWS AND THE ANIMOSITY OF THE ROMANS. AND HE DID CONTINUE TO MAKE MISTAKES. BUT HE NEVER AGAIN FALTERED; HE ACTED ON HIS BELIEFS. AND FOR HIM, THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS REALIZED.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? DO YOU BELIEVE IT ENOUGH TO ACT ON THE BELIEF YOU HAVE? OR IS IT JUST WORDS?