Reflecting on the Word

By Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

In the Gospel, the disciples battle a headwind. The sea is rough.  Their boat struggles. In the first reading, Elijah has clashed with King  Ahab and Queen Jezebel and has run from their death threats. Now  he experiences an earthquake and crushing rocks and violent wind.  What a lot of trouble in both stories! Do you ever feel pandemonium  swirling around you? 

In the turbulence, Elijah hears a “silent sound.” He knows the  whisper of his God and comes to meet God at the entrance of the  cave. From the surface of the stormy sea, Jesus says one word to  Peter: “Come.” Peter recognizes the call of his Master. He steps out  of the boat. 

“Come!” Often, we think about what that means to us. But what  does this vibrant beckoning say about the reality of who our God is?  The Almighty has the raw power to rock mountains. The Son has the  authority to still violent seas. The Spirit hovers over creation. Yet at  the core of that Triune sovereignty is the resounding call: “Come!” 

We hear “Come!” in the call of the disciples. We hear it in “Let  all who thirst, come!” We hear it in “The Spirit and the bride say,  ‘Come!’ ” Jesus reveals to us how deeply we are desired: “Come to  me.” Augustine says that our hearts are restless until they rest in  God. How much more restless is God’s heart for us? 

God’s “Come!” enfolds our entire being. We are wanted. That  same divine command triggered the process of our birth—we are  desired on earth. A heavenly “Come!” will set the process of our  death in motion: we are sought after in heaven. No matter what,  the chaos will not win. We have nothing to fear. Radiant delight surrounds us at all times.

Consider/Discuss 

  • The eternal “Come!” can be so quiet that we have to tune our spiritual  senses to perceive it, for in the bedlam of life, we may miss it. What of the  chaos can we “turn down” in order to hear more carefully the still small  voice of our Beloved? 
  • Peter steps out of the boat after he recognizes the call of Jesus, the Master.  The rest of the disciples do not. Which of the characters in the story do you  identify with? Would you stay in the boat? Would you step out onto the  water? Why or why not? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Jesus, you summon us in prayer, “Come to me!” You beckon us  when we are heavily laden. You call to us when we are afraid. You  want to give us your peace. At the same time, you know that we  push back. You even know why, when we do not. Lord, strengthen  our spiritual powers so that we grow more sensitive to hearing you.  You are restless for us. Open our hands and help us come to you.

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