19th Sunday in Ordinary Time--August 9, 2026

Our scripture readings for today are so beautifully appropriate for our time. Our Gospel reading begins just as it did last Sunday – “Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.” Jesus shows us the importance of an intimate relationship with God the Father. Last week as Jesus told the disciples – “… give them some food yourselves.” If we are to trust in God, not only when things are easy to do and to understand, but when things seem to be beyond our capacity, we must go to Him in prayer every day. We may find ourselves like Peter. He is very bold at the start as he steps into the water, filled with the joy of faith in Jesus, but when the waters are rougher than we thought, we doubt, and fear the water more than the trust we have in Jesus. It is in precisely the times that we live in that our faith, if it is true, will indeed sustain us and we will not sink. Daily prayer is so important, in good times and in bad. There are so many contradictory messages out there that it is of the utmost importance that we keep focused on the Lord and how he is walking with us. Jesus, doing the impossible, walking on water, says to Peter – “Come.” We can only imitate Peter stepping into the water if we can recognize the very voice of God calling us forth. So, in the very midst of the turmoil of the world today, the world lies to us, and we can, as many have, fall into the trap. The first reading for today’s Mass from the Book of Kings is a good help to us on how to discern where God is and what He is calling us to do. As Elijah is looking for God to pass by: “A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord – but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake – but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire – but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.” The loud noises and the horrific sights often confuse our search for God. Stop! Be quiet! Pray! Listen! Be patient! And living a sacramental life, you will be able to see through the storm and hear Jesus calling you to step out into the water. Let’s pray for each other and be courageous.

Blessings,

Fr. Steven J. Guitron