The Divine presence
1Kings 19:9, 11-13; Psalm 84; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33
The Divine presence is often manifested in prayer and power. In the gospel, Jesus demonstrated power over natural forces by calming the wind and walking on water. After which, he went into the hills by himself to pray. In the first reading, God revealed himself to Elijah through “a still small voice”. In prayer, we often expect God to reveal himself in dramatic ways. Elijah’s experience brings to mind the operations of the divine presence.
God’s power is omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. In the gospel reading, this threefold power of God was revealed. He revealed his omnipotent power when he walked on the sea, made Peter walk on the sea, and calmed the storm. He revealed his omniscience power when he saw the disciples in difficulty, and he came to help them. He revealed his omnipresent power when he appeared to them at the fourth watch of the night. There is no end to the possibility of God’s power. Other lessons today are:
Solitude: Christ went to a lonely place to pray, and Elijah outside on the hills found God in silence. Solitude is essential to prayer. Robert Cardinal Sarah talks about geographical solitude and interior solitude. In geographical solitude, a man goes to a distant or different location to be all alone with God in prayer. While in interior solitude, a man goes into himself. We often favor geographical solitude; we want to see places and climb up hills, but in truth, if we have not attained interior solitude (internal silence), even our geographical solitude will be meaningless.
Silence: silence is not solitude, and solitude is not silence. While solitude is the practice of getting alone, silence means getting quiet. The experience of Elijah equally goes to show that silence is a necessary factor in a place of solitude and prayer. Matt 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” ‘Go into your room’ depicts geographical solitude; ‘Shut the door’ means silence—a barricade against distractions and noise. The church, in her celebration, values the moments of silence; the same should be applicable in our private prayers. It’s not enough to open our mouths and pray; we must equally open our ears and listen.
Courage: Jesus said to Peter, “Courage, it is I; do not be afraid” Fear is one of the most popular weapons the enemy uses against the children of God. Fear is the greatest attack against faith. Peter could walk on the sea by faith, but when fear set in, he began to sink. There are many possibilities in the realm of faith. If we must experience these possibilities, we must conquer our fears. Fear can overwhelm us to the point of controlling every move and decision we make. Today, a lot is happening around us; the storm in our land is making most of us live in fear. Remember the words of Jesus , “Courage, it is I”.
Vision: Peter was courageous in the boat but timid on the water. Peter was bold at the last supper but timid on the night of trial. Through his experiences, he became more cautious. Sometimes it looks as if we are weak, and other times we appear strong. Never give up on your vision of Jesus because of your mistakes or weaknesses; rather, learn from your failures and be more cautious. Every time Peter failed, he did not fail to cling to Jesus. When he was sinking, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me’. Jesus saved him. If you fall, rise. Most great men in the world had their failures. They are great because they did not give up in the face of failure. Don’t give up on God because you failed. Don’t lose your vision of Jesus!
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
