- 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 Kings 19:9,11-13; Psalm 84(85):9-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33Today's readings reveal that God most often makes Himself known not through overwhelming displays of power, but through the quiet tenderness of His love. Elijah discovers this on Mount Horeb. The Lord is not in the violent wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the gentle whisper that reaches the heart. God’s strength is revealed through His closeness, patience, and faithful love. The Psalm celebrates this same mystery: “Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced.” In God, tenderness is not weakness but the perfect expression of His justice and mercy. Saint Paul, however, shows another reality. His deep sorrow for his own people reminds us that God’s countless gifts can pass unnoticed when the heart becomes ungrateful or closed to His love. Gratitude keeps us attentive to God's gentle presence; ingratitude blinds us to it. In the Gospel, Peter begins to walk on the water while his eyes remain fixed on Jesus. But when he shifts his attention from the tenderness of the Lord's presence to the violence of the wind, fear overcomes him and he begins to sink. The wind had been there from the beginning; what changed was Peter’s focus. The same is true in our lives. Storms will always exist, but they need not dominate our hearts. Faith grows when we become more aware of the quiet tenderness of Christ than of the strength of our difficulties. Every time we cry out, “Lord, save me!”, Jesus immediately stretches out His hand. His tenderness is always greater than our fears, and His love is always stronger than the storms we face. Let’s reflect: When the storms of life arise, do I focus more on the force of the wind, or on the quiet tenderness of God’s love, which is always reaching out to save me?
Don Giorgio