Tag: Psalm 85

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Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

drawing of Jesus sending out the disciples in pairs to preach the Good News

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Mass Readings

Reading 1: Amos 7:12-15
Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Reading 2: Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071121.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Welcome back for another edition of deacon rudy’s notes! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we’re going to break open the Word!

I’m today’s 2nd reading, St. Paul tells us how much we are loved. We are like adopted children. We are chosen and beloved. And God wants to lavish his graces upon us!

That is Good News!

But not everyone wants to hear the Good News. You see, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means that Jesus is at the center of our lives – not fear or anger or conspiracy theories.

But there are people out there who benefit from fear and mistrust and conspiracy theories. They consider the hope of Jesus Christ as a threat to their way of life.

That what our first reading is about. You see, the prophets of that time were employees of the king. Undoubtedly the message they preached was watered down. The king’s prophets didn’t want to rock the boat.

But Amos says he doesn’t belong to a company of prophets. He was a shepherd and a fruit farmer who was inspired to share God’s message of truth. And the truth was inconvenient for the king. But that didn’t stop Amos.

We see that in today’s Gospel too. Jesus send the disciples out two-by-two to share a message of hope – a message of redemption too a people caught up in doing rather than in being God’s beloved children. But Jesus says not everyone will accept this message.

Who are the modern disciples? Who will bring the message of hope into this world?

My brothers and sisters, by our baptism, each of us are called priest, prophet and king. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are invited to share the Good News with everyone we encounter. We are called to bring the message of faith, hope and love into a world that desperately needs to hear some Good News!

Homework! Nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, I invite you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, do you allow yourself to feel like a young child, wanted, chosen and blessed?
Second, in what ways can you help others experience the hope of Jesus Christ?

I think doing our homework will help us go out into the world as the missionary disciples we are called to be! Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image: Artist. Jesus sending out the disciples two-by-two. JPG

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
2. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.
3. Williams, Peter S. Ephesians. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2009. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Mission of the apostles: 2, 551, 858-60, 1122
2. God reveals his plan: 50, 257
3. God revealed as Father of the Son: 240
4. God’s gracious plan: 257
5. God’s glory: 293-94
6. Mary as a unique example of being chosen before the foundation of the world: 492
7. Redemption through Christ: 517, 1992
8. The Holy Spirit as God’s guarantee and seal: 693, 698, 706, 1107, 1296
9. Church called to proclaim and bear witness: 737-41
10. Origin and scope of the Church’s mission: 849-56
11. Church as holy and blameless: 865, 1426
12. The fulfillment of God’s plan: 1043
13. Meaning of “blessing:” 1078-79
14. The Spirit as anticipation of fullness: 1107
15. Baptismal anointing with the Spirit: 1241
Baptism as seal: 1272-74
16. The Spirit as seal: 1295-96
17. Confirmation’s effects: 1302-5
18. Anointing of the sick: 1499-523
19. Disciples share in Christ’s healing mission: 1506-159
20. Prayer of praise: 2639
21. Adoption as children in the Son: 2782

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071121.cfm
Lectionary: 104

Reading 1
Amos 7:12-15
Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos,
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

Responsorial
Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD —for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Reading 2
Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption by his blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

OR:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of God’s grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we have redemption by his blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

Alleluia
Cf. Ephesians 1:17-18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope that
belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

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Second Sunday of Advent

Picture of Advent wreath with all 5 candles lit and the words advent hope love joy peace above wreath

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-14
Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120620.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

“…a voice of one shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”

Our readings today reinforce the Advent theme calling us to prepare for the coming of Christ. We all need to do a little tidying up before Christmas arrives. But what does that mean exactly?

There’s this interesting image from our first reading. Isaiah says we need to prepare for the Lord. He says we need to make his path straight, fill the valleys, level the mountains and hills (Isaiah 40:3-4). We hear that in our Gospel today. John the Baptist quoting Isaiah tells us, “…a voice of one shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths’” (Mark 1:3).

Let’s talk about two important points that Isaiah makes. First, the Lord is coming. This is a critical distinction between the Christian faith and so many of the false religions of mythology. The Lord is coming. He pursues us! He is so eager that we all are united together with him.

The second point Isaiah makes is that we need to remove the obstacles from his path. One way for us to consider this passage is to ask ourselves what obstacles do we place in God’s way? Is it wealth, or comfort, or style, or ego?

This ties into our second reading from Second Peter. Peter says, “…make every effort to be found spotless and stainless, in peace; and think of Our Lord’s patience as salvation” (2 Peter 3:14). Not only does Peter tell us we need to focus on the obstacles or sin in our lives, but he says that the Lord’s patience is for our salvation. In other words, God is not trying to force himself on us. He pursues us, yes, but he gives us the room and the freedom to make choices in our lives. The time we have is an example of God patiently giving us time to make things right.

Time to do what? Well, in our own lives, we need to think about the sin in our lives carefully – but not the superficial stuff. We need to dig deep! We need to think about patterns or root causes of the sin in our lives. Why is it I have this or that bad habit or this overwhelming desire to hoard money or stuff? We should do some hard reflection, then bring it to confession. What happens near the end of the sacrament? We promise with God’s help to sin no more. In other words, we commit to breaking the pattern or habits of sin in our lives.

But there’s another important message in today’s readings. Isaiah also says, “Go up on to a high mountain, you who bring good news to Sion; lift up your voice with power, you who bring good news to Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:9).

We are not supposed to only reflect on our own lives. We are supposed to go out into the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Look at John the Baptist. Why did people go into the desert to be baptized by him? John the Baptist responded to a deep and real spiritual hunger. Our twofold challenge is to examine our lives and help other people. And I would suggest to you that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there.

Look at our world today, at least in the West. First, maybe people are too comfy, too cozy, too sheltered from the elements. We have every conceivable tool and toy and creature comfort anyone could ever want. And yet, something is missing! People yearn for more!

But there’s another example we must consider. We have a great need for healing in the United States after the presidential election. Sometimes we use words as if they are insignificant, and yet our words can inflict incredible pain. Like saying to someone on the left that they’re not Catholic because they voted for Biden. Or like calling someone on the right a bigot or a racist. The reality is that words have meaning, and the words thrown about during the election inflicted a significant amount of pain. Isn’t it funny that we who wait for the Word made flesh take for granted the words we use.

Now we Christians should know better, but too many of us fell into the trap. Why? I suggest to you because it is too easy to hurl a name than to figure out why they think the way they do. If we understand each other better, then perhaps we can address the problems that confront us. But when we’re operating with blinders on, well, nothing gets done.

This Advent season, I’m eager to read a book by the renowned sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In 2018, she published Strangers in Their Own Land based on a five-year study of Tea Party conservatives in Louisiana. She chronicles some of the reasons why blue-collar white males, in particular, feel left out of the American dream. I think this is a critical study to help us see past the rhetoric to better understand people.

As Christians, we should lead the way to get to the root cause of the problem rather than whitewashing over our problems.

This Advent challenges you and me to go deeper into our motivations and try to understand others. Only by tackling the sin in our lives and institutional sin which affects others will we be able to make the path straight and be better prepared for the Lord!

Homework! Inspired by God’s grace in the Sacraments, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

First, considering the last couple of times I went to confession, is there a pattern to my sin? What might be the root causes of my sin?
Second, considering my behavior during the last presidential election – especially online – what can I do to help heal the wounds of division in my community? Another way of saying that is how can I spread Christmas joy this year even during the pandemic?

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Artist unknown. JPG file.

Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

References:
1. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
2. Montague, George T., SM. First Corinthians. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. The Good News: 422
2. The prophets and the expectation of the Messiah: 522, 711-16, 22
3. John the Baptist: 523, 717-20
4. The second coming of Christ: 671-75, 2849
5. Baptism in water and the Spirit: 720
6. Call to holiness: 824-27, 2012-16
7. God’s desire for all to be saved: 1037, 2822
8. A new heaven and a new earth: 1042-50

Second Sunday of Advent https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120620.cfm
Lectionary: 5

Reading 1
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial
Psalm 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Reading 2
2 Peter 3:8-14
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.

Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.

Alleluia
Luke 3:4, 6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Photography of painting by Ivan Aivazovsky, Jesus walks on the water

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Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A
Responsorial: Psalm 85:9-14
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080920.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

I think we can all agree that 2020 has so far been a crazy year! And the year isn’t over yet! Everything has been up ended and undoubtedly many of our plans have been slowed down or completely derailed this year.

This year has been a powerful reminder that we are not in control. And that lack of control can cause us great anxiety. We see that playing out in the social unrest particularly in the United States. What happens when we start to get nervous or anxious? We circle the wagons. We become defensive. As we seek to protect ourselves and our families, we are convinced that we are right and they are wrong – whoever “they” are (protestors, anti-maskers and pro-maskers, conservatives or liberals). It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s our effort to try to regain our sense of control.

But disasters continue to strike.

Whether it’s a New Zealand volcano, or wildfires in Australia or California, locusts in Africa, flooding and earthquakes in Puerto Rico, to COVID-19, when natural disasters strike, great uncertainty rises.

Some people have suggested to me that everything we’re experiencing are punishments by God – that God is trying to get our attention. But our first reading from 1 Kings, I think, refutes this idea. Elijah couldn’t find God in the strong and heavy winds. He couldn’t find Him in the earthquake, and he couldn’t find Him in the fire.

Even the disciples into today’s Gospel reading from Matthew undoubtedly experienced anxiety and fear as their boat was being tossed around by the waves. Why were they anxious? Maybe it’s because they realized they have no control.

Just as Elijah found God in a whispering sound, so too did the disciples catch the whisper of a image on the waters. They were so consumed with fear and doubt that they assumed it was a ghost. Can you picture this scene? Here’s a group of grown men who are devout believers in God and who follow Jesus, in a boat being tossed around by the waves. What did they do? They started screaming with fear.

Jesus speaks to them almost as if to say, “Get ahold of yourselves, men!” But is it really Jesus? Peter decides to test Jesus by saying that if it was Jesus, he could command Peter to come out to him. It’s almost as if Jesus shrugs and says, “sure, come out!” And Peter does, but as soon as he feels the wind on him – as soon as his confidence is shaken by what’s going on around him – he starts to sink. Only then does he call out and beg the Lord for help.

Jesus reaches out to Peter and steadies him. Isn’t that awesome?

Isn’t that just like life? Sometimes crap happens. We can choose to run around screaming like people of little faith, like the disciples in the boat, or we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We may not know what will happen next or how things will get sorted out. But when we place our faith in Jesus and not in our sense of control, then it doesn’t matter what life throws at us. We can weather any storm.

Does that mean it’s going to be easy? No, of course not! Maybe everything going on causes us to look at our expenses. Maybe we need to reach out for help. Maybe we need to let our adult children move back home for a while. Maybe we need to put a little more away into savings. Maybe that means that we need to have actual conversations with those we don’t agree with – you know the kind where sometimes you get to speak and other times you need to listen to what the other person says? Whatever it is, we can face it because Jesus is with us and he won’t let us sink.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week:

  1. Do I place more faith in Jesus than in my plans?
  2. How do I share the good news with others that Jesus will help us in good times and bad?

I think doing our homework today will strengthen our faith as disciples. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Jesus walks on the water, by Ivan Aivazovsky (1888). JPEG file.
This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: Public domain. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. Faithful reproduction photographs are not subject to copyright in Switzerland.

References:
1. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010.
3. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. History of the covenants; God’s love for Israel, 54-64, 121-22, 218-19
2. Faith experiences testing, 164
3. Only faith can follow mysterious ways of providence, 272-74
4. Jesus the divine Son, 444
5. Jesus the divine Lord, 448-49
6. In difficult times, cultivate trust that all is subject to Christ, 671-72
7. The Church and the Jewish people, 839-40
8. Faith and doubt, 2088
9. Moses, the mediator and intercessor, 2574-77

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080920.cfm
Lectionary: 115

Reading 1
1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing 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.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 85:9-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Reading 2
Romans 9:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Alleluia Psalm 130:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 14:22-33
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”