In this week's Gospel, St. Matthew records an incident that is a clear revelation of our Lord's divinity. As the disciples are being tossed in their boat on the sea, Jesus walks out on the water to them. Jesus identifies Himself to the disciples and encourages them to not be afraid. Peter boldly asks Jesus to command him to come out on the water. Peter, too, walks on the water until he focuses on the storm. Jesus reaches out to save him. After Jesus returns Peter to the boat, the storms ends and the disciples acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus identifies Himself as God by alluding to passages from the Old Testament that are connected with God. First, it is God who can walk on the waters (Job 9:8). Second, it is God who commands the seas (Psalm 89:9-10). Finally, Jesus' words, "It is I" are the same words that God uses to identify Himself to Moses (Exodus 33:18-33).

Readings:

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
Psalm 85:9-14
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:22-33

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Sinking Fear (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• The Walking on the Water (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from The Crossroads Initiative