“O you of little faith”

The first reading from the First Book of the Kings and the Gospel reading both present us with manifestations of God.  The prophet Elijah reaches Horeb, the mount of God and the word of the Lord tells him to stand on the mount.

Elijah then experiences some dramatic events: a great wind, an earthquake and then a fire.  But each time we are told that the Lord was not in these things.  Only when Elijah hears the “sound of a low whisper” does he finally recognise the presence of God.

But conversely, in the Gospel, we hear about the disciples who are in the boat after the feeding of the five thousand.  They have already had a manifestation of God’s power in the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

In the storm that follows, they experience another manifestation of the power of God: Jesus walks on the water.  And yet they cry out, “It is a ghost.”  It is Peter who appears to have faith and says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus tells Peter to come to him, but he quickly becomes afraid and starts to sink.

What do these readings have to say to us?  First of all, I suggest that the first reading might help us to realise that God is not always revealed to us in loud, dramatic and visible ways.  We might wish that he would show himself in thunder and lightning but it is often a “low whisper” which used to be translated as “a still small voice.”

And the Gospel reading might help us to realise that no matter how many times God has made himself known to us, in the problems and difficulties of our lives, we can quickly take our eyes off the Lord (which is what Peter does), dwell on our troubles and lose faith.  And then we sink.  Jesus refers to him, “O you of little faith…”  In the homily this week I will suggest how our faith might be increased.  

God bless, Fr Kevin.