Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2022-2023)
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There is a very important question today that Jesus asked Saint Peter, and this question is for us as well - “Why did you falter?”
It may not be something that we ask ourselves often.
But definitely, it is a question we always need to ask upon examination after a lapse.
This question needs to be asked in those moments when we fail, because it is the only way to find the positive side of the circumstances.
Socrates, a Greek philosopher, said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
The examination is the essence of a good life.
A good life doesn't mean having everything under control or being perfect; it means making an examination of what happened to us.
And it seems to be true - only an examined life brings some good to us.
One of the conditions of a good and fruitful Confession is a good Examination of Conscience.
But let's go back to our Gospel Reading.
It tells us about the faltered attempt to walk on water that took Peter down.
If Jesus had not stretched out his hand to catch Peter, he would have sunk.
But why did Peter falter? Why did he doubt?
Now, you know walking on water is not quite a routine exercise, at least not for me - I cannot say anything about you.
The Gospel tells us that Peter, challenged by Jesus, took some steps.
As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on the stormy sea.
By keeping his eyes on Jesus, the impossible became possible for Peter.
However, it ended when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, when he started to look around at the waves and the storm.
When Peter started to focus on the waves, he began to sink.
What happened?
Apparently, it was his lack of faith!
He stopped looking at things carefully, without examination, and doubts appeared right away.
Without faith, walking on water was not possible for Peter.
Faith is needed to make impossible - possible.
Faith means more than just signing up to join the club to get the membership card.
Faith means more than fulfilling the mandatory Catholic duties.
Faith means entering into companionship, friendship with Jesus.
It means aligning our will with what we believe to be the will of God for us.
Faith helps us to see who we are and where we are going.
We do not always understand everything that happens in life: tragedies, scandals, sickness, and more - but our faith can help us see in the midst of whatever happens who we are and where we are going.
It happens that the liturgy tomorrow gives us an awesome example of a person who never took his eyes off Jesus, even in the strongest storm and waves.
Who is that person? Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe.
He was born in Poland in 1894.
There is a tale that when he was 10, he had a vision of the Mother of God.
She offered him a white crown and a red crown, representing purity and martyrdom.
Can you guess which crown he chose?
He chose both.
In 1910, he joined the Conventual Franciscan Order.
Ordained a priest in 1918, Father Maximilian returned to Poland and began his missionary work, starting a monthly magazine and establishing two evangelization centers dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin: Niepokalanów, the "City of the Immaculata," in Poland, and Mugenzai no Sono in Japan.
He used the most modern technologies. Started to us short-wave radio and planned to build a motion picture studio - TV station
In 1939, during WWII, at Niepokalanów, he welcomed thousands of refugees, especially Jews.
In 1941, St. Maximilian was arrested by the Nazis and taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
One day a prisoner escaped, and, to put an end to any future plans of the same, the guards decided to punish 10 prisoners by condemning them to death by starvation in an underground bunker.
When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, “My wife! My children!”, St Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to take his place to die.
In the bunker with the other man, Maximilian Kolbe continued to set an example of faith and hope, leading them in prayers of praise and adoration to God, singing hymns, and encouraging them to focus on Jesus.
After two weeks, only Maximilian remained alive, and the guards decided to kill him by lethal injection.
My dear Brothers and Sisters, that sounds sad, but it contains hope and encouragement for us.
We are given this message that even when our life struggles with waves and storms, God’s love remains steadfast, and He is able to walk on the wildest waves toward us.
He is always ready to rescue us from doubts and fears.
His outstretched hand is ever-present, inviting us to trust Him completely.
Only faith in Jesus can fill us with unshakeable hope.
Jesus is our anchor, and with Him, we can sail through life's challenges with unwavering hope.