Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mt 14:22-33
August 13, 2023

Spiritual teachers, retreat directors, and those involved in pastoral ministry are often asked for tips on how a person can improve their prayer life. One suggestion to try is called “The Saint Method.” It really is very simple.

1. Pick a saint.

2. Focus or meditate on something from their earthly life…something the saint said or wrote, some significant event that’s been handed down through the generations.

3. Have a conversation with the saint…being open, honest, candid…like you would talk with your most trusted friend.

4. Learn from the experience.

Today’s Gospel offers the perfect saint, as well as the perfect event to focus on. So, let’s have a conversation with St. Peter.

ME: St. Peter, you were a very experienced fisherman. You certainly were able to predict when a storm was coming. What made you decide to cross over the Sea of Galilee when a major storm was on the horizon?

ST. PETER: Jesus told us to!

ME: What was so important that you had to make the crossing without waiting for better weather?

ST. PETER: I’m not sure. However, after a major miracle…or sermon…Jesus usually gathered us Apostles together in a place where there would be no distractions so He could explain what we had just seen.

ME: Had you seen something special that day?

ST. PETER: Of course, we did. He prayed over 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed 5,000 starving men, not counting women and children. They all ate until they were satisfied, and there were 12 baskets filled with leftovers.
ME: That certainly was a miracle that deserved some further discussion. But Jesus didn’t get into the boat with you, did He?

ST. PETER: No! He stayed behind to say good-bye to the crowd of people. He told us that when they had all gone home, He wanted some alone time to pray. That’s something else He often did after some major miracle or sermon. He would go off by Himself to a deserted place to pray.

ME: So, there was nothing unusual about The Lord sending you Apostles on ahead without Him.

ST. PETER: Nothing unusual? What are you saying? In the middle of this terrible storm…the waves so high we were all certain that the boat would sink, He came towards us walking on the water!

ME: Unbelievable!

ST. PETER: Absolutely! No one could believe their eyes. It was more terrifying than the storm. Everyone thought they were seeing a ghost.

ME: Even you?

ST. PETER: At first, I wasn’t certain what I was seeing. But then He called out to us: Do not be afraid! I thought I recognized His voice but the storm was so loud, I wasn’t quite sure at first.

ME: Whatever possessed you to jump into the sea?

ST. PETER: Joy at seeing The Lord! Faith in Him! Seeing Him made me feel that we were saved from the roaring sea. And, of course, love! I was so excited to see Him.

ME: So why did you sink?

ST. PETER: I became distracted by all that was happening around me…the wind…the rain…the waves…the others shouting at me to get back into the boat…and I took my eyes off of Jesus.

ME: Weren’t you embarrassed?

ST. PETER: Not really. I know that my lapse of faith and sinking is what all people remember. But what they should see is that when I was in trouble, Jesus was there to raise me up.

ME: So, the sinking made the raising possible.

ST. PETER: Exactly! All I had to do was call out: Lord Save Me! And there He was to raise me up.

ME: What did you learn from this experience?

ST. PETER: Several things. Once again, I was reminded of the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. I learned that He appears in the most unlikely of places doing the most miraculous of things. And I also learned that when I am in the greatest of dangers, all I have to do is call out and He extends His hand to save me!

So, back to the final stage of “The Saint Method,” what have WE learned from our conversation with St. Peter about the experience of “walking on water?”

First and most importantly, we have learned a very simple but a very powerful prayer to say, especially when we are most threatened or terrified:

LORD, SAVE ME!