Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 9, 2026. Readings: 1 Kings 19:9-13, Gospel of St. Matthew 14:22-33. Theme: In Silence & In Storms
Have no fear…Do not be afraid! Did you know that those words form the most common message in the entire Bible? The God who created us, the God who became one of us, knows that fear, born out of a sense of powerlessness over things we simply cannot control, lies in the deepest recesses of our hearts. In today’s readings God reminds us that in those times when we experience our powerlessness, we can reach out to Him for encouragement and strength.
In our first reading we hear about the great prophet Elijah, who lived about 800 years before Christ, hiding out in a cave. But it leaves out what happened to him to bring him to this place of refuge. You see, he had been on a crusade of preaching against the idolatrous deeds of the Israelite King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel. They were worshiping false idols and leading the people away from the One True God of Israel. Elijah spoke out vehemently against this apostasy and as a result got his name put on the royal death list. And so in his powerlessness he fled into the wilderness where he hid in a cave and asked the Lord to take his life before Jezebel’s men could do so. In response, God made Himself known to Elijah in the quiet stillness of a gentle calming voice. Elijah immediately humbled himself before the Divine Presence by hiding his face in his cloak.
This story became a powerful lesson in Christian spirituality about prayer and meditation as the foundation of our relationship with God. It emphasizes that God comes to us in the quietness of silence more so than in the hectic busy-ness of the daily grind. And so we are encouraged to follow Elijah's example and go to a place in the quiet that can be our refuge in the midst of a busy day. This can be any place that allows us to be undistracted by all of our devices and duties, even if just for a short time, while we pray. Elijah’s story teaches us that without this time alone with the Lord in solitude we will more easily give in to our sense of powerlessness which then leads to a loss of serenity as we become focused on our fears.
Our Gospel reading today shows us that God also comes to us amidst the ups and downs of daily life. The storm at sea can symbolize how we are so easily tossed about by various disturbances and situations that are beyond our control. Such experiences make us feel the depth of our powerlessness and so fears naturally arise. But this Gospel is telling us that at such times we need to muster up courage and realize that though we may be powerless we are not helpless. We can depend on the presence of Christ to be our anchor of hope and He is always only a whisper and a prayer away.
Like those disciples in the boat, we may have to look hard to see Him in the midst of our fears but He is, indeed, there. And once we catch sight of Him we must call out to Him with the faith of Peter. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he was fine, but as soon as he focused on the seas around him, he began to sink into its waves and Peter's fear turned into panic. This story is teaching us to keep our focus on Jesus, not on our worries or troubles around us, and then take that first step out of the boat of fear in an act of trust.
This is a good image for us to keep in mind as we approach the Lord to receive Him in Holy Communion. When we are standing in line making our way towards the altar, we carry within our minds all the issues, all the turmoils and all the fears of our day. But let’s bring these concerns to Jesus and reach out our hands in faith to Him as we receive the Eucharist. And then let’s say to Him with confidence, “Lord, save me!” Jesus will indeed pull us safely to His side as He did for Peter. The winds of fear swirling around us will die down and the waves of worry will stop crashing around us because we know the Lord is with us, grasping us by the hand.
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