Sunday Readings - Reflections

Today's Gospel Reflection

Matthew 14:22-36

Our Gospel reading today touches on true faith. It is a choice that we must make every moment we encounter uncertainties in our life.

Most of the time, we turn to faith when we have no other choice or we have other option. Like when we are faced with a dying loved one and doctors have already given up hope. Then we call on God. But even as we call on Him, there is this DOUBT if He hears our plea.

In our Gospel reading today, we see the faith of Peter as he also walked on water to approach Jesus. At the last moment, his eyes turned away from Jesus' eyes and got distracted by the strong wind and waves caused by a storm. Once this connection was cut off, Peter started to sink because Peter could not sustain the connection.

Faith is not something we turn on and off anytime. It is like a Fountain of grace that flows from God's heart to our heart and to whoever we want this grace to flow. This is what makes us heal others.

True faith is powered by true unselfish love.

Do we feel that our faith flickers like a dying flashlight? Once it starts to flicker, we experience that same feeling of Peter as he slowly sink. If we don't reach out to God's help, we will continue to sink and lose faith until there's none left. We become Godless creatures like millions of individuals today in so many countries. Are you going to be counted among these Godless souls?

It is easy to lose our faith in God when trials and hardships abound and we could not see any sign of change for many weeks. Gone are those days where we could focus constantly doing a task to earn a living and hoping one day our children would finish their studies and become better earners than us. So many young people today could not spread their wings and still depend on their parent's help. Faith was not passed on successfully and grace stop flowing down to their children.

How can we not falter in our small faith in God? I myself can't be so sure of my answer as I have faltered so many times in my faith in my past so many years.

But this one thing I'm sure of in order to keep our faith alive.

First, don't ever give up asking God's forgiveness if you feel weak in faith.
Second, after failing, pray heartily to God and ask Him not to let you sink and drown.
Third, acknowledge your weak faith and pray that the Holy Spirit gives you the grace you need to START OVER, FOCUS, and BE CONSISTENT in hope.

Also, try examining your moves or plan. You might have chosen the wrong strategy to reach your target. Open yourself always to all opportunities you encounter and research on it fully and be at least prudent lest you waste your limited resources. Pray daily so the Holy Spirit shows you if you are on the right path.

God save us.