Christ Walks on the Sea

Chapter 40
MATT. 14:22-36; MARK 6:45-56; JOHN 6:l6-21

KNOWING THAT THE MULTITUDE which He had fed wished to make Him a king by force, Jesus had His disciples embark for Galilee. Then He dismissed the crowds and went up on the hillside, where He remained praying far into the night.
The disciples had made slow progress in their crossing, for the wind was against them. About four o'clock in the morning, when they had rowed some two-and-a-half or three miles, Jesus approached their boat, walking toward them on the sea. When the disciples saw this figure striding across the waves, they were frightened and cried out that it was a ghost, for it was still dark and they did not recognize their Master. But Jesus called to them:
"Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."
"Lord," Peter shouted, "if it is Thou, bid me come to Thee over the water." And Jesus answered:
"Come."
Peter dropped over the side and walked a few steps toward Jesus. Then his fear overcame him, and feeling himself sinking, he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus stretched out His hand and bore him up. And He said:
"O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?"
Peter and Jesus then entered the boat, and as soon as the Master was aboard the wind fell. The other disciples crowded around Jesus and adored Him, saying, "Truly, Thou art the Son of God." In their imperfect faith, they had not appreciated the significance of the multiplication of the loaves, but this new miracle left no room for doubt in their hearts.
Shortly after Christ boarded the craft, they landed on the Genesar shore, near Capharnaum. Though it was quite early in the morning, there were already some men down at the shore, and as soon as they recognized Jesus they hurried off to bring their sick for Him to heal. As He and His band went on toward Capharnaum, in every farm and village along the route the sick were brought out on their pallets and placed where He would see them. They begged Him to let them just touch the tassel of His cloak; and as many as did so were healed.

When it was dark, when the wind was contrary, when they were being tossed by the rough waters, when they were weary from rowing and were making no progress, when they felt alone and left to their own resources —it was then that Christ appeared to His Apostles. He calmed the waters, and they easily reached the shore. This is the typical action of Our Lord, to bring peace and quiet to those who are troubled. That is what He will do for us, also.

Miracle of the Loaves

Chapter 39
MATT. 14:13-21; MARK 6:31-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-15
NOW JESUS WISHED TO SPEND a little time alone with His disciples. So He said:
"Come apart into a desert place and rest a while."
Taking a boat, they crossed to a deserted spot near Beth-saida Julias, on the northeastern shore of the lake. Meanwhile, the crowds had learned Jesus' destination and hastily made the journey on foot, so that when He landed there was already a large group waiting.
Moved by compassion, Jesus spent the day there, preaching to the people and healing their sick. Toward evening the disciples asked Him to dismiss the crowds, so that they could go and buy some food. But Jesus said:
"They do not need to go away; you yourselves give them some food."
And He asked Philip:
"Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?"
The disciple replied that two hundred denarii of bread would provide only a meager repast for so many. Jesus said to him:
"How many loaves have you? Go and see."
At this Andrew interposed that there was a young boy present who had five barley loaves and two fishes. Then Jesus said to the disciples:
"Bring them here to me."
And He added:
"Make the people recline. Make them recline in groups of fifties"
Taking the loaves and fishes, Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed and divided them. Then He gave the portions to His disciples to be distributed to the people. There were about five thousand present, but they all ate their fill. When they were finished, Jesus said:
"Gather the fragments that are left over, lest they be wasted."
They filled twelve baskets with what was left over. And when the people realized the miracle Jesus had worked, they acclaimed Him as the promised Prophet and wished to seize Him and make Him their king.

As a result of this startling miracle, the impulsive Galileans wanted to take Jesus by force, to bring Him to Jerusalem, and there to proclaim Him the Messianic King of Israel. Knowing their intention, Our Lord at once dismissed them and went off to pray. Their views on what the Messiah should be sharply differed from His own. They wanted a worldly king in the style of contemporary rulers; He was meek and humble of heart. Let us imitate His humility.

The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan, from a despised race, is the model of charity

It is LIKELY that when the lawyer, spoken of in this parable, of the Good Samaritan, asked our Lord what he must do to gain eternal life, he had in mind performing one extraordinary act that would insure his salvation. Christ referred him to the Law, which commanded him to love God with his whole heart, soul, and strength and to love his neighbor as himself. To this man, an average Jew, his neighbor would have been a relative or friend, not an enemy or a stranger. It would never have been a Samaritan, whom he would have hated and considered a heretic and idolater. A Jew would have been shocked to hear a hated Samaritan referred to as a neighbor.
In the story told by Christ it is precisely one of these hated Samaritans who becomes a neighbor to the man who was robbed and beaten. The Samaritan did not hesitate to use his costly supply of wine and oil or to give two days' wages for whatever care the Jew would require in his absence. In this Christ clearly showed that charity is not to be limited to those of our own race or creed, but that it must extend to anyone in need, and therefore to all mankind.
Our opportunities for being a "good Samaritan" may never be as dramatic as performing an act of mercy on the battlefield. But if we respond to the needs of neighbors, relatives or strangers or to the suffering of enemy and alien nations, if we love them and have compassion on them and pray for them, we are good neighbors.

"Go and do thou also in like manner."
LUKE 10:37

THE HATED Samaritan was the hero of Christ's parable; hated outcasts have been Christian heroes through all the ages of the Church. Some have been officially recognized by the Church as saints.

SAINT BENEDICT THE MOOR (1526-1589), son of Negro slaves, was born at San Fradello near Messina, Sicily. By the age of 10 he was already being called "the holy Moor." About the age of 21 he joined, and later became the superior of, a group of solitaries who were living according to the spirit of Saint Francis. When this group chose to join the Franciscans, Benedict became a simple lay-brother. Though lacking in education, he again became a superior, and later a novice master. Before his death, at the age of 63, he had gone back to humbler tasks— working in the monastery kitchen.

BLESSED MARTIN DE PORRES (1569-1639) was born in Lima, Peru, of a Spanish knight, John de Porres, and an Indian woman from Panama. Having inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother, this half-caste son was so distasteful to his own father that the boy was eventually turned away from home. For a time Martin earned his living as a barber-surgeon. Then, having joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, he was put in charge of the monastery infirmary. His care of the sick extended far beyond its walls; it was due to his efforts that an orphanage and foundling hospital were set up in the city. Along with these tasks, he served the poor who came to the monastery daily and cared for the Negro slaves, who had been brought to Peru from Africa. Martin died in Lima on November 3, 1639, and was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI in 1837.

The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

Chapter 38
MATT. 14:1-2, 6-12; MARK 6:14-16, 21-30; LUKE 9:7-10
MEANWHILE, HERODIAS, the wife of Herod, found an opportunity for doing away with John the Baptist, whose destruction she had long been plotting. On his birthday that year Herod gave a great feast, inviting the officials, tribunes, and all the men of distinction in Galilee. Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced for the entertainment of Herod and his guests, and the king was so pleased with the girl's performance that he swore to grant her whatever favor she would request, even though it were the half of his kingdom.
Uncertain as to what she should ask for, Salome went out and consulted with her mother, who told her to request the head of John the Baptist. Without questioning her mother's bizarre fancy, the royal danseuse returned to the banquet hall and told the king to bring her at once the head of the Baptist on a dish.
Herod was distressed, but he had promised under oath and before witnesses to give Salome whatever she wished. He sent off an executioner to the prison to behead John, and the gory trophy was shortly brought out to Salome on a salver, and she in turn took it away and presented it to Herodias. The headless trunk was delivered to John's disciples. After burying it, they went off and told Jesus what had happened.
It was at this time that Herod began hearing of the miracles wrought by Jesus. It was said by some that the wonderworker was John the Baptist, risen from the dead. The king himself tended to believe this, though he knew John had been beheaded. In any case, he was interested in seeing Jesus and made some efforts to interview Him.
Herod's interest in Jesus was probably reported to the teams of the Apostles as they traveled about on the mission Christ had given them. Suspicious of the tetrarch's motives in wanting to see their Master, they returned to Jesus and reported on their work. They had cast out many devils, anointed and healed the sick, preached the gospel from village to village, and worked cures everywhere.

Though Herod hesitated when asked to behead John the Baptist, he capitulated to the desires of a dancing girl who had extracted a promise and an oath from him before his guests. His pride and boasting had led him to murder a prophet. And unchecked pride may lead us into serious sin. Making myself, my activities, my ideas the almost exclusive subject of my conversation may be a sign that pride is one of my great failings.

The Mission of the Apostles

Chapter 37
MATT. 9:55 — 10:1, 5-16; 11:1; MARK 6:6-15; LUKE 9: l-6

FROM NAZARETH Jesus journeyed through Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and infirmity. He was moved by the helplessness of the people, who lacked spiritual direction, and He said to the disciples:
"The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest."
Then He called the Twelve and gave them power to cast out evil spirits and to heal all diseases and infirmities. And He sent them forth in pairs, saying:
"Do not go in the direction of the Gentiles, nor enter the towns of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach the message, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not keep gold, or silver, or money in your girdles, no wallet for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staff; for the laborer deserves his living."
They were to take the barest essentials for their journey; God would provide for the needs of His workers.
"And whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, salute it. If then that house be worthy, your peace will come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever does not receive you, or listen to your words—go forth outside that house or town, and shake off the dust from your feet.
"Amen I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that town.
"Behold, I am sending you forth like sheep in the midst of wolves. Be therefore wise as serpents, and guileless as doves."
Jesus then continued His way alone, and the Twelve departed on the mission He had given them.

There are too few laborers for the great harvest of souls in the world. When we reflect on this truth, we almost immediately think of praying for more priests, more nuns, more brothers. But recent Popes have stressed the fact that the work of Christ will not be done unless lay apostles shoulder some of the responsibility. As a layman, I cannot pass the work of saving souls completely to the priests and nuns.

Nazareth Rejects Jesus

Chapter 36
MATT. 9:27-34; 13:54-58; MARK 6:1-6; LUKE 4:22-30

LEAVING THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS, Jesus was followed by two blind men who cried out, "Have pity on us, Son of David." When He reached His own house, the blind men entered with Him, and He said to them:
"Do you believe that I can do this to you?"
"Yes, Lord," they said. He touched their eyes, saying:
"Let it be done to you according to your faith."
At His words their sight was restored. And He said:
"See that no one knows of this."
As they departed, a demoniac who was mute was brought in to Jesus. He cast out the devil and the dumb man spoke, to the amazement of the crowds. But the Pharisees claimed Jesus had worked this miracle through the devil's power.
At this time Jesus returned for a visit to Nazareth. He preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and the townsfolk were surprised at the wisdom of the "carpenter's son." But He performed few miracles in Nazareth, and the people remained skeptical and distrustful of the powers of this native son. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them:
"You will surely quote Me this proverb, 'Physician, cure thyself! Whatever things we have heard of as done in Caphar-naum, do here also in Thy own country.' Amen I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. In truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elias, when heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there came a great famine over all the land; and to none of them was Elias sent, but only to a woman, a widow in Sarepta of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
His people were rejecting Him, just as they had rejected Elias and Eliseus; and now, as then, God's mercy was being given to strangers. Infuriated at Christ's words, the congregation took Him out to the hillside, intending to kill Him by casting Him from the summit. But Jesus escaped from them and left Nazareth.

To cure the blind men, Our Lord needed to do nothing but to will that they receive their sight. However, he touched their eyes in performing the cure. He used an external and visible symbol of the exercise of His divine power. For He knew that such a method was human—better adapted to human needs and desires. Similarly in the sacraments, in which invisible grace is conferred upon the soul, God, out of consideration for our human needs, uses external and symbolic rites as the channel of His grace.