19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 2023

INTRO:

There is an old JEWISH legend about Moses…. It says when Moses stretched out his staff to divide the water of the Red Sea for the people to cross over….it didn’t divide!!!! ????

IT ONLY divided when an old couple, HAND IN HAND, lovingly, faithfully, and bravely stepped into the sea (feet in the water) and started to walk across…..
It was only then with a great flourish from the heavens did the Sea divide and bring the chosen people to safety!!!!

One point, as I see it in this legend, is “scary things” need another hand……. We cannot do “scary things” ALONE!

You heard Peter in the Gospel…. he kept his eyes on the Lord and only when he drifted off from the Lord….looking at the wind did he falter. He stopped looking at Him.
He needed to NOT LET GO of our Lord and KEEP LOOKING AT HIM.

The same goes for us…..
• When we attempt to MAKE a scary CHANGE IN OUR LIVES
• when we EMBARK UPON SOMETHING NEW

If we STOP LOOKING AT GOD, attempting scary things ALL ON OUR OWN
….. We will falter.

The CHURCH wants all of us to GET TO KNOW THE LORD better…to deal with the “scary” things!!!

So, the legend doesn’t mean…hold your wife’s hand or your husband’s… It means HOLD GOD’S HAND…and become most aware of HIM more and more in all your daily doings so that when something really “scary” occurs it doesn’t shake you!

CONCLUSION

Make a new commitment to Jesus and prayer… He makes all the difference in the world and we will get through scary things, but only with Him!