Aug. 7, 2011: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Click to hear audio homily
Often I get asked, "Father, may I tell you something that happened to me that I can't tell other people because they might think that I'm crazy if I were to tell them?" Many people experience miracles in their life, yet they are afraid to tell anyone about it. Sometimes people experience a miraculous healing or a prayer being answered after praying to Our Lord, Blessed Mother, or other saints. Sometimes they see or hear something that is of heavenly origin, but doubt creeps in--'was I hearing things, am I going crazy, or did what I see is real?'
The other night I was visiting a man whose wife died last year and he said, “Father, I don’t know if you will believe what I’m about to tell you, but I really think what I saw was real." He continued, "last month was the anniversary of my wife’s death, and on that day as I was sitting in the den, I saw what appeared to be heaven--dazzling bright light. I saw my wife and she was wearing a radiant white garment. She appeared to be younger than 20 years of age, and she looked so happy. Do you think what I saw was my wife in heaven?” He had tears glistening in his eyes as he shared this with me.
I assured him that many people who go through a near-death experience say that they saw their deceased loved ones but a very young version of them. In a recent book, “Heaven is for Real,” Todd Burpo, the author, recounts his 4-year old son’s near death experience. The son, Colton, had revealed his experience to his dad in a series of conversations. During one conversation, the little boy turned to his dad and said, “Dad, did you have a grandpa named Pop?” “Yeah,” his dad replied. Then Colton said, “He’s really nice!” With great perplexity, his dad replied, “How do you know him?” Colton replied, “While I was in heaven, Pop approached me and told me about how you spent time with him when you were young.” Colton has never seen Pop before because Pop died in an auto accident when Colton’s dad was a young child. When Colton was asked to pick out a photo that matched whom he saw, Colton picked a photo of Pop when he was just newly married--a very young Pop.
As you hear of these miracles, what is going through your mind? Does it give you hope or does it disturb you? I think the reaction of the disciples was the latter, in today’s Gospel. After Jesus miraculously feeds five thousand people with mere few loves of bread and fish, he performs another miracle. As the disciples were crossing the turbulent sea, Jesus appears to them, walking on the water. Peter was bold enough to ask permission to walk on water, only to find himself sinking after a few steps because of his fears. Jesus had to calm their fears as he said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Often people ask for a miracle from God as sign that He truly exists or to prove that God loves them; however, what happens sometimes is that an extraordinary miracle is received with fear or doubt. So God many times gives us miracles in a more ordinary and subtle way so that the miracle will be received with serenity.
That’s what God is trying to teach us in today’s First Reading. Elijah was looking for a sign of the presence of God, but he realized that God was not in the forceful wind, powerful earthquake, or the blazing fire. Instead, God lets Elijah know that He was present in a tiny whispering sound. We may look for spectacular miracles from God as a sign of His presence, but I think the more incredible miracle that happens everyday is the miracle of our transformation from selfishness to self-giving and self-sacrificing. The miraculous change that God brings about in us is not heard in a loud wind, earthquake, or burning fire. The change that happens in and through us through as a result of praying our daily prayers, receiving the Eucharist, going to Reconciliation, or being Our Lord’s compassion to others is barely noticed by us. This transformation is the most spectacular of the miracles that Jesus performs, even at this very moment.
