Matthew 14:31
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Readings for Sunday: 1 Kings, Romans, Matthew
Reflection:
There is something very peculiar in today’s Gospel story. No, it’s not the miracle of walking on water. Compared to raising Lazarus from the dead, walking on water almost seems ordinary. Nor is it about Peter stepping out of the boat and having an extraordinary test of faith only to be saved from sinking. The detail is much simpler: Jesus prayed.
Years ago, an intrepid eighth grader asked a priest, “If Jesus is God, and Jesus prayed, to whom was He speaking?” It is a wonderful question. Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human. In His humanity, He is like us in every way except sin. And in His humanity, Jesus needed to pray.
Prayer is about relationship. Jesus had a perfect relationship with God the Father, and that relationship was nourished through prayer. The Gospels repeatedly show Him withdrawing from the crowds, climbing a mountain, and spending long stretches of time alone with His Father. He prayed before choosing the apostles, before His Passion, and throughout His public ministry.
If the sinless Son of God needed regular prayer, how much more do we?
Every healthy relationship requires genuine communication. Imagine someone claiming to have a wonderful marriage because they speak to their spouse for only two minutes each day and when they do, every conversation is a list of requests and complaints. We would hardly call that a thriving relationship. Yet many of us have that type of prayer life.
The Catholic tradition reminds us that prayer takes several form. Alongside vocal prayer is meditation or listening. God already knows what we need before we ask. The greater challenge is whether we are willing to hear what He wants to say to us and if we are able to set aside the time to listen. That is why Elijah encountered God not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a tiny whispering sound. God’s voice is often gentle, requiring silence and attentive hearts. Meditation is not emptying the mind but focusing it. Whether through Scripture, the Rosary, or quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament, we learn to listen. Like a guitar string tuned just right, a heart prepared in prayer becomes ready to resonate when God gently touches it.
Jesus prayed because He desired communion with His Father. He invites us into that same conversation. Aren’t you curious to hear what God wants to say?
Reflection Questions
- How much of my prayer is spent talking to God, and how much is spent quietly listening to Him?
- What distractions or habits keep me from creating the silence needed to hear God’s gentle voice?
- If Jesus made personal prayer a priority, what changes can I make to make daily prayer a greater priority in my own life?