One Saturday afternoon last year I was having a cup of coffee in a little café in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is near the local World Vision HQ. The World Vision hall was rented by the Catholic community for the weekly celebration of the Sunday Vigil Mass. Sometimes I would cover for the local priest and lead the celebration of Mass – giving him a break. The year before, I had heard back in Australia that a local journalist had been shot dead in a café in the city. His name was Kem Ley. He was a human rights advocate. Kem was widely respected for his courageous radio and print media reports in defence of human rights. One day, a man from a remote village somewhere in the far north of the country travelled to the capital. He shot Kem at the cafe on the following Saturday morning. It was only later that I discovered that this evil event occurred at the very café I had visited. Events like this remind me of the words of promise spoken by Jesus in his beatitudes teaching “Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right; theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”.
I was thinking of Kem when I read the story about Elijah meeting God at the entrance of a cave. As God’s servant, Elijah had forcefully opposed the corruption and injustice in the country at that time. He was now hiding in the cave because the authorities were hunting him down. He very much feared for his life.
Both the first reading and the Gospel today give instances of occasions when the experience of fear and of Faith in God seem to compete. Elijah, and Peter centuries later, are both people of Faith and trust in God. Obviously, threatening situations can quite easily increase a sense of anxiety – even panic. Today’s story is unique to Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew has presented this story because the early Church community he was writing for were struggling to retain their Faith against a great sense of fear brought about by persecution.
In the middle of all the turbulent storm Peter manages to cry out “Lord save me!” This is a wonderful prayer! It is certainly one to pray in moments of urgency. It is also a prayer which lies behind our humble attentiveness to continue to pray daily for God’s Spirit to accompany, protect and guide us.
As we know this is a time of great turbulence. Yes, a sense of panic can sometimes threaten to overwhelm. Today’s Gospel story teaches us that God’s faithful care is with us, even amidst the moment of crisis. We learn from Isaiah too. In his time of danger Isaiah ‘hides’ in God. The mountain he is on is a holy place of encounter with God. Isaiah is not overwhelmed by storm or earthquake. He becomes present to God in the peace of a gentle breeze. Perhaps in this time in particular, our Faith too can be exercised and strengthened by also providing ourselves with opportunities for quiet, daily prayer. Prayer, and prayers for the many needs of this time.
“God is good and has brought light and help when all was very dark.” St Mary MacKillop of the Cross (1899).
– Fr Kevin