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The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

In the second reading this Sunday, we listen to the words of St. Paul, as he writes to the Catholic Church in the great city of Rome. He speaks of his brothers according to the flesh, who are Israelites. He says, “theirs is the giving of the law,” indicating that God gave his law to them. This law is found in the first 5 books of the Bible, which we call the Pentateuch, or the Torah.

The 2nd Book of the Torah is called Exodus, and it recounts how God – through Moses – delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, allowing them to make a great departure (or, exodus) from the land of Egypt.

In the Book of Exodus, God revealed his very name to Moses on Mount Sinai (a.k.a. Horeb): “I am who am.” In Hebrew, this name is Yahweh, and it is the name by which Israelites called the one true God after this great event of revelation to Moses by God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus (1) does and (2) says something that reveals just who he is, beyond that of a simple Galilean carpenter. First, Jesus reveals his divine identity by walking upon water and calming the raging sea. These are actions only God could do in the Old Testament: “God treads upon the crests of the sea” (Job 9:8). “Lord, God of hosts … you rule the raging sea; you still its swelling waves” (Ps 89:9-10).

Even more, Jesus says something that our English translation muddles a bit. We heard Jesus respond to the disciples with, “Take courage, it is I.” But that’s not really what Jesus said. A more literal translation of the Greek in which Matthew writes his Gospel is, “Take courage, I AM” (Mt 14:27). Jesus identifies himself both by word and action as Yahweh himself!

If we, as 21st century Americans, took this seriously, we would have to come face to face with the fact that Jesus claimed to be the one true God, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the transcendent and personal God who created everything that exists. In the face of this seemingly crazy claim, Jesus gives us a choice that we must make in our own freedom.

Either Jesus is a Liar, a Lunatic, or the Lord of the Universe. If he’s the first or the second, then why bother to show up for Mass next weekend. Why continue with such foolishness? Why waste our time?

Yet, if Jesus is who he claims to be, then the Catholic claim – the Catholic religion itself – should be the driving force behind our entire lives, not the lazy obligational compliance done out of mere custom.

Today, St. Paul says, “I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie” (Romans 9:1). This apostle lost his head to the sword, bearing witness (in Greek, martyria) to the truth he proclaimed. This life-giving apostolic witness to Jesus is the bedrock of our Catholic and apostolic faith.