19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 


19TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME


Elijah has retreated to an isolated location. He doesn’t have to worry about distractions or background noise. This represents the ideal setting if you are looking to have an encounter with the Lord. And yet, even though the conditions are favorable, he still has to do his part by concentrating, by maintaining a proper focus. Being focused means having the ability to recognize when the Lord is speaking—and when he is not speaking. Elijah perceives that the Lord’s voice is not being channeled through the force of the wind. Nor is it being channeled through the tremor of the earthquake. Nor is it being channeled through the blaze of the raging fire. Instead, it would appear that the Lord has chosen to communicate through the expression of a delicate whisper (1st Kings 19:11-16). 


Peter seems sufficiently focused, at least initially. But it’s not a firm sense of focus; it’s more fragile than firm. Suddenly, he’s no longer focusing on the person of Jesus. Rather, he’s focusing on everything else, apart from Jesus. His attention turns to the darkness of the night sky, the churning depths of sea, the howl of the driving wind, and the crashing of the waves. His gaze has been completely diverted, and as a result, Peter begins to sink. He goes from transcending the danger to being consumed by the danger (Matt. 14:22-33). 


It’s a risky proposition when your sense of focus becomes misdirected. Consider the case of Paul in our second reading. How do we explain this spirit of melancholy? He has converted hundreds, perhaps thousands of Gentiles. He has established church communities throughout Asia Minor and the Mediterranean region. However, Paul trains his focus on those who have not been converted—those who are holding fast to the Jewish tradition (Rom. 9:1-5). It’s weighing on him, and we have to wonder whether this should necessarily be the case? 


Recall the final scene from Schindler’s List: well over a thousand Jews have been spared from the agonies of the concentration camps. But Oscar Schindler finds himself dwelling on the numbers who were not rescued. He grieves bitterly, branding himself as a failure. His Jewish colleague, Itzhak Stern, consoles him, urging him to celebrate what was accomplished, over and against what was not accomplished. Perhaps a similar line of advice could be issued to the St. Paul of Romans, chapter nine. 


So evidently, it happens to the best of us: Oscar Schindler, St. Peter, St. Paul. And sometimes it happens to people like you and me. Your focus goes astray. The extent of drift corresponds to the rate of your descent. You’re overwhelmed, you’re being swallowed up. You question why this is the case? It likely has to do with your focus. You’ve shifted, such that you are no longer focusing upon the Lord. You’re focusing on everything else, apart from the Lord. You suffer when your focus becomes misdirected. To avoid slipping below the surface, commit yourself to Jesus. Or maybe it’s more about recommitting yourself to Jesus. Train your focus upon the Lord. You don’t have to be consumed by your circumstances. Allow yourself the experience of actually transcending your circumstances.  

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