19 Sunday Ordinary Time – Year A

Fr. Joonbin Lim

Preached: August 9, 2026

“Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Then Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” I tried to imagine what Peter was thinking when he said this. I do not think he simply wanted to have the same power as Jesus or just wanted to walk on water.

I think Peter wanted to be close to Jesus. He believed that if Jesus was with him, even what seemed impossible could become possible. I think Peter’s heart is not very different from ours. We also want to stay close to the Lord, but strong winds often come into our lives. Those winds may be suffering, problems, and difficulties. Sometimes they may also be our own weakness or sin.

That is why we need courage in our daily lives. Even ordinary life takes courage. It takes courage to get married, raise a family, and take responsibility for others. At work, we sometimes face difficult situations with our boss or customers. Sometimes our pride is hurt, and sometimes we feel discouraged. But because we love our families, we go back to work and keep going.

A mother waiting for her baby may be afraid of the pain of childbirth, but she finds courage in the hope and joy of meeting her child.

In Matthew’s Gospel, the Greek word for “Take heart” comes from θαρσέω, tharseō. We find this word several times in the Gospels. Jesus said to the paralytic, “Courage, child.” And in the story of blind Bartimaeus, the people said, “Take courage. Get up. He is calling you.”

Courage does not mean that we have no fear. True courage means that even when we are afraid, we do not allow fear to control us.

Peter experienced this in today’s Gospel. He began to walk on the water toward Jesus, but the strong wind did not stop. When Peter saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink.

This is also true in our lives. Following Jesus does not mean that every storm will disappear. Faith does not mean a life without suffering, failure, or fear. Strong winds will still come.

But what matters is where we turn when they come. Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

I think this is something we should never forget: the hand of the Lord. When Peter was sinking, Jesus did not leave him alone. Before anything else, Jesus reached out his hand and held him.

The same is true for us. Sometimes we suffer because of things we cannot control. Sometimes we struggle because of our own weakness or sin. At those moments, we may feel as if we are sinking. When that happens, do not remember only your failure. Remember the hand of the Lord.

When the strong winds come, when you are afraid, and when you feel that you are sinking, remember that the Lord is reaching out his hand to you “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

May we trust the hand of the Lord and have the courage to move forward again.