Scripture Reflection, August 9, 2026, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33

In today’s first reading, Elijah experiences God’s call to him - not in a violent wind (think hurricane or tornado), not in an earthquake, not in a raging fire, but in a whispering sound. Isn’t it interesting that God does not need bombast, God does not need to bolster his ego or to reassure himself that he is the greatest, the strongest and the most powerful. Of course, God is all of those things, but does not desire to show off. God desires love, commitment trust and fidelity. And, in this case, he chooses to speak to Elijah in a tiny whispering sound.

In spiritual direction training, I learned about the process of what is called discernment. It is simply defined as the ability to judge well. In a spiritual context, it refers to the ability to recognize the “voice” of God, helping a person or a group of people to make a decision that is wise and in keeping with God’s will. Frequently, this process involves recognizing the “still small voice” of God at work within the soul of the one who is discerning - guiding and encouraging them as they think and pray about what they should do. In this case, I think it is fair to say that Elijah was engaged in a process of discernment.

In our passage from the gospel, we find another process of discernment. The disciples recognize the presence of Jesus, appearing similar to a ghost and walking on the water. He assures them that he is not a ghost and, at Peter’s request, tells Peter to join him on the water. At first, Peter’s faith compels him to walk across the water to Jesus and he does so. Suddenly, his mind is filled with doubt and he loses his faith in Jesus, ceases to trust him, and begins to sink into the sea.

Here we learn another significant spiritual principle. Once we have discerned that God is calling us to act in a specific way, we must trust in God and have courage. God is with us, and will see us through the challenging times. Listen for that “still small voice”. Sometimes it presents itself as our conscience. At other times it can feel almost like a light bulb, turning on in our mind in order to show us the way.

Remember, the discernment process often benefits from asking the simple but profound question: “What would Jesus do?”

by: Bill Miller