24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Annual Offertory Renewal Homily Based on Matthew 14:22-36
Our Lady of Grace
September 17, 2006
Taking a Step-In-Faith
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Miracle or Natural Phenomena?
Picture this: the Sea of Galilee; the year 30. It is springtime, lots of green grass and a beautiful full moon.
Jesus has just fed 5,000 folks at the side of the Lake and sent them home. The Apostles he has sent back via the Sea exhausted from the feeding, and he himself heads for the mountain for some prayer and rest.
While the Apostles are on the Sea, a storm arises and the strong winds are driving the boat back against the northern coast of the Lake. Jesus, for his part, is coming down the mountain and sees the squall.
As he nears the shoreline he hears them crying out for help and even sees them with the help of the full moon.
What I find very interesting and what I want to serve as a focus for my remarks are two different translations of how the frightened Apostles experience Jesus. The first time they see him the Greek says they see him “on” the Sea. In the next sentence the Greek says they see him “by” the Sea.
If he were walking “on” the sea, that would be miraculous. If he were walking “by” the sea, that would have been a natural phenomena.
But either way what is important is that their experience of Jesus in the midst of their fears and alarm gives Peter the faith necessary to venture out into the storm.
Oh yes, he falters a bit, but the hand of the Lord is always there to grasp and hold him firmly. Once back in the boat the storm ceases.
Annual Offertory Renewal
This past week we began our Annual Offertory Renewal with the letter you received from me. My purpose in speaking today is to break open this Word of God which is the theme of this year’s renewal – A Step in Faith.
Our presence as a parish in this community has been a succession of steps in faith.
From our founding in 1974, 32 years ago, to the fact that the only building older than 6 years is the church, and that was built in 1990, is a very dramatic story of growth in faith.
Yes, apart from the church, the entire rest of the campus is new. That’s 48,335 square feet created since the year 2000.
Miracle or Natural Phenomenon?
Either way what is important is that our experience of Jesus in the midst of our struggles, fears, alarms, oppositions, and challenges to funding gave us the faith to venture out “into the deep,” so to speak.
But the facilities are only a sign of the real growth in faith of this parish family of ours.
Since 1995 our parish has doubled in size to 1,400 families and 4,861 men, women, and children.
We have opened a Catholic Lower and Middle School; expanded our Religious Education Programs and our ministry to youth. Our service to those in needs continues to grow with the passing of each year.
Our programs and ministries now number 60; our volunteers are a tad over 600 in number, filling almost 800 volunteer positions!
Miracle or Natural Phenomenon?
Whichever it is, it’s Jesus’ hand reaching out to us and calling us to new adventures is what is really going on.
Invitation to Take a Step-in-Faith
Each September we focus on the support of our facilities, energizing worship and programs, and reaching out to those in need.
As with any family, we continue to grow in size and take on new responsibilities. As your family does, we as a parish also get hit with increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, and health care.
Since 2000 we have increased our square footage (not including the church) 9 times over, from the old offices and hall to the new offices, education center, hall and two lower levels.
If you do better with square footage, that is going from 5,000 to 48,335.
However, our income to cover maintenance, salaries, and programs has only gone from $700,000 in the year ending June 30, 2001 to $877,582 projected for the current year.
In addition to the 9-fold growth in space, our other biggest areas of growth are in Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Evangelization, and the Why Catholic? Program you have been hearing a great deal about and which is coming soon to your neighborhood next month, and the Sunday evening youth and family Mass.
And we come asking in the “turmoil at sea” of our own finances and limited resources, “Will we meet our new budget?”
Whether it be a miracle we need or a realization of the natural phenomenon of generous parishioners supporting a growing parish, Jesus is with us through it all, calling us to step forward in faith.
Conclusion
Next week every household will be receiving a letter of invitation from me personally to take that Step in Faith.
Please be thoughtful in your reading of it, prayerful in your consideration, and generous in your response.
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