High Expectations!

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

High Expectations!

From working in the field of education, I know the word “expectation” carries great importance. Teachers and coaches use that term quite often. There are expectations for the classroom or athletic field; there are expectations a student must observe in a particular course of study or sport; there are expectations that we hold ourselves to. In the spiritual life, we have expectations that point to our capacity to have hope in a new opportunity or future. What do you expect from God? I hope it is the impossible, the incredible, the inconceivable. When it comes to God, the invitation is to always have high expectations.

Peter, as he responded to Jesus’s imperative to “Come” seemed to have solidified his belief in the expectation that he could actually walk on water. And Peter did – as we learn from today’s Gospel passage – at least until Peter turned away from Christ and got caught up with hope’s antithesis: fear. Indeed, fear has a crippling effect on our spiritual senses. Fear clouds and mars the inner capacity to trust in God. Fear distorts and distracts us from keeping our eyes focused and attuned to Christ. Fear can be scary, just as that tempest was for Peter. What are we afraid of: perhaps it is the future, illness, suffering or the greatest unknown which is death. But in the midst of the storm and strong winds, Christ beckons us to “come”, to keep our hopes and high expectations on him – and even when we fall short, to try again and again, for the Lord is near; he always stretches out his hand to catch us.

That is why we gather each Sunday as a worshiping community to celebrate the Lord’s Day – to renew the sacrifice of human redemption. It is in the Eucharist that the Lord renews his covenant with us and we renew our covenant with the Lord.

This strengthens Christian hope, whereby we are once again able to reorient and recenter our lives on Christ. We fix our gaze on the one who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” In the words of theologian and spiritual master Henri Nouwen, “we do this [as people] who can support each other in patient expectation until we see him again. And then our hearts will be full of joy, a joy that no one can take away from us.” Have high expectations in Christ, in whom your joy will be made complete.

Wishing you God’s peace and everything good, I remain – 

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator

P.S. As I announced at all the Masses last weekend, I am pleased to report that brand new concrete steps have been installed at the east entrance to the Church. Dcn. John Sfire will share more about this important improvement in the adjacent column.