4th Sunday after Pentecost 20 June 2010 Sermon

4th Sunday after Pentecost 20.6.10 Making a miracle

The epistle (Romans 8) refers to disorder in the universe. Creation itself is groaning. The problems in the world are caused by sin, which leads to alienation from God; which leads to things falling apart in all the ways they do.

Loss of faith can happen when we look around us and see the various things wrong with the world; and then somewhat deflated by what we see we conclude either that there is no God, or that He does not act when we ask and therefore there is not much point asking Him anything.

So a lot of Christians cease to pray and just let things take their own course.

This of course has the effect of reducing faith even further because with less prayer things will get even worse.

The words of Our Lord to Peter: put out your nets - even though it seemed improbable that anything would result – this is the key moment for us; that we can act as God tells us even though we may have our own opinions on what is likely or unlikely.

If we obey Him without question we can then see the wonders He will work for us. What if Moses, when told to stretch out his arms over the red sea, had debated with the Lord and said, what good will that do with thousands of Egyptians charging towards us? He did not debate; he just did what he was told and the waters parted.

Our Lady did not debate with Gabriel about his instructions, but consented rapidly and a Saviour was born.

Other times there was disobedience and the moment was lost: The rich young man who could not part with his riches; Judas who could not maintain loyalty to Our Lord.

Our Lord founded the Church, but He made it clear it would always be His Church. He would appoint human leaders (Peter and the apostles) but He would maintain overall authority.

This means that He would expect Peter and everyone else in the Church to obey Him at all times even when (and usually it is the case) we do not understand the full implications of each event or instruction.

He would always have the power to direct things, and when necessary by miracles to save the Church from destruction. Behold I am with you always till the end of time.

But He will not usually tell us exactly what miracle He will work, and He will often leave us to feel our human inadequacy in the face of trouble.

How easily and often we slip back to merely human analysis of problems and think the Lord has deserted us.

He is waiting on a greater level of trust from the Church which would enable a much quicker resolution of the problems we face.

See the self-fulfilling problem we make for ourselves by doubting all the time. We actually impede the grace of God from taking its full effect.

So we need remedial prayer. We need to pray so that we can pray properly, with real faith, and then see the wonders the Lord will do for us.

We need to pray for the faith which will not run dry at the first sign of trouble, but will hold firm in every circumstance.

The Lord promised the Church would gather in men like fish, would bring the whole world into the net of love which He had spread.

We find it hard to convert people, but we should not conclude that it is impossible. We need to let the grace of God go to work. Leave our doubt outside; come in here and pray like never before for this miracle of conversion (and any other miracles we need). It is all possible if God wills it so. Our part is merely to agree and obey. Put out the nets to catch what He sends us.