August 9, 2026

Dear Parishioners,

Elijah hears God as a tiny whispering sound. God is not in the loud earthquake, thunder, or fire. He is not flashy and apparent. He is simple and subtle. This is a message we all like to hear in theory, but when it comes to practice, it is quite challenging. When I say ‘in theory,’ what I mean is that when we think about God, write about God, theorize about God–whether it’s in conversation or in theology or even in ecumenism–we like God as, again, simple, subtle, and non-threatening. And we prefer to have a Catholic Church, which is an extension of God, that is also non-threatening, quiet, and non-triumphalistic. We like a ‘tiny whispering sound.’ We don’t want our God and our Church to be too imposing. We don’t want to offend others. We want everyone, regardless of their views, to feel safe and welcome. God and the Church are there only if you want it. We are a whisper, which means you have to be intentional about listening for us and even ask us to raise our voice if you want to hear something. But if you aren’t interested and don’t want us, then you can easily ignore us as we are drowned out by other noises. We like this image of a ‘whispering Church’ because it gives everyone their freedom and makes everyone feel comfortable in their own ways.

This is how most write and think about God and the Church. But when it comes down to reality, how many of us don’t want a ‘tiny whispering sound’? We pray and we want God to respond. We are suffering and we want God to help us. We see the world suffering and we want God to intervene. We don’t want a shrinking violet. We want a sunflower. (The sunflower, to me, is the antithesis of the shrinking violet, not hiding in the shadows but growing tall and standing out.)  

Other than the first reading, Jesus appears to be more a sunflower than a shrinking violet. Look at how ‘demanding’ he is with the language the Gospel writer uses; how bold he is. First, the Lord made the disciples get into the boat so he could be alone. He speaks loud enough to be heard in the storm: ‘Take courage, it is; do not be afraid.’ A shrinking violet would have snuck around or said something like, ‘hi, how are you? Do you need anything? Can I offer you a spot of tea?’ Even Peter knows he is dealing with a force. He calls him Lord (not friend or buddy or even ‘Jesus’ -- Lord is a symbolic of authority and submission) and then says, “Command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus obliges. Jesus then saves Peter and chastises him for his lack of faith. 

This is a scene we like, no? Jesus is a presence. He is active and the one who makes the claim that has to be responded to. In last week’s Gospel, the scene right before the walking on water, Jesus feeds the five thousand. The Gospel writer in that scene intentionally writes that Jesus “ordered the crowd to sit down on the grass.” The crowd didn’t mind that Jesus was pushy. Nor did the apostles in the sinking boat.

Saint Paul mimics this passion. In our second reading, we hear him “in great sorrow and constant anguish” over the fact that many of the Jews have not believed in Christ. Paul even says that he would be willing to go to Hell to save these people and have them convert. 

So, we like to think it would be best for God to be a tiny whispering voice, but in reality we don’t. We want God to intervene. We want to hear God clearly and see him acting. Would you want your spouse to never say “I love you” or, when they say it, to simply whisper it? So, why are we afraid to promote a “loud” God or a “loud” Church? 

Now, let me put a guardrails on this, before we go ruining dinner conversations or getting fired at work because we are too bold in our proclamations. This is about God speaking. Not us. If God wants to speak in a tiny whispering sound, then that is his prerogative. He chose to speak that way to Elijah. Elijah needed that kind of subtle voice because he was too aggressive. Peter and the Apostles needed a loud shout. They were listening to too many other voices. And so Jesus was demanding to them. The point is, God doesn’t always speak in one volume. We have to accept to the volume in which he is choosing to speak.

A couple quick reflections for you. First, is God whispering to you or shouting to you? Perhaps you are too zealous and too spiritual such that you need the volume turned down a bit. You need ear plugs. You are Elijah. Or perhaps you aren’t zealous or spiritual enough–you are too consumed in the world and the noise and distraction. You need hearing aids or airpods that cancel all that background noise and help you hear clearly. You are Peter.

Second, do you like that God is whispering or shouting or do you prefer he change? Have you talked to him about it and asked him either to speak up or quiet down?

Third and final, Saint Paul discerned that he was called to shout loudly, imitating the Lord in this way. But plenty of other saints have discerned that they were called to whisper, likewise imitating the Lord. Is the Lord calling you to whisper or shout?

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Next Saturday, August 15th is the feast of the Assumption. It is not a holy day of obligation this year, as it falls on Saturday, so we will just have the regular 8:30am Mass (for the Assumption) and the 4:30pm Mass (for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time). 

Following the 8:30am Mass on Saturday, August 15th, we will bless the outside Mary statue along the side of the church. Once again, a special word of appreciation to our maintenance team and a group of dedicated volunteers who have beautified this area with flowers and trees.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James