Those who have never experienced being part of a minority or being an outsider, as opposed to being an insider, may well have difficulty getting an insight to this gospel text. A ‘Canaanite woman’, an outsider in so many ways, approached Jesus...
Jesus, in today’s gospel invites Peter to “come”! This was no ordinary invitation to share a meal or to go for a walk along the road. No, it was an invitation to walk on the water towards him. A risky thing to do – a well-nigh impossible thing to do.
Many years ago I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with some friends. The semi-rainforest on the lower slopes was the best part for me. I recall the Longfellow line “bearded with moss and in garments green … stand like druids of eld”. Much further up the mountain, about 17,000ft., someone asked me to stop and listen. I stopped and after some seconds I said “what?”. The response came, “Listen, there is no more noise, no birds at this height, only peace”. And I answered, “Lord, it is good for us to be here”.
We are a Roman Catholic Congregation of Priests, Brothers and Lay Associates. Our congregation was founded in Paris in 1703 by a young 24 year old Breton Lawyer, Claude Poullart des Places.
He founded a community for young men who wished to become priests and dedicated it to the Holy Spirit.
