In the Gospel today Peter makes a bold move by climbing out of the boat, at the beckoning of Jesus, and walking on the water. Peter first questioned whether or not it was the Lord; nonetheless, as at Jesus’ command Peter got out of the boat. The lake they were on, Lake Gennerserat, was known for unpredictable and ferocious storms. Peter was immediately gets consumed with fear at the churning of the water and becomes overwhelmed by the storm’s intensity. He quickly loses focus, like so many of us, and begins to sink. He cries out “Lord, save me!” Jesus reaches out His hand and grabs hold of Peter. He then askes Peter: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” As the storms of anxieties, challenges, and fears intensify around us, let us not lose hope ~ Jesus is nearby. It is as if He is telling us to focus on Him and not on the storm. I once heard that the devil whispered into Christ’s ear during the temptations in the desert: “You cannot weather the storm, just give up.” Jesus looked up and said: “I am the storm!” Have faith, reach out to Christ, and then do not worry about a thing!
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne