"It is I, do not be afraid"
At some point in our lives, we have been scared by the weather. Whether it was a strong thunderstorm with lightning and thunder, a tornado, hurricane, blizzard, earthquake, or something else, weather can make anyone nervous. In Sunday's Gospel reading, we see the Apostles in the middle of a terrible storm and to make matters worse, they were on a small ship that was about to be capsized.
Why were the Apostles afraid? They were afraid that their boat was going to be capsized and they would run the risk of drowning. It is interesting to note here that the threat of weather and being tossed from their boat happened before in Matthew 8:23-27. This was when Jesus was on the boat with them and they asked Jesus for help. This time however, Jesus was alone on the mountain praying. The disciples still called out to Jesus, and Jesus was still right there to help them.
Why does God make bad weather? First, God does not personally make every bad weather pattern. Secondly, certain weather patterns our essential for the life of our planet. For example, hurricanes help stir up huge amounts of oxygen in the water and moves water across vast miles. This helps keep the oceans alive and the wildlife in the oceans going strong.
When was the fourth watch of the night? Between three and six in the morning. The Romans divided the twelve hours between 6 PM and 6 AM into four equal parts called “watches”. [1]
Why does Jesus say, "…it is I"? “It is I” is literally “I am”. The same “I am” as the name of God in the Old Testament when God says who He is to Moses. [2]
Why did the disciples think they saw a ghost? There are some theologians who believe this story was actually after the resurrection of Christ [3], but both Mark and Matthew have this same story in the same timeline of Christ's life. It is not too difficult to imagine how seeing someone walking on water could conjure up thoughts of a ghost. Jesus walking on water can be traced back to the Psalms where it says, "Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the earth quivered and quaked. Through the sea was your way, and your path through the deep waters, though your footsteps were not seen." [4]
Saint Pope John Paul the Great's motto was "do not be afraid!" There are many times in his personal life he could have been fearful. When he became Pope, many people were nervous given the previous pope only reigned for one month. But, Pope John Paul's complete trust in Jesus Christ and Our Lady’s intercession kept him from never fearing before, during his papacy, or at the hour of his death.
Why did Jesus leave them? Jesus had just done the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and feeding the five thousand men. Even though He was alone in prayer, He never stopped looking out for his Apostles. In our own lives, Jesus may send us out and it may feel as if He is not right beside us, but he is always there as evident in Sunday’s Gospel reading.
When Peter reached out to walk on water with Jesus, he was beginning to fulfill his vocation. When he lost focus on Christ and focused more on the world, Peter became scared and began to sink. When we lose sight of God, we get scared and feel like we are sinking. We can have "A feeling of resentment towards another that is allowed to fester, a lack of honesty in certain questions that interest us, a friendship that is too absorbing or simply the awakening of baser instincts that are not rejected with vigor: little else is needed to raise up clouds between ourselves and God. Thus, the light of faith is darkened." [5]
What are some of the clouds that rise up between God and us? Many times clouds form when a cold front meets a warm front. Many times in our lives, we have a contradiction in what we believe and what we live. There may be a contradiction between what Christ teaches and lives and what we follow and what we live. These contradictions are like a warm front and cold front meeting. The contradictions cause cloudiness between God and us. When we cannot see God clearly, we have only one other place to look and that is to ourselves.
How can we remove the blur; the cloudiness between God and us? It is only when the Apostles see clearly that they pay Him homage and make a profession of faith, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Many times we wonder why people do not pay Jesus homage today. What is homage? Homage is respect and worship. Many people do not respect the name of God and take His name in vain. Many people do not respect speaking to God and thus stop praying. Many people do not worship God and thus stop going to Mass. Why have we lost the homage? We cannot pay homage if we do not see Jesus clearly, nor can we profess our faith both privately and publicly. This is one of many examples in the Gospels of what it takes to make a profession of faith.
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We should never be afraid, no matter what the world throws at us. In the first reading, Elias was sent by God to wait and hear Him. Elias experienced some severe weather, but it was not until the calming breeze that he heard God. When we face heavy storms in our lives, we should take great comfort from the Gospel reading this Sunday knowing that Jesus will always be there reaching out for us. "He will not pass us by and go on his way. What could we possibly lack if we are his friends in the middle of this world, if we want to follow him day after day among all those others who abandon him?" [6] When has God given you peace in your life? Discuss a time when you were scared, but you felt God's peace.
[1] footnotes NAB Mt 14:25
[2] footnotes NAB Mk 6:50
[3] footnotes NAB Mk 6:50
[4] Psalm 77: 19-20
[5] G Chervot, Simon Peter
[6] In Conversation with God 4, 55.1