“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. (Mt 14:26-29).
No matter how many times I read this Gospel, I get goosebumps because, Peter was walking on the water! Yes, he quickly started to sink, but for that brief moment…
Life is a struggle, challenges, fears, trials, and conflicts pound at us. Do we allow ourselves to be paralyzed by our fears; or do we look for Jesus who is already present in the midst of our storms?
In many a top ten, list of fears, I would guarantee speaking in public will consistently make the top three. I have struggled with this myself for as long as I can remember. I still remember the first reflection I gave during my formation for the deaconate. I must have prepared for three to five hours, writing and rewriting well into the wee hours of the morning the night before. Just before the morning liturgy, our director of formation, Deacon Dennis Demes, informed me that there had been a last-minute change of plans and we were going to have different readings. He offered to give the reflection or gave me the option to continue and incorporate what I had planned into the new readings.
As we processed in, the winds and waves of anxiety started to kick up a storm and continued to build when it was my time to come up and read the Gospel. As I began the reading, a quiet peace settled over me. I then began to preach extemporaneously, ignoring my notes. There was a feeling of joy that welled up in me that I can’t explain, other than, I was walking on water! Half way through the reflection though, I looked away from my brothers and back to my notes. I sputtered from there, but finished free of any major catastrophe.
After the service was over, I remained in my seat quietly for a second to catch my breath. My classmates Dennis, Hank, and Pete swarmed around me like I had just touched home plate after a walk off homerun. I can still feel Pete’s bear hug, and have drawn on my brother’s support and strength from that morning on more than one occasion, as I have faced similar storms.
There will be times when Jesus will invite us to come out of the boat. We need to trust him and step out in faith. This will be a risk, and yes, there will be times that we will sink, just as Peter had done. But even though he sank, he immediately remembered to call out to Jesus to save him and Jesus immediately reached out his hand and pulled him up. Jesus was there for Peter, he has been there for me, and he will be there for you. “Be not afraid!” Come out of the boat, and walk on the water!
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Mass Readings for today, Tuesday, August 8, 2017:
Spiritual Stepping Stones 