Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14, 22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“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.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

Take courage; do not be afraid

1. Solitude. Jesus takes the apostles out of the maelstrom of the crowd. He sends them away, but He also takes his alone time, He seeks solitude. He does so not in order to isolate himself, but rather to meet God. Coming together with God requires silence and solitude. Slow down, learn to say “no” and also “enough”. It’s necessary that you talk to God about how your life is going.

2. The boat. The apostles moved away from the crowd, but an external situation led them to panic; it was a moment of crisis. This also happens in life. Many times, your head and your heart aren’t focused on God, so all the situations you go through and all the blows you suffer confuse and frighten you. You don’t even recognize Jesus; you see him as a “ghost”. You find nothing to hold onto; everything hurts you and that leads you to anxiety and fear.

3. Come. You must first recognize where God is in your life. He’s calling you, don’t be afraid and don’t doubt. God asks you to trust him. You’ll get through all this; He’ll embrace you tightly, but you have to walk on the water and trust. Have faith, Jesus is on the other side. Don’t look at what scares you – the water -; look at what gives you hope – Jesus -.

Never forget that something good is on the way! 

God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.