A reading from the gospel according to John 6:16-21:

16 When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
17 embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
18 The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid.
20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
21 They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.

Reflection: Faith during Storm

Previously, Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of bread. It is expected that the faith of His disciples should have gone to the next level after they have witnessed His power to provide for their needs even in difficult times. In this particular gospel reading, He showed them another aspect of His power, that is, He can actually walk on water and that He can put even the sea under His feet.

Yet the disciples began to be afraid after seeing it was the Lord! Did they think He was a ghost or a monster? To calm them, Jesus introduced Himself and told them not to be afraid.

In this episode, there are two important lessons for us. First, not all of us can develop a strong faith overnight. It took time for the disciples to fully believe in Jesus and to trust in His power. So let us be patient with ourselves and others. Like the apostles, let us ask the Lord to increase our faith (Luke 17:5).

Second, by walking on the sea, Jesus is telling us that He is in control. With His presence in our life, there is absolutely no need to be afraid even when the strongest storm will rock our boat. His grace and mercy are sufficient enough to bring us safely at the shore.