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About the fourth
watch of the night, he came toward them
walking on the sea. He meant to pass by
them. But when they saw
him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen
him and were terrified.
But at once he
spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
Walking on Water The sea rocked from high winds making rowing the boat difficult. The disciples saw something glowing in the night, walking on the sea toward them. This has to be a ghost! What else could it be? They become frightened and unsure of what ventured toward them. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Then they heard the soft voice of Jesus: "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" Jesus got in the boat with them, instantly calming down the winds. All were surprised and astounded. How could any man walk on water? How did Jesus instantly calm the sea? What a miraculous sight!
The closest comparison to a person walking on water is while water skiing. The boat propels forward, and the skier holds on the rope while gliding along the waves on one or two skiis. Then I think of "magical" walking on water. We have magicians like David Blaine who can make it appear like he's levitating above a sidewalk (or maybe water), but it's all part of the illusion. Clearly no equipment or illusion was necessary for Jesus to walk on water. However, if we saw such a situation appear in front of us would we believe it's real? Scripture says the disciples' hearts were hardened because they didn't understand the incident with the loaves. Clearly they didn't understand how or why Jesus could walk on water either.
Take courage I always think courage is a virtue many people find difficult. It's natural to sit back and allow someone else to lead, especially in matters of faith and religion. We expect our priests to be the courageous ones, leading people to the Lord through inspiring homilies, insightful meditations/blogs, comforting confessions, baptisms, funerals, weddings, etc. We sometimes forget that the religious are few but the lay are many! This is why it's important for the lay faithful to be courageous, too, in matters of the faith. Be courageous in defending religious liberty and the right to life. Be courageous in catechizing to our youth by means that are faithful to the magisterium. Be courageous in evangelizing the truth of the Gospel message. Be courageous when others try to attack the Church and her teachings. Why not start a spiritual blog of your own? Why not pray in front of an abortion mill, volunteer at a homeless shelter, or invite a non-Catholic friend to Mass? Why not decide to become better educated in Catholic apologetics, theology, or even scripture? A little ounce of courage is vital for a healthy spiritual life.
Do not be afraid Just as if a ghost appeared right in front of us, we sometimes are so struck by fear that we are unable to move. We cannot think or feel. We are numb in our surroundings. We may become shaky and sick to our stomachs. Allow the heavenly doctor, Jesus Christ, to wipe away those fears! Pray, read, study, meditate, and immerse yourself in the Sacraments. You'd be amazed in a short amount of time how much the fear will subside and courage will take over.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. (First Letter of John 4:11-18)
-J.
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
Walking on Water The sea rocked from high winds making rowing the boat difficult. The disciples saw something glowing in the night, walking on the sea toward them. This has to be a ghost! What else could it be? They become frightened and unsure of what ventured toward them. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Then they heard the soft voice of Jesus: "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" Jesus got in the boat with them, instantly calming down the winds. All were surprised and astounded. How could any man walk on water? How did Jesus instantly calm the sea? What a miraculous sight!
The closest comparison to a person walking on water is while water skiing. The boat propels forward, and the skier holds on the rope while gliding along the waves on one or two skiis. Then I think of "magical" walking on water. We have magicians like David Blaine who can make it appear like he's levitating above a sidewalk (or maybe water), but it's all part of the illusion. Clearly no equipment or illusion was necessary for Jesus to walk on water. However, if we saw such a situation appear in front of us would we believe it's real? Scripture says the disciples' hearts were hardened because they didn't understand the incident with the loaves. Clearly they didn't understand how or why Jesus could walk on water either.
Take courage I always think courage is a virtue many people find difficult. It's natural to sit back and allow someone else to lead, especially in matters of faith and religion. We expect our priests to be the courageous ones, leading people to the Lord through inspiring homilies, insightful meditations/blogs, comforting confessions, baptisms, funerals, weddings, etc. We sometimes forget that the religious are few but the lay are many! This is why it's important for the lay faithful to be courageous, too, in matters of the faith. Be courageous in defending religious liberty and the right to life. Be courageous in catechizing to our youth by means that are faithful to the magisterium. Be courageous in evangelizing the truth of the Gospel message. Be courageous when others try to attack the Church and her teachings. Why not start a spiritual blog of your own? Why not pray in front of an abortion mill, volunteer at a homeless shelter, or invite a non-Catholic friend to Mass? Why not decide to become better educated in Catholic apologetics, theology, or even scripture? A little ounce of courage is vital for a healthy spiritual life.
Do not be afraid Just as if a ghost appeared right in front of us, we sometimes are so struck by fear that we are unable to move. We cannot think or feel. We are numb in our surroundings. We may become shaky and sick to our stomachs. Allow the heavenly doctor, Jesus Christ, to wipe away those fears! Pray, read, study, meditate, and immerse yourself in the Sacraments. You'd be amazed in a short amount of time how much the fear will subside and courage will take over.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. (First Letter of John 4:11-18)
-J.
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