We are all familiar with today’s story of Peter trying to walk on water. Today as I read it I have to ask myself, does the Lord Jesus seem distant when trials or adversity come my way ? It was Jesus who asked them to sail across the lake, only to find themselves in a life-threatening situation when a severe storm came up. Although they were experienced fishermen, they feared for their lives. When Jesus perceived they were in trouble he came to them on the sea and startled them with his appearance. Do we look for the Lord’s presence when we encounter challenges or difficulty ?
Of course it was only Peter who wanted to get out of the boat and come to Jesus. So typical of Peter to act on impulse without thinking of what he was doing. Yet a great deal of failure in the Christian life comes from acting on impulse or emotion without counting the cost. Lucky for Peter that Jesus was there to grasp his hand.
Peter’s failures however only made him love Jesus more deeply and trust him more completely. Do we trust the Lord more deeply in times of stress or difficulty like this Coronavirus pandemic ? Jesus assures us that we have no need of fear if we trust in Him and in his great love for us. When trials threaten to overwhelm us, how do we respond ?
In times of doubt or weakness, do I cling to Jesus as Peter did ?
DeColores, Deacon Doug
Join us in prayer!
We encourage you to join us as we recite the Holy Rosary every night at 8PM! On Wednesdays, we pray the rosary via Zoom with the rector and rectora.
Resources for those not able to attend Mass
Daily Readings in English and Spanish from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Prayers, readings for Mass, and additional spiritual readings are available at:
Magnificat publication, a spiritual guide that includes daily Mass: https://us.magnificat.net/free
“Give Us This Day” a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select “Digital” in the upper right of the screen.