April 14, 2018

Gospel: Jn 6:16-21
When evening came, the disciples went down to the shore. After a while, they got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the sea, for it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. But the sea was getting rough because a strong wind was blowing. They had rowed about three or four miles, when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he was drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but he said to them, “It is I! Don’t be afraid!” They wanted to take him into the boat, but immediately, the boat was at the shore to which they were going.

Reflections
IT IS I, DON’T BE AFRAID.
What a relief the apostles must have felt when, in the midst of turbulence at sea, they heard the reassuring words: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” There are many situations when we experience various forms and degrees of fear. We can just imagine the feeling of the people who just clung to a tree as the winds and sea surged during the Yolanda (Haiyan) typhoon and threatened to wrench them away into their death. We have also fears when our plane is plunging down in a turbulence. We are afraid for loved ones who are on the operating table whether they will come out alive. A lot of people who are in the list of the police as drug addicts or pushers are afraid they will one day be found dead with a cardboard on top of their bodies saying they are drug pushers. In a lesser but no less real fear, we are afraid we will fail in a test or a government exam. We are worried about the result of our medical test — blood, urine, X-ray, whatever. During these times of great fear or anxiety, we need some reassuring voice, a reassuring presence, a comforting gesture to ease our tension or to give us hope. At these moments we should close our eyes and imagine before our eyes the image of Jesus walking on the water, extending his hand to us saying: IT IS I, DON’T BE AFRAID.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018