“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.”
The Gospel reading for today continues where yesterday’s reading left off. After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus intended to go off and pray alone, but the crowd followed him and his heart was moved to care for them and feed them. It is striking in today’s reading to see that Jesus dismisses the crowd and then goes up the mountain by himself to pray. His steadfastness is no surprise, yet this subtle detail reveals his desire and fidelity to be with the Father in prayer. When Jesus walks on water and grasps Peter as he begins to sink, he says to him: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Before that, only after Jesus finishes praying, uniting his identity with that of the Father’s, do the disciples say “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
God, help me understand the divine identity of your Son so that when I am perturbed by the day or overtaken by apprehension and doubt, I can hear Jesus’ words to the disciples: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Thank you, Jesus, for your example of being steadfast in prayer. Give me the grace to follow that example when I see only my way of doing things. Help me understand how to make a return to you.
God, teach me to trust you. Show me that the day is not mine, but yours as a gift to me for the sake of giving it back to you to give glory to your name. The pressure of the day and its anxieties—what are they for if not to proclaim that you are over them—all over all? I ask that you stay near throughout the day and come to me to grasp my arm in the midst of the day’s turbulence and storms. Through your grace, give me the means to be steadfast in my desire to give to you little moments alone with you in prayer.