Tag: do not be afraid

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

In the middle of the Sea of Galilee when the day had already grown dark, the disciples are crossing the sea to get to Capernaum. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, tells us in this passage something worth a second look. He says, speaking of himself and the disciples: “It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.” What he meant by that, some Bible commentaries suggest, is that John expected Jesus to appear to them in some way. The crossing of the sea takes place after Jesus had performed the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, and the people wanted to make him king, so he withdrew alone to the mountain. What John meant by saying Jesus had not yet come expresses a longing to see him and desire to be at ease in his presence. When Jesus did appear, walking on the sea toward them, they began to be afraid. Jesus said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Before the disciples could take Jesus into the boat with them, they arrived immediately to their destination on the shore. How clearly the message of the Gospel translates into the many trials I face in daily life and its routine storms.

God, help me see the level of longing for Jesus and trust in him that John had and what it can teach me about discipleship. Help me grasp the richness of symbolism and meaning in today’s Gospel passage. The disciples are in the middle of the sea at night as storms begin to brew. John waits with certainty and hope for Jesus to return despite the apparent impossibility of his appearing to them from out of nowhere. Yet, he did appear, and the impossible became possible. At his words, “Do not be afraid,” another impossibility was brought into being by Jesus’ bringing the disciples to their destination across the sea immediately. Lord, as close as the disciples were to your Son, still they became afraid of his supernatural power even over the forces of nature. Give me the grace today to hear your voice in the midst of the day and know that you have mastery over it: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Thank you, Lord, for meeting me throughout the day, especially in those places where I am most fearful; let me look out for your coming.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W-KSOPWWBY

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

USCCB Readings

“When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 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. But he said to them, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.”

Today’s reading takes place in John’s Gospel immediately after the Multiplication of the Loaves, after which Jesus withdraws again to the mountain. It’s no surprise, then, that the disciples are afraid when they see him walking toward them on the water since they probably believe Jesus to be away from them. A strong wind was blowing; fear was in the air. This is one of many times when Jesus appears to the disciples and says, “Do not be afraid.” A quick Internet search reveals that this is said in the Bible 365 times—once for every day of the year.

God, help me understand that you are present even in the ordinary moments of the day when fear and anxiety pervade; you are present in every trial. In the midst of persecution, your words, Jesus, penetrate the depths of our being: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” At first, the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus, perhaps thinking he was a ghost. Since they had rowed out about three or four miles, they wanted to take Jesus into the boat but found the boat arrived immediately to shore.

Let me rest in knowing God is with me and that he can quiet whatever the storm that elicits fear. Let me know that God has his hand on my head, guiding me, showing me which way to go to arrive seemingly right away.

Today, a Saturday, will not produce the usual workaday trials, but there will be tasks to complete and timeframes to accommodate. Places to get to and the anxiety of getting there. God willing, today will bring, at worst, light stress. I want to remember, like Brother Lawrence, that God is with me even during mundane tasks like peeling potatoes. I want to recall throughout the day that the very Son of God will be beside me, saying, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”