“TAKE COURAGE! IT IS I. DO NOT BE AFRAID.”
Good Sunday morning to all. Hope you had a great week & are rejoicing in the Lord this Sunday! Today, our scriptures speak to us about one of the most primal & visceral emotions we as human beings face – Fear. This is thus one of the most universal human experiences. What our scriptures assure us is stated in the synopsis in the Sunday Missal. It reads: “His Voice That Speaks of Peace: In times of great anguish, such as St Paul experienced, Christ is always with us, calming the storm & bringing peace.”
We all fear uncertainty, illness, failure, rejection, financial insecurity & the unknown future. I can vividly recall clearly the Covid experience & the Circuit Breaker in Apr 2020. When the whole world was in lockdown & cowering with fear, I happened to chance upon this great YouTube video from the artist Pitbull titled “I Believe That We Can Win”. And one of the biggest insights is how I see fear & the meaning & label I give to it & then to reframe / redefine it. So, FEAR for many would mean Forget Everything And Run. But for others who reframe, it becomes Face Everything And Rise! And this has made a huge difference in my life! (from a Personal Development perspective)
From the perspective of God’s Word, the readings for this weekend remind us that while storms are inevitable in life, God never abandons us. He comes to us in unexpected ways and invites us to trust Him. Let’s unpack these rich readings & hear what the Lord has to say to bring us peace amidst fear.
The 1st Reading presents the prophet Elijah at one of the lowest moments of his life. After the mighty victory God worked through him on Mount Carmel in the slaying of the 450 false prophets of Baal (cf 1 Kings 18:20-40) & also praying for & prophesying on the end of the drought of 3 & a half years (cf 1 Kings 18:41-46), the threat by the evil queen Jezebel sent Elijah into a downward spiral, & Elijah plunged from Hero to Zero! Faced with huge opposition & threats, Elijah flees into the wilderness, defeated, depressed, disillusioned & discouraged. He seeks refuge on Mount Horeb, hoping to encounter God & receive some comfort & healing. There is a mighty wind, an earthquake & a blazing fire. Yet God is not found in any of these dramatic events. Instead, Elijah encounters God in "the sound of sheer silence" or "a gentle whisper."
This passage teaches us something profound about God's presence. We often expect God to reveal Himself through spectacular miracles or dramatic interventions, a-la a clap of thunder, a bolt of lighting & a loud voice from heaven! Instead, God frequently speaks in quiet ways—in prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, acts of kindness, moments of silence & the gentle promptings of our conscience. Are these your experiences too?
Sadly, however, the reality is that in today's noisy world, filled with endless distractions, many people struggle to hear God's voice simply because they seldom stop to listen. May we not unconsciously follow the majority, but really open our ears, eyes & heart to the Lord.
The Response to our Responsorial Psalm 85 Verse 8 beautifully echoes this message of hope: "Let us see, O Lord, your mercy & give us your saving help." God's kindness brings peace. When we allow Him to speak into our hearts, fear gradually gives way to confidence.
In the 2nd Reading, St Paul expresses deep sorrow for his fellow Israelites who have not accepted Christ. His words reveal the heart of a true disciple – a heart filled with compassion rather than judgment. Paul would willingly endure suffering if it meant bringing others to salvation. His example challenges us to examine our own concern for others. Do we pray for those who have drifted away from the Church? Do we patiently accompany those searching for meaning? Authentic Christian faith always reaches outward in love.
The Gospel presents one of the most memorable miracles in Matthew's Gospel. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sends the disciples ahead while He goes up the mountain to pray. During the night, a violent storm threatens their boat. Suddenly Jesus comes walking on the water.
The disciples are terrified, thinking they are seeing a ghost. Jesus immediately reassures them: "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:17)
Peter responds with remarkable faith: "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus simply says, "Come." Peter then steps out of the boat and begins walking on the water. But when he notices the strength of the wind, fear replaces faith. He begins to sink and cries out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reaches out His hand and catches him.
Do we recognise in Peter's experience something similar in our own lives? We normally begin with enthusiasm and trust, like now, having been inspired & fired-up after our recently concluded Parish Retreat. We answer God's call generously & really want to be missionary disciples, bringing the love of Jesus to others. But when difficulties arise, we become distracted by the storms around us – health concerns, family conflicts, work pressures, financial burdens, or personal disappointments. Instead of keeping our eyes fixed on Christ, we focus on the waves, & our faith begins to falter.
Yet the beautiful message of this Gospel is not Peter's ‘failure’ – it is Jesus' immediate response. Before Peter can sink completely, Jesus reaches out His hand. God's grace is always greater than our weakness. Whenever we cry, "Lord, save me," Christ is already extending His hand toward us.
The disciples finally recognize who Jesus truly is and proclaim, "Truly you are the Son of God." Often for us, it is only after surviving life's storms like a health crisis, crippling failure, job loss or financial distress that we come to a deeper understanding of God's faithfulness.
These readings invite us to ask ourselves today: Where is God speaking quietly in my life today? What storms are threatening my peace? Am I focusing more on the waves than on Christ?
The Lord continues to whisper to each of us: "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." Faith does not remove every storm, but it gives us the confidence & trust that we never face them alone. Christ is always present, walking toward us, stretching out His hand, & inviting us to trust Him more deeply. May we learn to recognize God's gentle voice, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus amid life's storms, & courageously step forward in faith, knowing that His saving hand is never far away.
I really must the Video “I Believe That We Can Win” here. Yes, I know that this is not a ‘holy-holy’ & ‘spiritual’ video, but it’s fun, high-energy, uplifting & invites us all to Rise Up from all trials with Jesus, become ‘more than a conqueror’ through Him Who loves us (cf Romans 8:37) & Win! God Bless your week!
https://youtu.be/BBre0xNcr5c?si=hy54_BvdAkdVW6dd
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead