Fr Marco Lazzaron
he Gospel passage describes the episode in which Jesus, after praying all night on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, goes toward the boat of his disciples, walking on the water. The boat is in the middle of the lake, held back by a strong headwind. When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, they mistake Him for a ghost and become frightened. But He reassures them: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid”. Peter, with his characteristic impulsiveness, says to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water”. And Jesus replies, “Come!” Peter steps out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. But because of the strong wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink. Then he cries out, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus immediately stretches out His hand and catches him.
This Gospel account is rich in symbolism and invites us to reflect on our faith, both as individuals and as the Church. What is the state of each of our faith, and of the faith of our Christian community? To have faith means, in the midst of the storm, to keep our hearts turned toward God, toward His love. Then, in the midst of our moments of darkness and sorrow, He knows well that our faith is weak, and that our journey can be difficult, hindered by opposing forces. The contrary wind represents precisely these hardships and trials.
Today’s Gospel, then, is an invitation to entrust ourselves confidently to God at every moment of our lives, especially in times of trial and turmoil. When doubt weighs heavily upon us, and fear makes us feel as though we are sinking, when life becomes dark and confusing, we should not be ashamed to cry out, as Peter did: “Lord, save me!” He stretches out His hand to us, and only if we take hold of the Lord’s hand—only if we allow ourselves to be led by Him—will we walk the right and good path.
For Peter, even Jesus’ reassuring word—“Come!”—which was like a rope stretched out for him to grasp while crossing the hostile and turbulent waters, was not enough. The same can happen to us. When we fail to hold fast to the word of the Lord, we begin looking elsewhere for security. That is when we begin to sink. The episode recounted by the Evangelist Matthew reminds us that faith in the Lord and in His word does not open a path where everything is easy and peaceful, nor does it spare us from life’s storms. Faith gives us the certainty of the presence of Jesus who urges us to overcome the storms of life. It gives us the assurance that Jesus helps us face difficulties, showing us the way even when darkness surrounds us. Faith, therefore, is not an escape from life’s problems. Faith means trusting in God, who always sustains us on our journey. Only if we have faith in God does our life find its true meaning.
This episode is also a beautiful image of the Church throughout the ages: a boat tossed by the storm, which in every era encounters contrary winds and sometimes very harsh trials. Yet it is precisely then that the witness of faith shines most brightly. What saves the boat is not the courage or the abilities of those aboard; the guarantee against shipwreck is faith in Christ, our one and only Savior. On this boat we are safe, despite our weaknesses and failings, especially when we kneel and worship the Lord, just as the disciples did at the end of the passage. As the Evangelist Matthew writes: “They worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God!’