We just set a record for the largest amount of rain-fall in August. My mom was dreadfully afraid of storms. Perhaps it was because as a child their house and barn were destroyed by a tornado. The family came out of the storm cellar and everything was gone. Is it any wonder she would be filled with worry and anxiety as soon as the clouds darkened.
Sometimes we will find God in the midst of the storms of life. At other times, we will discover God in the beauty of a sunset. In today’s Gospel, the disciples found themselves in a boat being tossed about by the waves during a violent storm. The Lord came walking on the sea and they thought he was a ghost. Peter’s courage led him to believe it was Jesus and so he dared to come out of the boat and walk on water during the violent storm. When he took his eyes off of Jesus and concentrated more on the waves he lost faith. Peter’s faith at this point was not well-anchored.
It’s no accident that when an angel appears in scripture, the first thing the angel generally says is, “Do not be afraid.” Men and women visited by angels or by the presence of God usually react with fear. To cope with fear we need to call upon our faith. We struggle with the storms of life: fears about our family, our health, our finances, and our future. Faith can help steady us as we struggle with our worries. It can enable us to walk through raging waters. Too often like Peter, we take our eyes off the Lord and pay too much attention to the problems. The wind and sea obey the Lord who has the power to calm the storms and give us his peace. All we have to do when we doubt is to look to our Savior for strength.
Love, Peace, Joy
Fr. Bob
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