Jesus already saw the disciples being tossed about by the waves and the winds all night. But He only entered the scene on the “fourth watch” near dawn. Why is God always late? Or is He? Could it be that the fourth watch has a gift?

Mama eagles build their nests at the top of the mountain to hatch and grow their eaglets. These young eagles grow in treacherous conditions while the mother stays nearby to protect them. Then one day, mama eagle gathers her squawking eaglets, and one by one, without warning, pushes them off the mountain.

Baby eagle starts its plunge to the ground at 90 miles per hour filled with confusion, fear, and abandonment. On the “fourth watch” of its free fall, right before the eaglet hits the ground, the mother swoops down and catches him. That eaglet discovers something he didn’t know he had. He starts flapping and flapping, and before long, he knows how to fly. He soars through the air saying to himself, “This is what I was created to be.” Yeah, the fourth watch has a gift for you! Jon Escoto (jonmaris@yahoo.com)

reflect

Think of how strong and beautiful you have become because God came in on the fourth watches of your life.

Jesus, You are never late. You always have a gift. Open my eyes to see what You see. Amen.

Saint Gudula, pray for us.

True love has the power to transform the world because God is love. But why don’t we seem to realize this truth? The answer to many of our problems and difficulties is love. Let us seek to love those in our families, communities, and all we meet. Only then will we see the change we desire to see.

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. ¹³ This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. ¹⁶ We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. ¹⁷ In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

¹ O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; ² He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) ¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. (R) ¹² For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. ¹³ He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R)

Gospel | Mark 6:45-52

There is nothing to fear, for God is with us. But what if He leaves us? We are blessed because He will never abandon His people. If you feel separated from God, it is because you have sinned, causing the gulf between you and Him. Sin separates us from God’s love and hinders Him from working among us. Let us avoid sin for our own sake and the sake of our Christian communities and fellowships.

Gospel Acclamation

Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles. Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.

⁴⁵ After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. ⁴⁸ Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. ⁵⁰ They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” ⁵¹ He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. ⁵² They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Read the Bible year! Read JOHN 5 - 8 today.

One priestly advice that I keep to heart is from the late Bishop Fulton Sheen, given to a group of priests gathered in a retreat. He said, “My dear priests of God, make sure that every day, you set aside one hour of your time in silent prayer before the Lord. If your day is going to be very busy, make it two.”

This advice, I believe, is important not only for priests but for everyone who considers himself a Christian. The practical and calculating person in you might protest, “I have a lot of things to attend to. I’m sure the Lord will not mind if I cut down on my prayer time.” If you think likewise, that means you don’t understand the spiritual physics behind Bishop Sheen’s advice. Here is the principle.

First, God is God. He does not need anything from us. Anything that we offer Him rebounds to us thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, as Scriptures attest: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38). 

Secondly, when I devote time for prayer, I declare the inadequacy of my sole effort. In the same measure, I declare the abundance of God’s providence. Many times, I have forgone prayer because of some deadlines. But as a result, I stare blankly at my computer screen with no output whatsoever. On the contrary, when I waste time and invoke the Spirit, inspiration come pouring in and I end up needing little time to accomplish what I need to.

Time given in prayer is never unproductive or wasted. Anything given to God—time, talent, or treasure—does not subtract anything from us. In fact, we gain because God is the same God of time, inspiration, productivity, fruitfulness, and most of all, holiness. Fr. Joel Jason

reflection question

St. Pope John Paul II said, “Prayer is the power of man and the weakness of God.” How will you make use of that power today?

“It is You, O Lord, who have accomplished all we have done.” (Isaiah 26:12)

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________