When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It’s a ghost!” – Matthew 14:26

“They want us out,” Gino said pertaining to the bakeshop his wife, Gina, built from the ground up. The mall management sent them a letter stating that they are giving their space to a bigger, more known brand—even after decades of loyalty.

Since Gina passed away, Gino and their children have taken over the shop even if baking was out of their wheelhouse. They plodded on for the sake of her legacy, their employees, and customers.

“Maybe it’s time to pack it up and finally close the shop,” Gino said. But after discernment, they ended up renovating and relocating to a better space for the business—which would not have happened if not for that letter that shook the boat.

Are waves shaking your boat? “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid,” Jesus says. When we go through winds and waves, we think we’re going to sink and drown. But in every shaking, Jesus is there, walking toward us, telling us to not be afraid. No matter how strong the storm is, the One who tames the wind and walks on the waves holds you safely. 

Veia Lim-Viñas(@veialimvinas) 

reflect

Look for the “ghost” when your boat is being shaken. God is surely there somewhere. 

Lord, hold me firmly in Your hands and let Your peace calm my heart. Amen. 

Saint Gamaliel, pray for us.

Jeremiah prophesies in Judah, the Southern Kingdom, delivering messages with a more hopeful tone. He speaks of the return of the exiles from Babylon and the restoration of the Jewish state. In the years to come, figures like Ezra and Nehemiah will resonate with this struggle. Jeremiah’s trials are far from over, but he is beginning to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will restore to this place all the vessels of the temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon. ⁴ And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” ⁵ The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled in the house of the Lord, ⁶ and said: Amen! thus, may the Lord do! May he fulfill the things you have prophesied by bringing the vessels of the house of the Lord and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place! ⁷ But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing and the hearing of all the people. ⁸ From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the Lord only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled. ¹⁰ Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and said in the presence of all the people: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, from off the neck of all the nations.’” At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away. ¹² Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ Go tell Hananiah this:  Thus says the Lord: By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke! ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: A yoke of iron I will place on the necks of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him. ¹⁵ To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said: Hear this, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, and you have raised false confidence in this people. ¹⁶ For this, says the Lord, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth; this very year you shall die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord. ¹⁷ That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102

R: Lord, teach me your statutes.

²⁹ Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. (R) ⁴³ Take not the word of truth from my mouth, for in your ordinances is my hope. (R) ⁷⁹ Let those turn to me who fear you and acknowledge your decrees. (R) ⁸⁰ Let my heart be perfect in your statutes, that I be not put to shame. (R) ⁹⁵ Sinners wait to destroy me, but I pay heed to your decrees. (R) ¹⁰² From your ordinances I turn not away, for you have instructed me. (R) 

Gospel | Matthew 14:22-36

Peter is a fascinating figure to study—impulsive and strong-willed, yet prone to doubt. Perhaps we see a bit of Peter in ourselves, appreciating some aspects while feeling disappointment in others. Still, we must put our failures behind us and continue moving forward. The Gospel is always forward-looking; God addresses our sins, then calls us to press on in service of His message. May we trust that the future holds far more promise than the weight of our past shortcomings.

Gospel Acclamation

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

²² Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone. ²⁴ Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. ²⁵ During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” ²⁸ Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² After they got into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” ³⁴ After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick ³⁶ and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed. 

Reflect

What problems and difficulties threaten to drown you? How do you stay afloat and strive to overcome them?

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 MACCABEES 7 - 8 today.

When Peter sees, or at least thinks he sees, that it is Jesus walking on the water toward their boat, he cries out, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water!” Let us look at the first portion of his statement: “if it’s You.” These words imply that Peter has faith in the possibility of miracles when Jesus is involved in the situation. That is, Peter knows that all things are possible for Jesus.

This is an important starting point for any of our endeavors. If we attempt them without Jesus, there is a high possibility that they will go wrong. If we do them with Him, we will have a much greater chance of success. Peter sinking into the lake when he shifts his focus from Jesus to the wind and waves indicates that when we begin something with Jesus, there is still a possibility of losing Him, for one reason or another, along the way.

From Peter’s example, we learn that we should keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not let ourselves be distracted by the developing storms around us. This is not easy, but it is what our faith is all about. Either we believe that Jesus is with us and will help us accomplish His will for our lives, or we do not. 

God can work in our lives when we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. He cannot do anything if we shut ourselves off to His Word and Spirit. Peter, to his credit, was willing to step out in faith and go to Jesus. Let us pray that we, too, may have the faith to open ourselves to the infinite possibilities when we have Jesus leading and guiding us. 

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL 

reflection questions

Are you willing to step out in faith and entrust your life to God, or are you more concerned about keeping everything under your control? How can you learn to grow in trusting God and His will for your life?

Holy Spirit, You constantly call me to a deeper faith response to You. Help me to open my mind and heart to the formative Word of God so that my faith in Him may grow. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________