The Words that Casts Out All Fear

“But he said to them,

‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’”

John 6:20

After a long day, the disciples went ahead of Jesus, sailing to Capernaum. The winds were blowing, and the skies were dark. After sailing out a good distance, they saw Jesus walking on water and they began to fear and grow afraid. At this Jesus said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid."

When I read and listen to this Gospel passage I am always reminded of times when parents or nurses trying to distract the child as pediatricians are trying to administer vaccinations. The child is scared and anxious, afraid of the pain that the needle will induce while being confused as to who these people are. But the parent or the kind stranger offers comfort, a smile, or a funny story or joke. Sometimes even a tasty treat. All while the pediatrician pinches the child with the needle, injecting a solution that can potentially prevent the child from danger. When all is done sometimes the child doesn't even remember a shot was administered and sometimes he does and tears flow from their eyes, but is comforted by a lollipop or cool treat. This, I feel is what Jesus did with the disciples.

The disciples were sailing out on the sea when winds were picking up and not a single source of light available to guide the way. We can imagine a bit of healthy stress and fear building up. And when Jesus saw this, He appeared to them in a miraculous, awesome way — walking on water! This perhaps distracted the disciples from worrying about the winds and the darkness. But some may say maybe it was Jesus walking on water that induced fear. Either way, once they saw that it was Jesus, their fears were cast out because before they knew it, "the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading" (Jn. 6:21). Just like the child with the vaccination, the disciples' attention was drawn to someone familiar, someone they knew, and someone who they knew would protect them. And so, the wind did not seem to blow that strong or the night that dark anymore, for Jesus was their guide and light.

When we are faced with fears and anxieties, let us remember and believe that Jesus comes to us and walks with us and says to us, "It is I. Do not be afraid." Let us keep out eyes fixed on Jesus, who is our Light and our Peace. Allow the peace that Jesus brings to cast out any fears that reside in your heart and let Him fill it with peace and joy. Let us also trust that just as the painful vaccination has the potential to save someone, so too the storms of our lives that bring us fear and anxiety can teach us great lessons. Whatever it may be, not matter how big or small, Jesus can handle it. Tell Him about it and ask Him to walk with you. Because when Jesus walks with us, the troubled times will be less troubling and before we know it we will have arrived at shore, on solid ground. "It is I. Do not be afraid."

Power of the Ordinary

In today’s Gospel, we hear of John’s account of the feeding the multitudes. Below is an earlier reflection on Luke’s account of the same event. Although some details and wording differ between the two accounts, the overall message is similar. With what is given and offered by the people, Jesus feeds the multitudes with more than enough leftover. I pray the reflection below can give us some food for thought in how we approach our own spiritual lives.

"Give them some food yourselves" Jesus told the Apostles when they asked Him to tell the crowds to go away so that they can go find some food and places to stay. At this the Apostles told Jesus, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Jesus then instructed the Apostles to situate and organize the people into groups. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, raised them up to the Father, blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to pass out to the people. All were fed, all 5000 of them, and there were 12 wicker baskets full of leftovers. Wow.

When the Apostles saw that it was getting late and people, including themselves, were getting tired, they suggested to Jesus to dismiss them so that they could go into the village and buy food and find a place to rest for the night. But Jesus challenged them and said "Give them some food yourselves." Jesus was telling the Apostles that they should be feeding them and giving them rest. This reminds me of when sometimes we hear about a tragedy or people going through difficulties we just feel bad and just move on, presuming that someone in better hands might take care of those people. When we feel that we do not have the adequate or necessary means we choose to "pass it on" or "pass it over" to other people, rather than "paying it forward." The Apostles only had five loaves of bread and two fish, enough only for a small group of people, and they figured they won't be able to feed everyone, and they presumed Jesus would agree and would dismiss the people to go find food themselves. But to their surprise, Jesus didn't. Instead, Jesus told them to give them food themselves, with what they have. The Apostles were only thinking of what they themselves could do, for they did not think that it really is God working through them. When the Apostles offered their five loaves and two fish, Jesus took it, blessed it, and broke it, multiplying the offering and transforming it into something the Apostles never thought possible - feeding 5000 with five loaves and two fish with more than enough food. Likewise, when we offer what we have, no matter how little, and give it to Jesus, He will take it to the Father, bless it, and change it into something bigger, something that will meet the needs of those whom we have been called to serve.

We do not have the power to do anything spectacular like what happened with the five loaves and two fish, but Jesus can. And, Jesus works through us, but we must offer what we have, fully confident that He will transform it into something amazing. So, we do not need to be wealthy or well off to do great things. For God created us to do great things, and it is He who does it through us. We only need to do what we can and offer what we have, and God will turn that into something we could never have imagined possible. Today the Lord is challenging us to trust that He will take whatever it is that we have to offer and turn it into something amazing. Will we rise to the occasion?

Father, I can not do anything on my own for all the good that I do is done by You through me. Thank you for choosing me, an imperfect instrument, to bear witness to Your glory and perfection. Teach me and remind me always that I do not need to have all the answers to do something. All I need to do is to do what I can and trust that You will turn that into more than sufficient.

Obedience To God

But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:29

When people in authority asks us to do something, we either comply because we know if we don't, we will get in trouble or we do it because we believe what they are saying or asking of us is truly for our good. The Fourth Commandment - "Honor your father and mother" is extended to teachers and other persons in authority. We must respect and honor our elders and listen to what they have to say, but we must make a decision whether what they are saying is congruent and consistent with what God may be telling us and if what they say point to the true, good, and beautiful. We are not called to just blindly follow and do whatever persons in authority tell us or ask of us - we must discern it and bring it to prayer.

In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 5:27-33), the Apostles were again found preaching the Good News and telling people about Jesus and the authority figures said to them: "We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name." And in reply, the Apostles said, "We must obey God rather than men." Were the Apostles being disrespectful and breaking the 4th Commandment? No. They were proclaiming the Truth. The Truth takes precedence. Jesus told them to go and proclaim the Good News to all peoples and sent the Holy Spirit to be with them. So, when men told them to do something that was inconsistent with what the Lord had said, they followed what the Lord said and not what the men said. Will the Apostles be persecuted and punished according to the local law by the authorities? Probably. Standing up for the Truth and doing what is right, even though it is what God commands, does not mean that we will be free from harm and everything will go smoothly. Human beings have the gift of free will and they may choose to exercise that in a way that is inconsistent with the Truth.

When we are faced with decisions, we must discern whether what we are choosing points to the Truth, the good and the beautiful. Even when there are people who challenge us and act in ways that are inconsistent with the Truth, we still must treat them with respect and love, for love is the greatest commandment. You do not need to agree with someone to love them.

Father, teach me how to discern well. Teach me to listen to the spirit of the law and to act with true love and charity. Give me the courage to live for the Truth and the wisdom to do so in love.

*This is a repost from 2021.