Christ walking on the sea, by Amédée Varint
First reading Acts 6:1-7
They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit
About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Responsorial Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,18-19
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel John 6:16-21
They saw Jesus walking on the lake
In the evening the disciples went down to the shore of the lake and got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the lake. It was getting dark by now and Jesus had still not rejoined them. The wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat. This frightened them, but he said, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for.
_______________________
I have Jesus, and so I am not afraid
In today’s gospel, the disciples were making their way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Unfortunately, they encountered a fierce storm. As they were struggling, they saw Jesus walking on water towards them, and He said, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid”. Today, these words of Jesus: “It’s me. Don’t be afraid” can be our source of comfort and strength. Jesus never stops speaking these comforting words to each of us, “It’s me, the risen Jesus. It’s me, your Friend and Companion. It’s me, the one who loves you. Don’t be afraid.” Let us put our trust in Jesus, knowing that He always comes to us. We are not alone to face the difficult storms in our lives.
When the disciples reached out to take Jesus into the boat, they somehow found that they had arrived at where they wanted to go. Likewise, when we have Jesus in our boats, our lives, He will guide us to where we are meant to be, i.e., to a space of mature love for others and greater faith in God.
Question for reflection:
Do I take Jesus into my boat?
Do I take Jesus into my boat?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
