It Is I, Do Not Be Afraid

Beads of Joy 01-06-10

It Is I, Do Not Be Afraid
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Absolutely Brilliant is my first thought. How is it that the human mind can not comprehend these magnificent miracles our Lord does before the disciples. Obviously, you must have no faith what so ever to even remotely think they aren't possible. So with that out of the way we can plainly see and know, that the disciples not only trusted in Jesus; but they to like us completely unquestionably believe in Him. Today we are reading Mark 6:45-52 (The Miracle of Walking on the Water). All of these miracles must have awed the disciples at every turn, what an incredible blessing it must have been for them.

The impulse of faith verse the reality of it being tested to the edge of our thinking; now that's what I'm talking about. The disciples cried out scared thinking they saw a ghost. As soon as Jesus heard their fear He spoke to them, and comforted them. This same miracle is also shared in Matthew 14:22-36 and John 6:16-21. In Matthews gospel Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Immediately Jesus told Peter, "Come". Peter had strong faith and trust in everything Jesus told him. So Peter got out of the boat and he to was walking on the water towards Jesus. But when Peter saw that the wind was strong and he was starting to sink, he took his eyes off Jesus, his fears made him cry out. Jesus, "stretched out His hand and caught him."

"O, You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter's fear sent him off track and veered him away from Jesus. Peter's impulse of faith was immediate and without question; initially there's no doubt that Peter trusted in who Jesus is and was on the water. But the reality of it all set in as Peter to was walking on the water. He took his eyes off Jesus and was focusing on the waves and the fact that he was sinking. Once Peter grabbed Jesus' reaching hand and his eyes were back focused on Jesus, Peter was fine.

OK, time for the rubber to meet the road. Jesus never takes His eyes off of us, even when in fear and doubt we take our eyes off of Him. It's the storms of life that test us, but we must know that He is near no matter how severe those storms may be. Look at what Peter experienced, he was in familiar waters, in a place he spent countless hours each day. We to at times in those comfortable places in our life, we take our eyes off Jesus and that which is so familiar to us becomes foreign and we get scared. Let us do all we can to stay fully focused always on Him. Jesus is always here for us, even when we think we are alone, we never are.

Jesus is ever by our side, and always in our midst.


Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO