It is I

My daughters often like to say that I think I walk on water. I am pretty sure it is not meant to be a compliment but a gentle reminder that I sometimes have a slightly inflated view of my abilities and to be fair, I know exactly what they mean.

These comments resonated with me when reading this week’s Gospel. For a short moment, Peter showed great trust, bravery and faith in responding to Jesus’ words – “It is I” He leaves the safety of the boat and walks towards Jesus in the middle of a storm. I admire Peter for that.

Of course, the minute he notices the wind, all that bravery, trust and faith disappear. Many of us can relate to this. Often, we begin with good intentions (think New Year resolutions or fasting during Lent). We decide to trust, pray, to be patient, be kind, worry less, or perhaps simply to get through the week without any road rage. Then the wind picks up. The emails start arriving, the diary gets fuller by the minute, family commitments start competing with other commitments, the traffic moves slow and very soon everything becomes noisy and in no time our focus shifts from Christ to everything that could go wrong.

The comforting part of the Gospel is that Jesus does not leave Peter to learn a lesson instead the moment Peter cries out, “Lord, save me” Jesus reaches for him. Peter’s prayer is simple – “Lord, save me” and therein lies the message. Even our wobbly, half-formed prayers, are enough for Jesus to reach out and help us.

In our First Reading Elijah does not find God in the earthquake, the fire, or the dramatic noise. He finds God in the tiny whispering sound and maybe that is the invitation for us in the week ahead.

So perhaps my daughters are right, I do occasionally need reminding that I do not walk on water. I do not have to prove that I have it all together. I simply must keep my eyes on Jesus, listen for His quiet voice and trust that he will reach out to catch me in my moment of need.

Clint Ramoo – Finance Committee Chair