SAINT JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP (MEMORIAL)

He saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them.

Every sailor knows that sailing with the wind is easy and going against it is hard. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to reach a destination by sailing directly into the wind. The boat stalls and is said to be “in irons.” Experienced fishermen know to “tack,” directing the boat at an angle and zigzagging back and forth toward their target. But neither tacking nor rowing could help the disciples in today’s Gospel. The wind was just too strong.

Tempers might have flared aboard the boat as the disciples tried unsuccessfully to reach shore. Perhaps they blamed each other for the unfortunate voyage. Their strength and strategies exhausted, they might have resigned themselves to drifting until morning. But Jesus saw their plight. Though it was pitch-dark, Jesus saw them. Though they were far out at sea, obscured by choppy waves, Jesus saw them. He saw them and he came to their aid. And when he saw how frightened they were, he reassured them by saying, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).

Like the disciples, sometimes we feel tossed about and vulnerable. We might feel stuck, as if we can’t make any headway against forces stronger than we are. In these moments, we may wonder if God knows or cares about our situation. But today’s passage assures us that Jesus sees and Jesus cares. We are never too far off, never outside the Lord’s sight, never beyond the reach of his love. Just as Jesus saw the disciples from afar, he sees our struggles and the forces that harass us. And he comes to us and reminds us, “It is I.”

Today Jesus wants to be close to you. He wants to enter your “boat” and bring peace to your heart. Just as he revealed himself as Lord over the wind and waves, he wants to remind you that he is the powerful I AM. He sees you, he loves you, and he is interceding for you right now. He can—and will—help you with anything that you face today. He will join you in your troubles and give you strength and hope.

“Take courage,” he says, “it is I” (Mark 6:50).

“Be near me, Lord Jesus. Calm the winds about me.”

1 John 4:11-18
Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
MARK 6:45-52