Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard yet again of the love of God, which had come into the world through our Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect manifestation of God’s eternal and boundless love for each and every one of us, and then we are all urged to realise that His love is present among us just as our Lord Jesus lives on in each one of us, in His presence through the Eucharist that we received and share together as one people of God, one Church.

Today we heard in the Gospel passage, the well-known story about the Lord Jesus Who came to the disciples who struggled in the midst of a great storm walking on the water, much to their amazement and surprise. We heard how Jesus went into the boat, chided the disciples for their lack of faith, and then went on to calm the storm and everything was then fine once again.

There are many symbolisms behind what we have heard in the Gospel, just as much as it had really happened that time. The storm in the lake, which threatened to sink the ship the disciples were boarding on, was indeed just as what we encounter in our own lives, the storms of life’s troubles and difficulties, the challenges and the uncertainties that we are facing each and every day.

And if we do not hold on together as one people, then we shall fall and be crushed under the weight of that predicament. The boat represented the Church of God, holding all the faithful ones together, and inside the Church indeed, we have people with various backgrounds and faith profiles, and truly, not everyone had a strong faith in God.

We are indeed struggling, trembling with fear and uncertainty, and our faith can be shaken at times, especially when life’s troubles catch up with us. And that is when the storm frightens us, and we fear of losing our grip and falling into the darkened water. But if only that we can put our trust in the Lord, then truly we should not need to fear anything at all.

The Gospel and the Scripture passages today are indicative of this, as they pointed out to us how God Who loves us all and cares for all of us had provided for us through what He has given us in Jesus Christ, His love made flesh, and through Him therefore, we may have hope amidst the dark and dangerous storms of this world. He is our anchor, our hope and our salvation, a paragon of certainty amidst our fears, insecurities and uncertainties.

Therefore, today, as we live in today’s ever more uncertain world filled with all sorts of wickedness and evil, with all sorts of darkness and challenges, let us all remember that in all things, even in the moments of the greatest danger, nothing can harm us if we put our trust in our Lord Jesus, in Whom we can confide ourselves perfectly and in Whom lies our salvation and our path to eternal joy.

Just as He calmed the storm, ordered the wind to cease and the waves to stop beating and rocking on the boat, Jesus too will be our certainty amidst a time of fear and uncertainty, that through Him, our unshaken faith will prevail against all that this world and the devil may throw against us, and no matter how dark the moment is, there is always hope in our Lord.

Let us no longer fear the things that the world can do on us, and let us not be afraid to face the evils and the challenges that it had fielded against us. But let us all devote ourselves all the more to our Lord Jesus, and in all the things we say and do, let us all profess our eternal commitment and faith to Him, He Who had willingly come down upon us and dwell among us, so that by Him and His actions, He might save us from certain death. May God be with us all, now and forever.