Reflection on Luke 4:16-30

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Monday, August 31, 2020

In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins his Galilean ministry with a prophetic message: 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. 

With those words, the Lord announces that the appointed time has come, that the privileged time has arrived, that God has remembered his people in a unique manner, that God himself has stepped in to right the wrong. Jesus announces that that which the human race has been longing and yearning for has finally appeared. In Jesus of Nazareth, divinity and humanity have come together. In him heaven and earth have met; the perfect and imperfect have embraced. Through him and with him and in him God the almighty has entered the human community to offer and accomplish the long awaited reconciliation, restoration, and healing. 

The one persistent theme in the Scripture is the desire for deliverance and salvation, the cry of the human spirit to God, the quest to reconnect with God from whom the people feel estranged. In his first sermon in Galilee, and throughout his life and ministry, Jesus demonstrates that the wild quest of the ancient and of his ancestors for God is officially over. He shows that the people’s hope of glory, the desire for salvation, the longing for intimate union with God has been realized and accomplished. Throughout his his life and ministry, he radically demonstrates that it is something that can be seen, heard and touched. Therefore, the search for God in the mountains, hills, forests, highlands, lowlands, caves, books etc is officially over. God is now here in Jesus of Nazareth. On him God the Father has set his seal (Jn. 6:27b). 

What then shall be our response? Our response is to believe in the Lord Jesus (Acts. 16:31), accept him as our Lord and Savior, see him as the only hope of glory (Col. 1:27b) and the only Door to eternal life (Jn 10:9). Our response is to do what the Galilean did in today’s Gospel: to keep our eyes intently fixed on him. Not on the goods of this world, not on power, or fame, or politics, or honor, or wealth, or pleasure but on Jesus of Nazareth. He is God’s finest and greatest gift to humanity. Anyone who has Jesus has everything for he is everything. 

Who Is Satan?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Today, I bring you this message I have titled, “Who is Satan?” The word śāṭān is derived from a Hebrew term which means, “accuser” or “adversary,” (devil means “slanderer). Views about Satan often range from the silly to the abstract, from the most hilarious cartoons to the most grotesque of figures. For some people, Satan is the red-skinned monster with horns. For others, it is the most ugly looking being with wings. Yet, for others, it is simply a voice that speaks inside of us urging us to do its bidding. But there are some who think Satan is an invention by religious people in order to scare people from doing what is wrong, meaning, it’s not real. But every committed Christian believes that Satan is real. Why? Because both the Old and New Testaments said so. Most importantly, Jesus said it is real. And  when we speak about Satan, we say that it is evil, bad, wicked, dangerous, and hurtful. We also call him a loser because on the cross, our Savior Jesus Christ exposed his wickedness and comprehensively defeated him by the shedding of his blood. On the cross, Satan’s fate was sealed. On the cross, he became a loser for life.

But is Satan really a red-skinned monster with horns? Not really! Is he an ugly and fearful looking creature with wings? May be not! Is he a horrible looking snake with several heads unleashing his venoms? Not really! Who then is Satan? The Bible tells us that he was created as a holy angel, as an angelic being who later fell from his position in heaven due to sin, and now he’s completely opposed to our loving God. Isaiah 14:12 reveals Satan’s pre-fall name as Lucifer “How you have fallen from heavens, O Morning Star, son of the light! (i.e. Lucifer) How you have been cut down to the earth, you who conquered nations!” Ezekiel 28:12-16 describes Satan as having been created perfect, wise, beautiful, and placed on the holy mountain of God, but he became arrogant in his beauty and status and decided to sit on a throne above that of God. As a result, he was banished from the mountain of God. In the New Testament, Satan is given lofty titles as, “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), “father of lies” (John 8:44), “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), “ruler of demons” (Matthew 10:25), and “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). And in the Gospel of John 10:10, Jesus describes what he does, “The devil comes only to steal, slaughter and destroy…” In the Fourth Lateran Council, the Catholic Church, on the topic of Satan decreed that “in the beginning, God created together two creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is to say, the angelic and the earthly, and lastly man, who was made of both spirit and body.” Continuing, the Council said, “The Devil and other demons were created by God good in their nature but they themselves have made themselves evil.” In that decree, the Church clearly teaches that Satan and other demons were originally angelic beings created by God in a state of innocence, but they became evil by their own act. Satan generated evil from within himself, corrupted himself and others. 

Brothers and sisters, it’s easy to call Satan a liar, loser, the father of liars, the first sinner, and the accuser. It’s easy to call him the prince of darkness, leader of the wicked, originator of evil, a disgraced and ungrateful son of damnation. It’s easy to describe Satan as a thief, destroyer and killer. But do we see him as someone whose sole purpose is to prevent, hijack, and destroy God’s plan for us? Is he someone we are doing everything in our power not to spend earthly life and everlasting life with? Do we see him as our greatest enemy? Your greatest enemy is not your brother or sister. It’s not your boss or neighbor. Your most formidable enemy is not that person that was rude or mean or ugly to you. It’s Satan! Since he lost his place in heaven, he vowed that he would make sure that you and me do not enjoy the bliss of living in the presence of God. Everything he does is to destroy God’s ultimate plan for us, which is, to know the only true and living God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Satan’s singular mission is to elevate himself above God in our lives. He produces a counterfeit of everything that God does, and then waits and hopes to gain our attention and worship, and also to join him in opposing God. Satan is the source of every false teaching and philosophy out there that oppose God and God’s matters. He’s trying to convince us that he has a better deal for us by luring us into false pleasure, cheap crown, short-cut, reckless fun, vain glory and power. If we fall for him,  he will destroy God’s plan for us. 

In today’s Gospel, Satan tried to use Simon Peter, who was previously used by God to reveal the identity of Jesus, to derail, and obstruct God’s plan for Jesus and for the world. As soon as Jesus told his disciples his mission— that he must “suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised,” Satan tried to use Peter to dissuade and discourage Jesus from realizing God’s plan. But Jesus knew the source of Peter’s nice try effort, and immediately rebuked him, “Get behind me, Satan!” Think about this! If Satan had succeeded in blocking God’s plan for Jesus, humanity would have been doomed. And if Satan succeeds in thwarting God’s plan for you, that would have consequential effects on your family, friends, church and society. Think of so many young people who are trapped in the prison of addiction to drugs and crime. They could have been our teachers, firefighters, doctors, police officers, parents, priests or religious.” So, whatever idea you have about Satan, see him as someone who hates you so much, and is bent on destroying your dreams, aspirations, joy, and ultimately, the plan of God for you. Therefore, whenever he suggests you do his bidding, say to him, “Get behind me, Satan.” 

On the Feast of St. Bartholomew 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

Monday, August 24, 2020

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Bartholomew (usually identified with Nathaniel in John’s Gospel). He was born in the first century at Cana, in Galilee during the width and breath power of the Roman Empire. He was brought to Jesus by the Apostle Philip. Bartholomew is listed in the three synoptic Gospel as one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord. He was one of those who witnessed the Ascension of Jesus. After the Ascension, Bartholomew traveled to India where he preached the gospel of Jesus and was martyred there. Legend has it that he was unskinned alive and then beheaded. 

Bartholomew is not widely known as Peter, James and John. Even Paul who later became a Christian and called himself an apostle has more recognition than Bartholomew. But check this out! The book of Revelation tells us that on the twelve foundation stones of the heavenly Jerusalem are inscribed the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Although Bartholomew is not widely known like Peter and Paul, his name is written on one of the foundation stones of the heavenly Jerusalem, our true home. Why? Because from the moment Philip brought him to Jesus, something happened to him. What exactly did the Lord say to him? He called him “a true child of Israel” in whom there is no duplicity. Basically he told Bartholomew a little bit about himself. Right there, Bartholomew made the earliest New Testament profession of faith in Christ’s divinity and his mission: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 

With those words, Bartholomew dangerously declared that Jesus of Nazareth is God, that He and not Caesar is the King of the Jews and his own King as well. Each of those declarations could have caused his own death at the time. But he fearlessly made them, believed it and followed Jesus till the end. From his first encounter with the Son of God, the triumphant Warrior, the King of the universe, Bartholomew never looked back. May we never look back in Jesus name. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 22:19-23

Rev. Marcel Divine Okwara, CSsR

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Isaiah is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament. Major here does not mean superior, rather it means that his prophetic writings cover a significant time span and also present a wide array of messages. His messages are often a criticism of a nation, a people, his own people. He hardly criticizes an individual. However, in the 22nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah, we find the prophet’s only criticism of an individual. It is the only time he singles out an individual for harsh criticism. And the person in trouble with the prophet is a certain man Shebna. He is described as the master of the palace, which is probably a prime minister. And the palace in question is the king’s palace. Shebna is a very high official in government of whom prophet Isaiah addressed these words, “I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station” (Isaiah 22:19) Incredible! But what is it that rouses the ire of the prophet against Shebna? Earlier in the Book of prophet Isaiah has this to say, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts, come, go to that official, Shebna, master of the palace and say to him, ‘What right do you have here? Who were your relatives here that you have cut out a tomb for yourself, cutting a tomb on the height and carving a resting place for yourself in a rock?’” (Isaiah 22:15-16). What is Isaiah complaining about? He is complaining about Shebna’s recklessness, for building an elaborate tomb for himself on a height, for building, not a resting place for his body but a monument to himself on a height so that everybody will see it. Shebna has gone to enormous expense to build this extraordinary monument of a tomb. Now, think for a moment how Shebna would have reveled about this when he was alive. He must have thought he was a big and important person now that he has built his monumental tomb. He must have thought that people will forever remember his name as they see his monument.

So, because of Shebna’s excessive waste of resources, the Lord removes him from his position and puts in his place Hilkiah. Shebna is out. Why? Because he spent his time, money, energy, and personnel to build a monument to himself. So, the question for you is this: How do you use the power and authority that you have? Obviously, there are people in positions of official power, but everyone of us has some kind of power. You have power in your own family, power in the community, power in place of work. May be you have a very high office. Therefore, the great spiritual question is: What do you do with it? There will always be a temptation to use that power to build monuments to yourself, and to involve lots of people in that project. But the godly thing is to use the power precisely for the benefits of those you serve. The whole point of power is to serve others. The reason why God gave you the power that you have is for the sake of those you have authority over. God wants you to use your power to serve and to make their lives a lot better. Shebna has used enormous resource of money, energy, time, and personnel for a project meant almost exclusively for self aggrandizement and to stroke his ego. But the supreme irony here is that after spending a great deal of resources building a monumental tomb for himself in order to be remembered forever, he is only remembered because of this criticism in the Book of prophet Isaiah. 

Reflection on Matthew 20:1-16

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

In today’s Gospel, Jesus narrates the parable of the landowner who hires different people at different times of the day and when it is time to pay them, he pays everyone the same amount. Now, the workers in the story represent us, you and me, and the landowner God. From our human way of reasoning and calculating, there is plenty of injustice, plenty of unexplainable and inexplicable inequality and plenty of upsetting unfairness with the equal pay. In our human way of thinking, those who worked more should be paid more and those who worked less should receive less pay. And there is nothing wrong to think this way. However, let’s remember that God is that Being who knows everything about everything. He is omniscient, that is an all-knowing God. God is matchlessly and incomparably wise. Our knowledge of reality, our knowledge of anything in both depth and breadth when compared to that of God is extremely and laughably tiny, diminutive, nanoscopic, microscopic, infinitesimal, and as young people say informally, teeny-teeny. As such, our knowledge and description of what constitute injustice and unfairness is always going to be imperfect and limited. Only God is wholly and completely wise. 

Sisters and brothers, when it comes to who has made heaven and who will make heaven, only God truly knows. Through a rigorous process of canonization, the Church can tell us a fraction of people who are in heaven, but it has never and will never declare that someone is in hell. Even the worst of all, even figures like Emperor Nero, Adolfos Hitler, Idi Amin Dada, and other terrible human beings who deeply hurt people cannot be said to be in hell. Why? Because none of us knows what happened in the final moment of their lives. Remember the story of the two thieves crucified along with Jesus— one was promised, “Tonight you will be with me in paradise” by Jesus. The bottomline is this: God is inconceivably merciful. You are here because of mercy. I am here because of mercy. We are saved because of mercy. We live, move and have our being because of mercy. Jesus came to save us because of mercy. We are blessed because of mercy. We are delivered because of mercy. We are pardoned and forgiven because of mercy. We are restored and graced because of mercy. We are loved because of mercy. We are protected because of mercy. Whatever we are and whatever we have is due to mercy. God’s mercy! 

So, if you are one of those who will read today’s Gospel and wonder how it could be fair that all those who lived godly and devoutly all their lives and those who repented or converted at the end of their lives or on their death beds could receive the same reward, remember that our ways are not God’s ways. Rather than protest, let’s humble ourselves and allow God to distribute his graces as he deems fit. Grace is unmerited gifts. It has nothing to do with what anyone has done but with what God has done and what God is doing. This Gospel should gladden our hearts and give us hope. Not resentment. Rather than protest over God’s ocean of mercy, rejoice and be hopeful. I am deeply glad that this is the God I serve. 

Reflection on Matthew 19:23-30

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

A rich man comes to Jesus seeking to know what good thing he must do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus simply tells him to keep the commandments. Wanting Jesus to be specific he asks, “Which ones?” meaning, from all the many rules, norms and commandments, which ones must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus lays them out for him: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” As soon as Jesus was done speaking, the rich man declares, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus looks at him and tells him that if he wishes to be perfect, that is whole and complete, he must go and sell what he has, give the money to the poor and then come follow him. Upon hearing Jesus’ injunction, he walks away sad. When he left, Jesus says to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven… it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, but when replying him, Jesus gave him four of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai which are prohibitions. That is, things he should not do. But he also added two commands that tells of what he must do.  

Jesus invited the young man to become his disciple, just as he invited Peter, Andrew, James, John and others, but he rejected the invitation. Following Jesus means setting aside anything that is an impediment to discipleship. The first four disciples left behind them their fishing trade to follow Jesus as he traveled around Galilee; Matthew left his his job as a tax collector (Matt. 9:9). The young man was invited to do likewise. He was asked to get rid of what he cannot carry along as he follows Jesus, to give the proceeds to the poor who rely on the generosity of others for their survival. By helping the poor, he will be storing treasure in heaven. The young man claimed he loved his neighbor, but when Jesus invites him to do so completely, he balked, went away sad because he had many possessions. And guess what? His many possessions possessed him too. Jesus saw it, and wanted to liberate him from the strong hold his possessions had on him. Unfortunately, he refused to be liberated. 

But why will it be tough for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven? It is because the focus and lifeline of a rich person is hardly in God but in his or her wealth. To enter the kingdom of heaven, our focus needs to be on Christ. The Lord is not against riches or against rich people. Don’t look at today’s Gospel as a condemnation of rich people by Jesus or his approval of poverty. The danger in having too many riches, too many possessions is that rather than possess wealth and use it to serve God and help the needy, the wealthy are oftentimes possessed by what they should possess. With that, they lose their freedom to worship and serve God. 

Reflection on Humility

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 18:4)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that the virtue of greatness is humility. He tells us that whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Now, humility is not humiliation or subordination or sycophancy. What then is humility? The Greek word used by Jesus and the Apostles to convey the meaning of humility is “tapeinos” which is having a right view of ourselves before God and others. While pride is an exalted sense of who we are in relation to God and others, humility is having a realistic sense of who we are before God and others. Humility is a virtue that elevates and exalts a person. If love or charity is the key to heaven, humility is the lock. 

Pride is a universal human problem. Everyone suffers from it to some degree. Each of us is hunted by pride, and only those who are aware of this hunting ghost that lives in each of us and know about its catastrophic effects may be able to overcome it by a constant spiritual exercise of humility. Pride does not exalt a person, rather it overfeeds a person’s ego, puts so much air into it, make it over-bloated and if unchecked could wreak a soul. Pride is the root of all sin, while humility according to St. John Chrysostom “is the root, mother, nurse, foundation and bond of all virtue.”

So, how do we humble ourselves? First, make a firm decision to ponder and understand Jesus’ way, especially his strong emphasis on humility. Second, desire to be humble. Third, pray to the Holy Spirit to help change your heart and help you understand who you really are. 

When the Answer is Slow in Coming, Don’t Slow Down Prayer!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, August 16, 2020

The beginning of the Gospel of Matthew 15 tells us that the Pharisees were not happy that Jesus’ disciples were breaking the tradition of the elders, which is, not washing their hands in a proper way before a meal. When they registered their displeasure to Jesus, he used the opportunity to rebuke them for their zeal to keep man made laws while at the same time ignore God’s commandments. To drive home his message, he said, “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one” (Matt. 15:11). At the end of the argument—about what really defiles and makes a person unclean— he withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon, an area considered unclean by the Pharisees. To really call their bluff, so it seems, Jesus entered a non-Jewish territory. Surprisingly, a Canaanite woman there courageously approached him and pleaded with him to heal her daughter. At the time, the racial divide and discontent between Jews and Gentiles was deep. So, it was a big deal that Jesus was in that region, and was even a bigger deal that a Canaanite woman would approach him so directly to heal her daughter. Jesus is breaking down racial, ethnic and religious barriers and inviting everyone regardless of race, religion and tongue to come to him. While some Jews, like the Pharisees were rejecting the offer, people considered outcastes, like the Canaanite woman, were accepting it. delay

I believe that the needy woman knew who Jesus was—his racial background, his title and what he was able to do. She knew that Jesus was a Jew, but the problem at hand far outweighed the issue of racial differences. Coming to Jesus, she called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” At first, Jesus was silent. Then his zealous disciples suggested that he send her away. Rather than send her away, Jesus tested the woman’s resolve, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The woman was not ready to back off, rather, she pleaded further, “Lord, help me.” Responding to her plea, he used a derogatory term that was often applied to Gentiles by Jews of that time: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” If this Canaanite woman was fainthearted, she would have ended every plea here and walked away. But she did not feel insulted nor deterred in persisting for the cure of her daughter, instead she courageously told Jesus, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” With this, Jesus said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” 

Brothers and sisters, it will be a mistake to spend time wondering why Jesus said it is not right to give to dogs food meant for the children. There are times we call those who are close to us “unbeliever,” “sinner,” “rascal,” “goat,” “dog,” “stupid,” etc. But when we call them such names, the tone with which we say them and the accompanying smile on our faces take the hurt and irritation away. When a brother, sister, friend or parent call us a derogatory name with a softer tone and smile, the sting or the insult which usually accompanies such is rooted out and filled with affection and laughter. We can be certain that the compassionate Jesus said what he said with a softer tone and a friendly smile on his face. We can be very certain that the smile on his face and the compassion in his eyes robbed those words of all insults and bitterness. 

But the lesson to be learned from this Gospel passage is persistence in prayer. The Canaanite woman’s persistence and solid-rock faith in Jesus saved her daughter. Her refusal to give up brought healing to her daughter. Her persistence in prayer resulted in the deliverance of her daughter from an aggressive and tormenting demon. Her practice of PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens) saved the day. The story which started badly ended so well! Glory be to God! Now, how many times have we prayed earnestly for something very dear to us, and God seems to ignore us? How many times have we asked, sought and knocked and the answer is delaying in coming? And when that happens, some of us turn on our heels and walk away; some of us become angry, disappointed, depressed and even promise to stop praying and stop going to church. Some think that God just doesn't care about them. But in the Gospel of Luke 18:1, Jesus teaches us of the importance of perseverance in prayer and not giving up. The woman in today’s Gospel teaches us the importance of persistence in prayer. Against all odds, she refused to give up. Against all odds, we can also refuse to give up.  The silence of God, as frustrating and upsetting it can be for us, is not necessarily a refusal by God. Just like the tenacity of the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel was tested and tried by Jesus, we also can be tested and tried. So, I urge you, when the answer to your prayer is being delayed, continue to ask, seek, knock and pray fervently and earnestly. Mark this, in such times, the temptation would be to just conclude that God isn't interested and then to quit praying. Again, I urge you to continue to ‘disturb’ the heaven with your request. God’s silence can be an opportunity to grow in faith, opportunity to learn to pray, opportunity to develop trust in God. If there’s one thing that the story of the Canaanite woman teaches us today, it is that persistence in prayer can break the silence of God. I leave you with this words of St. Paul, “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

To turn away from Jesus is to turn away from life itself 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, August 9. 2020

After feeding the crowds, Jesus made his disciples get in a boat “and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” After dismissing the people, he returns to prayer and solitude that he previously wanted before people came to him from different villages. As Jesus is praying, his disciples are struggling to steady the boat for they are being tossed about by strong waves. In the midst of this confusion, Jesus comes to them walking on the water and in the process startled and terrified them. Thinking that he is a ghost, they cry out in fear. Immediately, Jesus assures them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Curiously, Peter wants an assurance, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Without delay, Jesus beckons him to come. I don’t know if Peter is brave, courageous or recklessly stupid, but he did act on the command of Jesus. He steps out of the boat, steps into the water and begins to walk on the water. Then for a moment, he turns his attention away from Jesus to the potency of the wind. It frightens him, shakes him up and he begins to sink. Like a child who cries out in distress to the mother, Peter cries out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” At Peter’s cry, Jesus “stretched out his hand” and caught him. Still holding on to Peter, Jesus asks, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Beloved in Christ, there are several lessons to learn from this Gospel. Top on the list is the stubborn fact of the disciples’ closeness to Jesus. They are his buddies. Yet, that closeness did not exempt them from the storm that almost claimed their lives. But here is the kicker. The very moment they needed help, Jesus was on hand. He came to them and saved them from a violent death. Our closeness to the Lord may not exclude us from life’s troubles, however, being close to him gives us hope that if he so wills it, he will help us overcome our troubles and storms. The second lesson from today’s Gospel is to never forget who you are with and who is with you. Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he was distracted by the strength of the waves which led to his sinking, but he immediately recovered and remembered that his Redeemer is with him as he cried out, “Lord, save me!” The third lesson has to do with Peter’s risky request and move. Do not be an impetuous disciple. Impulsive, rash, and reckless moves could endanger your life and that of others. Be careful what you ask for in prayer for you might get it. Fourthly, although there are 365 times in the Bible where we are urged to not be afraid, do not see every fear as a bad thing or evidence of little or no faith. Fear could be a good thing depending on what you do in the moment of fear and in the course of fear. Fear time can be an opportunity to turn towards God like Peter did. In fear, we can turn to God or turn away from Him. In fear, we can shut the doors of our lives and world or step out of it and see the moment as a rare moment of grace to look to heaven from where all help comes from. You can cry out to God in fear or cry out to people in frustration. When you are terrified, remember to say, “Lord, save me!” Finally, the reason why Peter walked on water for a moment and did not sink is because he acted on the Lord’s word and also kept his eyes on him. As long as he fixed his eyes on Jesus, he was trampling upon his problem on foot. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, you can trample upon snakes and scorpions (Lk. 10:19). With your eyes fixed on Jesus, the stone which otherwise could have been a stumbling block, will become a stepping stone. To turn away from Jesus is to turn away from life itself.