Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fear is a corrosive force. It slowly eats away at all that is good. When fear takes control, it increases greed and selfishness, leading us to hoard things that are needed by all. It tears apart relationships and replaces compassion and care with suspicion. We watch fear slowly tear apart societies and nations. Wherever fear reigns, we can be certain that even greater evils will soon follow.

When Saint Peter sees the Lord in the distance, he calls out to him. In a moment of great courage and faith, he walks upon the water. He is taking part in a miracle that defies the very laws of nature.

And then the wind blows. Perhaps it was a heavy wind—the kind of wind that would strike fear into the heart of a fisherman who had lived his life day in and day out upon those same waters. Peter knew what every wind, every cloud, and every drop of rain portended because he had seen it firsthand. Perhaps he had lost things in those storms before. Perhaps he had even lost friends or family.

And the weight of all of that hits him in this moment. He takes his eyes off the Lord and looks at the wind. That weight touches his heart, and he becomes afraid. The moment fear takes hold of him, everything else begins to fall apart. He loses his faith and his courage, and he begins to sink. But the Lord is there, and the Lord lifts him back up.

This will not be the last time Peter vacillates between courage and fear, between faith and a return to his old ways. Peter will confess who the Lord is before anyone else. He will show faith and courage many times throughout the Gospel. But he will also be the one who denies the Lord three times.

Peter still has much to learn. But he does learn. He keeps his eyes focused on the Lord. He keeps returning to him. He keeps depending upon the Lord’s mercy. No matter how many times he falls, he goes back. Ultimately, Peter finds authentic and lasting courage, authentic faith. He boldly proclaims the Gospel and is martyred—crucified like his Savior.

As Christians, we must have courage. We cannot succumb to fear. Instead, we must keep our eyes intently fixed upon the Lord—the Lord whom we can be certain will rescue us and keep us safe.

But courage does not mean embracing the opposite extreme. It does not mean going about recklessly, as though we never had to consider the risks and potential consequences.

True courage requires prudence. It requires a rational assessment of the situation and making preparations where needed. But it also requires us to step forward in faith, accepting that our lives are not completely under our control. The forces of this world are greater than we are, but we know the one who is greater still.

The same Lord who could still the storm, the same Lord who was there to rescue Peter, to show him mercy, and to forgive him—that Lord, who has all power, is with us. He is on our side, calling us to salvation.

Therefore, let us not give fear any foothold in our lives. Let us keep our eyes intently focused upon the Lord himself, upon the one who has the power to rescue us. We do this not out of rashness, but out of confidence in his love for us, knowing that if he is with us, then no matter what we may face, no matter what may come against us, everything will be okay.

Even if he calls us to be nailed to a cross, as he was and as Saint Peter was, something even greater is in store.