Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

We often criticize Saint Peter because he fails so often. He can be outspoken and quick to jump into things. In today’s Gospel, he speaks and acts quickly: he gets out of the boat, and he fails. It is easy to focus on that failure.

But it is also important to see that he did it: Peter got out of the boat. No one else even tried. No one else had enough faith to begin. Peter at least made it that far. And the Lord does not rebuke him in quite the same way he does elsewhere. His question—“Why did you doubt?”—implies that faith had already been there: Peter wavered. There is certainly a rebuke, but there is also, I think, a kind of praise for Peter’s faith and willingness to try, even though he ultimately fails.

All of us need at least some of that. Sometimes we strive so hard for perfection—for being prepared, being ready, and making sure everything is in place before we take the first step—that in the end we do not take the step at all. Peter’s impulsiveness allows the little faith and grace he has received in that moment to move him to take the step.

We need more of that. If we take the step, we may open ourselves to the further graces Christ wants to give us in that moment. We may discover that we have more faith than we thought and are more prepared than we realized. But if we keep waiting for the moment of perfection, nothing will ever happen. We are not perfect, and we will not become perfect in this life.

And so we need some of that impulsiveness within us. We need the courage to act, even if we become frightened later and even if we fail. Sometimes that is all Christ asks of us: that we take the step. The possibility of failure does not erase the faith of that first response.

In the Diary of Saint Faustina, this happens a couple of times. The Lord asks her to do something, and she asks her superiors for permission. They say no. She returns to the Lord and complains that they have frustrated his will. But he tells her that his will was for her to obey. By obeying, she had accomplished everything he asked of her in that moment.

The same is true here, I think, for Peter. His willingness to act was what the Lord was looking for. It was not about Peter walking on water and performing great miracles for everyone. It was about his courage and faith in that moment.

Sometimes the same will be true for us. The Lord is not asking us to achieve great success. He is asking us to follow him. That simple willingness to go out and do what he asks is enough. It accomplishes what he is seeking because it strengthens the soul.

So, rather than criticizing the failures we see, whether in ourselves or in those around us, let us recognize the courage that is sometimes already there. Let us cultivate that courage within ourselves: the willingness to take the first step even when we think failure may follow, knowing that the Lord is with us and is calling us to someplace great.