“SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER”
Daily Spiritual Reflections
17th April 2021
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SATURDAY, SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
Reading 1: Acts 6: 1-7 urged by Greek converts, the apostles decide to ordain helpers to care for the community’s daily needs while they continue to preach.
Gospel: Jn 6: 16-21 after the multiplication of loaves, Jesus walks on the water to his disciples in the boat.
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IT IS I, HAVE NO FEAR
Joy reigns in our hearts, as we continue to celebrate the mystery of the risen Christ being present with us here and now. In today’s gospel, we are presented with the account of Jesus walking on the water. Water had a double meaning for the Jews of old; it was both a benign and a destructive element. God is “a fountain of living water” (Jer 2:13); but on the other hand, the enemy can be “like an overflowing torrent” (Jer 47:2). They especially feared the chaos of the sea, which brought remembrance of the Great Flood.
After the multiplication of loaves and fish, Jesus asks the disciples to go before him to the other side of the lake while he retires into the hills to pray. A strong storm ensued, and the disciples still on the lake, fought to keep the boat steady in the rough waters. Right in the middle of the storm, Jesus reaches the disciples’ boat, walking upon the water. When they see him afar, the disciples are terrified, thinking him to be a ghost or a demon of some kind. But he calms them, saying: “It is I; have no fear!” The divine “I am” who delivered Israel from the clutches of the Egyptians, now delivers them from the storm.
The boat of our life is often storm-tossed and buffeted by winds. Even when the waters are calm, they quickly grow agitated. When we are caught up in those storms, they seem to be our only problem. We can be so focused on the immediate problems at hand, that they appear to be larger than life, and impossible to overcome. The issue is not the momentary storm however, but how we are navigating through life. The secret of navigating well, is to invite Jesus on board. Asking him to be the guide is the key to weathering the storm. Today, let us invite Jesus into the boat of our life. Like the disciples, we will realize that once he is on board, the winds will die down and there can be no shipwreck; rather, ‘in no time we will reach the shore at the place we are making for.’
Res. Psalm: Ps 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19, 22 May your merciful love be upon us, as we hope in you, O Lord.
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