Overview:

The Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

A Reflection for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest

At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:27-31)

Find today’s readings here.

I should be used to moving. By the end of high school, I’d lived in nine cities in five countries and attended seven different schools. When I look back on my experiences—the amazing places I’ve explored, the unforgettable people I’ve met—I should know that it will all be fine. But the truth is that every time I move to a new place, I’m still a worried mess.

Sometimes, I think that if I was reading a book about my life, I would be yelling at the main character who cannot see what is so obviously going to happen—that it’s going to be alright in the end. A term from high school English comes to mind: dramatic irony.

Reading today’s Gospel, it’s easy to feel that way about Peter. Peter has seen Jesus work miracles before. Why can’t he trust that Jesus will not let him drown? We might want to shout at Peter: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

The author of Matthew could have leaned all the way into the dramatic irony of Peter’s lack of trust. But instead, the author also provides details that contextualize Peter’s fear: the boat is miles from shore; it is the fourth watch of the night, between 3 and 6 a.m.; they have been tossed about in the pitch black night for hours when Jesus appears as a ghostly figure walking on the sea. I’d be terrified out of my mind. 

Peter is initially eager to miraculously meet Jesus on the water: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And yet, when fear creeps in, Peter fails to trust Jesus, to see that at the end of his story, Jesus will not let him go, even if he has to brave the waves and the dark night for many hours.

It’s hard to truly trust that God is with us, even when we have all the evidence to do so. 

Yet though Peter doubted Jesus many times, Jesus still chose him to be the first leader of the church.

God asks for our trust. But he knows it is a radical kind of trust. While sometimes we might bristle at why he asks so much of us, we can also look at it from a different perspective: He is asking us because we are capable of it. 

Where in my life can I trust God more radically? Moving to a new place might not be as terrifying as the apostles’ storm-torn night at sea, but my initial excitement about venturing into foreign waters often gets bogged down by uncertainty, leaving me to doubt how the next chapter of my life will conclude.

Of course, Peter could not walk on water by himself. He could only do so while walking with Jesus.

God sees what happens at the end of our stories when we don’t. He asks us to walk by radical trust. But he also promises to walk with us.

Chloe Hanford is a summer intern at America Media.