“There is one question that always comes to my mind whenever I read this Sunday’s Gospel.
Jesus knew that His disciples were already in a very difficult situation. The wind was strong. The waves were rough. They were exhausted from rowing. They were already afraid.
But why didn’t Jesus act immediately? Why didn’t He go to them right away? Why did He allow them to struggle against the wind and the waves for almost the entire night? The Gospel tells us that Jesus came to them “during the fourth watch of the night”—somewhere between three and six in the morning. They had been struggling for hours. Why?
I believe this is the message Jesus wants us to understand this Sunday:
Sometimes, the Lord allows us to go through storms, not because He wants to abandon us, but because He wants our trust in Him to grow.
It is very easy to believe in God when everything in life is going well. It is easy to believe when we are healthy. It is easy to believe when there are no problems in the family. It is easy to believe when we have enough money.
But real faith grows not only in times of comfort and ease. Faith grows especially in times of difficulty.
Just a few hours before this storm, the disciples had witnessed the miracle of Jesus feeding thousands of people. They already knew Jesus as a miracle-worker. But they still had to discover Jesus as the Lord who stays with them in the middle of the storm.
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Sometimes, we are just like the disciples. We ask: “Lord, why has this illness lasted so long?” “Why hasn’t my child changed?” “Why does our family still have this problem?” “Lord, why does it seem that You are not doing anything?”
And perhaps the Lord also wants to ask us: “If I immediately removed every problem from your life, when would you ever learn to trust Me?”
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My dear brothers and sisters, there is another beautiful detail in the Gospel worth reflecting on.
Before Jesus went to His disciples, He went up the mountain to pray. In other words, while the disciples were struggling against the storm at sea, Jesus was praying for them.
Isn’t that beautiful? Sometimes, when God is silent, we think He has already abandoned us. But He has not. He may not answer immediately, but He never stops caring for us and interceding for us.
This is what Saint Paul tells us: Christ intercedes for us before the Father. Even when we become too tired to pray, Jesus continues to pray for us.
And at the right time, He acts.
Notice what Jesus did. He did not first remove the waves. He did not first stop the wind. What did He do? He walked on the water. Why on the water? Because the very waves the disciples were afraid of became the road Jesus used to reach them.
And that can also happen in our lives. Sometimes God does not immediately remove our problems. Instead, He enters into our problems and makes us feel that we are not alone.
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Now, let us also look at Peter.
As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. But when he began focusing on the strong wind and the waves, he started to sink.
The same thing happens to us.
When we look only at our problems, our fears become bigger, and little by little, we begin to sink.
But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, even when we stumble, even when we begin to sink, He will not abandon us. He will reach out His hand and hold us.
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My dear brothers and sisters, perhaps some of you have been rowing against the wind for a very long time. You have been praying for your child for years. You have been caring for someone who is sick. You have been carrying problems in your family. You have been waiting for an answer to your prayers.
And perhaps you have also asked: “Lord, where are You?”
And Jesus answers: “I am here. I have not forgotten you. I have seen everything you are going through. I know you are tired. Do not give up. Do not lose hope. I will come at the right time.”
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Let me end with a short story.
There was once a mother doing cross-stitch. Her young son was watching her and asked: “Mom, why does it look so messy?”
The boy was looking at the underside of the cloth, so all he could see were tangled threads going in different directions.
The mother smiled and turned the cross-stitch over. Then the child saw a beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that his mother had carefully created.
The mother said: “My son, if you look only from underneath, everything will seem messy. But when you see the finished work, you will understand that all those threads were creating something beautiful.”
——
My dear brothers and sisters, sometimes our lives also seem messy. There are so many questions without answers. So many things we cannot understand.
But God is the One weaving the story of our lives. And one day, we will see that every tear, every season of waiting, and every storm had a purpose in His hands.
So do not be afraid. Because God’s greatest gift is not a life without storms. His greatest gift is His presence with us, even in the middle of the storm.
Cebuano:
Adunay usa ka pangutana nga pirmi gyud nakong mahunahunaan sa matag higayon nga basahon ang Ebanghelyo ning Domingoha.
Kabalo man si Jesus nga lisod na kaayo ang kahimtang sa Iyang mga tinun-an. Kusog ang hangin. Kusog ang balod. Gikapoy na sila sa pagbugsay. Nangahadlok na sila.
Apan nganong wala man Siya molihok dayon, wala man Siya moadto dayon nila?
Ngano man nga gihulat pa Niya nga hapit tibuok gabii silang nakigbisog sa hangin ug balod? Ang Ebanghelyo nagsaysay nga miabot Siya “during the 4th watch of the night”—mga alas tres hangtod alas sais sa buntag. Halos usa na ka gabii silang nag-antus.
Ngano man? Naa dinhi ang mensahe nga gusto ipasabot ni Jesus kanato karong Domingoha.
Usahay, tugotan sa Ginoo nga maagian nato ang unos, dili tungod kay buot ta Niya nga pasagdan, kondili aron nga mas motubo ang atong pagsalig Kaniya.
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Real talk lang ni ha. Sayon ra gyud kaayo motuo og Ginoo kung maayo ang dagan sa atong kinabuhi.
Sayon motuo kung himsog ang lawas.
Sayon motuo kung walay problema sa pamilya.
Sayon motuo kung duna tay kwarta.
Apan ang tinuod nga pagtuo motubo dili sa panahon sa kasayon o kaharuhay, kondili sa panahon sa kalisdanan.
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Atong sayran nga pipila lang ka oras sa wala pa mahitabo kining paghadla sa unos, nakasaksi ang mga tinun-an sa milagro sa pagpakaon sa liboan ka mga tawo.
Nakaila na sila kang Jesus isip miracle-worker. Apan wala pa nila mailhi si Jesus isip Ginoo nga makig-uban nila taliwala sa unos.
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Usahay pareho usab kita sa mga tinun-an. Mangutana ta:
“Ginoo, nganong dugay man kaayo ning akong sakit?”
“Nganong wala pa man mausab kining akong anak?”
“Nganong hangtod karon adunay problema sa among pamilya?”
“Nganong daw wala man kay pagtagad?”
Ug tingali ang Ginoo buot usab mangutanan nato.
“Kung tangtangon Ko dayon ang tanan nimong problema, kanus-a pa kaha ka makat-on sa pagsalig Kanako?”
——
Mga igsoon, adunay laing detalye sa Ebanghelyo nga nindot pamalandongan.
Sa wala pa mopaduol si Jesus sa mga tinun-an, misaka Siya sa bukid aron mag-ampo.
Sa ato pa, samtang ang mga tinun-an nakigbisog sa unos sa dagat, si Jesus nag-ampo alang kanila.
Nindot kaayo pamalandongon, dili ba? Usahay ra ba kung hilom ang Ginoo, abi nato gibiyaan na ta Niya. Wala diay.
Tinuod nga wala Siya motubag dayon, apan wala usab Siya mohunong sa pag-ampo alang kanato.
Mao man kini ang gipasabut ni San Pablo: si Cristo nangamuyo sa Amahan alang kanato.
Bisan kung kita usahay kapoyon na sa pag-ampo, si Jesus padayon gihapon nga nag-ampo alang kanato.
Ug pag-abot sa hustong panahon, molihok Siya. Wala Niya kuhaa og una ang balod. Wala Niya pahunonga og una ang hangin. Unsay Iyang gibuhat? Milakaw Siya ibabaw sa tubig.
Nganong ibabaw man sa tubig? Kay ang maong balod nga ilang gikahadlokan mao usab ang dalan nga gigamit ni Jesus aron makaabot kanila.
Mao usab kana sa atong kinabuhi.
Usahay dili dayon kuhaon sa Ginoo ang atong problema. Apan mosulod Siya sa atong mga problema aron ipabati nga wala kita nag-inusara.
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Karon, tan-awon usab nato si Pedro. Samtang gipunting niya ang iyang mga mata kang Jesus, nakalakaw siya ibabaw sa tubig.
Apan sa dihang didto na siya naka-focus sa kusog nga hangin ug mga balod, misugod siya sa pagka-unlod.
Mao usab kana ang mahitabo nato. Kon pirmi ta motan-aw sa problema, modako ang atong kahadlok, ug hinayhinay ta mounlod. Apan kon si Jesus ang atong tan-awon, bisan pag matomba ta o maunlod na, dili kita Niya pasagdan. Mohawid dayon Siya sa atong mga kamot.
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Mga igsoon, tingali adunay uban dinhi nga dugay nang nagbugsay batok sa songsongon nga hangin.
Dugay nang nag-ampo alang sa anak.
Dugay nang nag-atiman sa masakiton.
Dugay nang nag-antos sa problema sa pamilya.
Dugay nang naghulat nga matubag ang ilang pag-ampo.
Ug tingali nangutana na usab mo:
“Ginoo, asa naman Ka?”
Ang tubag ni Jesus mao kini: “Ania ra Ko. Wala Ko ikaw hikalimti. Nakita Ko ang tanan nimong pag-antos. Kabalo Ko nga gikapoy na ka. Ayaw lang paghunong, ayaw pawalag paglaum. Moabot Ko sa hustong panahon.”
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Tapuson nako kini sa usa ka mubo nga estorya.
Adunay inahan nga nag cross stitch. Ang iyang anak nga lalaki nagtan-aw ug nakapangutana: “Nay nganong gubot man kaayo ni?”
Sa ilalom man siya nagtan-aw, busa ang iyang nakita puro gubot nga mga hilo.
Ang inahan nakapahiyom samtang gipakita niya sa anak ang ibabaw sa iyang gitahi.
Ug nakita sa bata ang usa ka nindot kaayong hulagway sa Mahal nga Birhen, nga namugna sa cross stitching sa iyang inahan.
Miingon si Nanay, “Anak, kung sa ilawom ra ka motan-aw, gubot gyud ang imong makita. Apan kung makita na nimo ang kahumanan sa trabaho, masabtan nimo nga duna diay kini nindot nga hulagway.”
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Mga igsoon, usahay murag gubot ang atong kinabuhi. Daghang pangutana nga walay tubag.
Apan ang Ginoo mao ang Magtahi sa atong kinabuhi.
Ug usa ka adlaw, makita nato nga ang matag luha, matag paghulat, ug matag unos aduna
diay maayong katuyoan.
Busa ayaw kahadlok. Kay ang labing dako nga gasa sa Ginoo dili ang kinabuhi nga walay unos.
Ang labing dako Niyang gasa mao ang Iyang presensya uban kanato bisan sa taliwala sa unos.”