Saturday in the Second Week of Easter, April 17, 2021

John 6:16-21

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.

“When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid.”  Confronted with mystery in the darkness of night, we mortals customarily react with fear.  In our experience, mystery, especially at night when we are more vulnerable, does not turn out well for us.  Sin does that to us, and the expectation of evil.  Partly this comes from our fallen human nature, and partly it is learned, as well.  The Son of God comes to us in mystery, as in his Incarnation, when he walked visibly among us; as in the Blessed Sacrament, when he wraps himself in the appearance of bread so that we might consume him — or, rather, that we might consume him so as to be consumed by him.  He comes to us in the darkness of our ignorance, of our hurt, and of our fear, and he says to us, Peace be with you, and in doing so, he imparts to us grace that gives us peace.  In effect, he calls to us out of his mystery: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”  Let us learn to expect him — “keeping alert”, as he often counseled his disciples — so that we may embrace him when he comes.