Trust story

The Gospel
Matthew 14:22-33


After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
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.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
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 Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

the scribble
written by Ewina Yu

What is your unforgettable trust story?

Short story time. Without a word, without second thoughts or any hint of hesitation, I suddenly jumped from the high roof of the old chicken coop one night into the arms of my big brother cousin Karll, much to his surprise and amazement. Still, he caught me in mid-air and put me down to safety while sighing in relief.

Well, in the first place, Karll was the one who put me up there (to probably scare me) because we were playing at that time. Also, I was relentless, fierce, and boyish as a child, so I assumed he wanted to see some signs of fear in me. Or he wanted me to tearfully say “put me down”, but I did not. I trusted him like he was my lifeline. Looking back, I could say that what I did was brave. I was 9. Karll was 19.

I bet many nine-year-old kids would have done what I did too because of innate courage. However, more than the bravery, I know now that the reason for jumping is more because of the person who will do the catching or saving. I was too young then, but I knew that my favorite cousin would catch me.

Similarly, if we are with the Lord, who or what could possibly harm us? Unfortunately for Peter, in today’s gospel, for a second there, he doubted his salvation. Jesus, our savior, was right there with him, and He just told Peter to take courage, and yet Peter was still terrified by the sinking boat.

Are we like Peter who gets frightened, as soon as our boats start sinking, literally and figuratively? Yes! As humans, we can relate to Peter because at times, we too, have little faith in the Lord.