GOSPEL REFLECTION, WEDNESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, 7 JANUARY 2026, ST ANDRE BESSETTE

Mark 6:45-52.  After the Feeding of the Five Thousand Jesus retired further into the wilderness to pray, after sending the twelve apostles across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida.  The feeding of the five thousand had been a moment of profound revelation about who Jesus was – the Messiah.  But the crowds had not understood; they wanted to make him an earthly king.  The twelve disciples did not understand either (see v. 52, today’s gospel).  Jesus was being confronted by the religious authorities.  There was much to pray about.

The disciples got into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, although it was by now getting dark.  Their trip across was about four miles, but they were fishermen, used to being on the sea at night.  However, the crossing was really rough.  Strong headwinds and large stormy waves meant they were making little headway.  They were ‘straining at the oars.’  Early in the morning (the fourth watch, 3-6 am) Jesus saw they ere in trouble.  He set out towards them, walking on the waves.  They ‘were terrified’ – no wonder!  It was the middle of the night, and they thought they were seeing a ghost!  But Jesus called out to them, ‘take heart, it is I, do nor be afraid!’  ‘It is I’ – Jesus was using the divine name I AM!  He came into the boat with them and the storm ceased; ‘they were utterly astounded!’

Saint Augustine commented at some length on  this incident.  He said, ‘the boat is the Church, with the disciples in it and Jesus in their midst, so Christians, why are you afraid?’   There we have the meaning of this event for us.  As one modern commentator has said, ‘when Christ is present in our midst the storm becomes calm, the chaos becomes peace, what cannot be done is in fact done,  the unbearable becomes bearable,  we pass the breaking point, but we do not break!’